Howard Smit: 1911-2009

Howard Smit, who helped define the role of a Hollywood makeup artist and establish the Oscar for makeup, died Saturday in Tarzana, Calif. He was 98.

In 1937, Smit was a founding member of IATSE local 706, Makeup and Hair Stylists Guild, later serving two terms as its president and helping acquire pension, health and welfare benefits for people in the trade. With John Inzerella, he played an integral role in making it mandatory for studios to acknowledge make-up artists and hair stylists in film and television credits, and worked on a campaign that established the Oscar for makeup. The Guild established the Smitty Award in his honor.

Smit started his career as a Hollywood make-up artist by helping on the sets of The Wizard of Oz and Gunga Din in 1939. He went on to do the makeup for stars such as Joan Crawford, Barbara Stanwyck, John Wayne and Roy Rogers; Alfred Hitchcock called upon him to do the makeup for The Birds and Marnie. In the 1960s, he served as a makeup artist on the television show The Mod Squad. In total, Smit is credited with working as a makeup artist on 50 movies and TV shows.