Signature Looks created by Monte Westmore
In her book, Gone With the Wind (1937), Margaret Mitchell characterized Scarlett O'Hara's eyes as being green. Director, David O. Selznick, was obsessed with this detail and insisted that Vivien Leigh's hazel eyes appear green. Monte worked with the wardrobe department and arranged for the actress to wear shades that could reflect in her hazel eyes. He used hues of green eyeshadow when making her up and Selznick never figured out how he miraculously turned her eyes green.
Monte washed Valentino's hair and applied a thin coat of Vaseline. He plucked and reshaped his eyebrows, defining the eye and making it appear larger. He contoured the jawline, lightened his deeply rouged lips and applied Vaseline to the lips for a bit of shine and fullness.
Monte created a flat-chested flapper trend when he used gauze and plaster to flatten down Clara Bow's breasts and give the appearance of nudity beneath a loose fitting garment on the beach in the movie, "It" (1927). Flappers everywhere were quick to adopt the "It" girl look.
Gloria Swanson preferred to be made up in the comfort of her own home before she left for the studios. Monte would make a house-call so she did not have to leave the house without a full make-up.
Actor, Paul Muni, Scarface (1932), seen here with his sinister scar created by Monte. This scar would become a trend in gangster films of the 1930's and beyond.
Mont and his wife, Edith, invented the "fish-hook hairpin" for the ice skating sweetheart, actress, Sonja Henie.