Friday, March 16, 2012

I Wanna Hold Your Hand!

Allan "Whitey" Snyder legendary makeup artist to Marilyn Monroe held my hand when I was sworn into the IATSE union Local 706, in Los Angeles. 
     He was wearing a safari suit and an ascot and sitting with a group of retired cronies having a ball and yucking it up at my first union meeting.
 As a newbie they called "Those young people from off the streets" I was slightly terrified and pretty intimidated. When it was time to swear in new members Whitey turned to me and volunteered to hold my hand. Now it was fun and such an honor to hold the hand of the man who made up Marilyn Monroe. Wow! 
He jokingly said,  "Now do I put my hand over your heart?
To which  I replied, "Nice try!".  
The feeling of unity and solidarity was profound and a moment I'll never forget. 
At last joining the ranks of iconic union makeup artists and hairstylists, like "Whitey". I am still honored. 

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A collection of never-before-seen photos of Marilyn Monroe — and their accompanying copyrights — are going up for auction.
Celebrity auctioneer Darren Julien says more than 100 images of Monroe will be sold the highest bidders later this month.
The photos come from the estate of Allan "Whitey" Snyder, Monroe's personal makeup artist for 15 years. One image shows Snyder applying makeup to a lingerie-wearing Monroe on the set of "Let's Make Love" in 1960.
Letters, telegrams and a money clip from Monroe to Snyder are also among the lots set to be sold during Julien's Auctions' Hollywood Legends sale on March 31 and April 1. The auction also includes memorabilia from Frank Sinatra, James Dean, Charlie Chaplin and Sammy Davis, Jr.
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Online:
www.juliensauctions.com