Disguises: Mr Magoo (makeup process)

Mr Magoo – the makeup process

In this Leslie Nielsen vehicle Luanne Leseur aka Prunella Pagliacci (Kelly Lynch) is a very good thief, deadly, and a mistress of disguise who runs through a variety of disguises.

Two of her disguises involve the use of extensive prosthetic makeup: the old lady and a balding, middle-aged man (the latter was cut from the completed movie).

In a number of interviews, Kelly Lynch referred to the male disguise which never made it into the final movie: possibly because the scene apparently had no reference to the character being Prunella in disguise (unlike the old lady scene, where she seen both fitting the dentures after finishing a phone call and then fleeing athletically after being recognised by Magoo’s dog). It’s a shame it wasn’t even included in the DVD – I’m grateful to Charles Porlier for allowing me to use these images of the male disguise makeup.

The old lady disguise is also excellent – indeed overkill for the brief gag. It involves facial and hand prosthetics (described as deliberately cartoony by Charles Porlier), a wig, a fat-suit, and false teeth.

The makeup

Sandy Cooper was the key makeup artist.

Charles Porlier was responsible for SPFX makeup and he and Doug Morrow were responsible for this makeup.

I am grateful to Doug Morrow for emailing me with the following information about the male disguise makeup:

The middle age man makeup was created and shot, but was cut from the final print for some reason. For that makeup I sculpted a nose tip, and a male neck (thicker, with an adam’s apple). Charles [Porlier] applied it as well.