Van Smith

Infobox Person
name = Van Smith


caption = Van Smith from Steve Yeager's 1998 documentary Divine Trash
birth_date = August 17, 1945
birth_place = Marianna, Florida
death_date = December 5, 2006
death_place = Marianna, Florida
other_names = Walter Avant Smith, Jr
known_for = Dreamlanders
occupation = Costume designer
Makeup artist
nationality = American

Van Smith (born Walter Avant Smith Jr., August 17, 1945 in Marianna, Florida - December 5, 2006 Marianna, Florida) was an American costume designer and make-up artist. He worked primarily in the films of John Waters, designing the costumes and make-up for every John Waters film from 1972 to 2004.cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0810249/|title=Van Smith on IMDb|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=2008-06-15] Because of his work with Waters, he is considered one of the Dreamlanders, Waters' ensemble of regular cast and crew members.

The first John Waters film Smith worked on was "Pink Flamingos" (1972), for which he designed the costumes and make-up for the film's star, female-impersonating actor Divine, as well as the rest of the cast. In this film Smith, along with Waters, created the famous look for Divine which included a white clown face base and a shaved-back hairline with the eyebrows drawn on the upper forehead. Waters said he wanted Divine's make-up to look like a cross between Jayne Mansfield and Clarabell the Clown.cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/07/AR2006120701848.html|title=Waters Ally Van Smith; Films' Doyen of Dirt|last=Bernstein|first= Adam|date=December 8, 2006|work=The Washington Post |publisher=The Washington Post Company |pages=B07|language=English|accessdate=2008-06-15]

This was followed by Smith's work on "Female Trouble" (1974), which featured a cast of flamboyant criminals and hairdressers whose costumes are overtly tacky and whose make-up is extreme. For Divine's wedding scene in the film, Smith designed a see-through wedding dress for the 300 lb. bride.

Smith went on to create the look for the grotesque citizens of Mortville in "Desperate Living" (1977). In Waters' next seven films, Smith demonstrated the ability to create interesting looks for characters with big personalities but more conventional appearances as Waters' movies became more mainstream.

Smith died of a heart attack in Marianna, Florida on December 5, 2006. [cite web |url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0810249/ |title=Van Smith |publisher=Internet Movie Database | accessdate=2008-03-07]

Filmography

Make-up and costume design

*"Pink Flamingos" (1972)
*"Female Trouble" (1974)
*"Desperate Living" (1977)
*"Polyester" (1981)
*"Hairspray" (1988)
*"Cry-Baby" (1990)
*"Serial Mom" (1994)
*"Pecker" (1998)
*"Cecil B. Demented" (2000)
*"A Dirty Shame" (2004)

As himself

*"Divine Trash" (1998)
*"It Came from Baltimore" (2005) (Video)
*"All the Dirt on" A Dirty Shame (2005) (Video)

Other

*"Pink Flamingos" (1972) Birthday party guest in drag
*"" (2 episodes, 1993)

References

External links

*imdb name|0810249|Van Smith
* [http://www.dreamlandnews.com/news/DLNews11.shtml Van Smith tribute on Dreamland news]
* [http://www.dreamlandnews.com/print/articles/mvp_paper.shtml "The Cinematic Unabomber"] by Mary Vivian Pearce

Persondata
NAME=Smith, Van
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Walter Avant Smith Jr.
SHORT DESCRIPTION= American costume designer for film
DATE OF BIRTH= August 17, 1945
PLACE OF BIRTH= Marianna, Florida
DATE OF DEATH= December 5, 2006
PLACE OF DEATH= Marianna, Florida