An American Queen

When American actress Irene Dunne was chosen to play the proud, pursed lady above for 20th Century-Fox´s  The Mudlark, to be shot near London, some critics were indignant, and one M.P. called it the greatest insult to Britain since Errol Flynn captured Burma singlehanded. Undaunted, Miss Dunne went right ahead, cheerfully admitted to a 90-minute make-up job in which she acquired a cosmetic latex chinpiece to resemble Queen Victoria in middle age. Although Miss Dunne complained that " I have to cut a strawberry in four pieces to get it down," the result was so imposing that when she walked on the set the British crew instinctively fell into the awed hush of subjects before their queen. Even the British critics agreed that Miss Dunne´s royal impersonation, which is not so puffy-checked as Helen Hayes´Victoria Regina, was close to the real thing.

Royal Jowls of spongy latex are fitted over Miss Dunne´s chiseled features, then blended onto her skin with a plastic filler.

(Life, September 11. 1950)                                      

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