Ahhh The plot thickens…
K man, can you explain what you mean on your photo ‘‘Re-finished for the court case in 97’’ I’m aware of the court case, but not a Kirk being directly involved.
(Don Post would have possibly did the Hero’s paint up and TLW the modifications)
I would certainly entertain this idea. Maybe since the Paint TLW used flaked off, they asked DPS to finish more up with the correct paint?
You guys crack me up with your paint flake theory. I have masks that I rattle can painted over 12 years ago that have been through a lot of abuse, and to this day the paint hasn’t flaked off to any noticable degree.
By following Josh/Sheriff Bracketts theory I’m assuming like he had stated that the mask on the left is the same mask on the right. Maybe retouched to look even more Myer-ish for the court case.
Also the unconverted original 75 that was used in court was the one Darren now owns.
It’s strange, Carpenter never mentions about himself going to DP studios to buy back ups
Cheers man, To Knowledge-Carpenter, Wallace and Hill and all kept to the same story.
Turned out to be a good thread, “fish belly white”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X7P2AiWKEo&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Interesting remarks @ 1:20. Wallace says he went to a big costume shop on Hollywood Blvd to get the mask(s) and immediately after he says this, someone can be heard saying “Don Post Studios”.
Threads like this remind me of the good old days. I have always figured three kirks were convertd and ultimatly used, the famous malone copy being one made by DPS themselves and simply kept as an unused backup. I also personally believe the middle mask in the after party could very well be one of the tramers, just in a pre-tramer myers state, though I base this on absolutly nothing lol. Also, I have used spraypaint on masks and find it matches the hero quite well. Spraypaint also explains the exposed flesh under the chin, behind the ears and entire back of the neck. Lay any kirk flat, face up, spraypaint it not focusing on covering every inch and you may be surprised. I myself would almost rather never know 100%, not truely knowing is half the fun 
Im leaning towards what Paul and Josh have commented on…
Paul points out it is unlikely that there was a conspiracy between the original three involved, JC, Nick and TLW which i tend to agree with…and Josh/Brackett also mentioned that there IS info that JC visited Don Post Studios duing the filming of H2, which I could see being confused years later by some as possibly occuring during the filming of H1 when the visit occurred…also, what cant be deined is that alot of people probably want to jump in and share some of the credit for such a legendary mask now.
I did find this court ruling that Kaziu referenced. I believe it was posted here once before, but ill throw up the link.
its 22 pages, but well worth the read. Don Post sued Cinema Secrets for copyright infringement when CS started making Myers masks…DP alleged this was infringing on their patent for the Don Post The Mask (DPTM) that they patented in 98.
https://www.paed.uscourts.gov/documents/opinions/00D0911P.pdf
Heres another link to it
If it doesnt work just type in Don Post vs Cinema Secrets.
Here is an overview of the lawsuit Don Post launched against Cinema Secrets:
During preproduction of the 1978 film Halloween, representatives of the film asked Don Post Studios to create a mask for use by the lead character in the movie, a deranged serial killer named Michael Myers who attacks his victims with a knife on Halloween night. Don Post Studios was at the time in the business of providing special effects and masks to the film industry as well as manufacturing latex rubber masks. See Post Dep. at 24-27.
The Halloween representative instructed Don Post, head of Don Post Studios, to modify a mask of Captain Kirk, the character featured in the television series Star Trek played by William Shatner, which Don Post Studios had previously created.
[124 F.Supp.2d 314]
See Post Dep. at 134-35. The Captain Kirk mask is based on a foam master owned by Don Post Studios of Shatner’s head. Don Post Studios modified the Captain Kirk mask as per the film representative’s instructions and delivered it to the filmmakers. In return, Don Post Studios was paid $150.00 for its work on the mask. Don Post Studios did not assert, nor did it reserve any rights to the mask at that time. It was this modified Captain Kirk mask that was worn by the character Michael Myers in Halloween.
In 1981, three years after the original Halloween film was released, Don Post Studios requested but was not granted a license from the filmmakers to market the Michael Myers mask. See Def.'s Ex. 26.
In 1985, Don Post Studios began work on DPTM. According to Don Post, the concept of the mask was that of a face with blank, expressionless features that would represent “Every” man. To effectuate this project, Don Post hired sculptor Neil Surges. See Post Dep. at 165. Post provided Surges with the same foam master which had been used to create the Captain Kirk mask.6 Post told Surges to reproduce the foam master in a sculpture so that DPTM could be mass produced. See Post Dep. at 168-69. Some time around the conclusion of the project, Surges made an entry in a calendar that read “finish William [sic] Shatner bust,” see Def.'s Ex 69, and took a picture of the foam master, see Def.‘s Ex 57.
In 1986, Don Post Studios began producing and marketing DPTM. It is undisputed that DPTM has become a commercial success. Originally, the skin color of DPTM was a flesh tone. One year later, however, the skin color was changed to its present white tone.
In 1997, Don Post Studios attempted to obtain a copyright registration for DPTM. To do so, it retained the law firm of Berman, Berkley & Lasky to prepare the application to the Copyright Office. Melissa Calhoon, Esq., a lawyer at the firm, was assigned to conduct an investigation into the origins of DPTM. During the process of interviewing Don Post Studios employees, Calhoon was provided with a Captain Kirk mask, a copy of the mask that was used in the Halloween movie, and DPTM. See Calhoon Dep. at 16. Based on her investigation, Calhoon submitted an application to the Copyright Office describing DPTM as a derivative work of a “preexisting mask with different facial coloration, hair, and eyes.” Def.‘s Ex. 56. The Copyright Office rejected the application.
In 1997, Don Post Studios engaged Neil Boorstyn, Esq. to prepare a second application to the Copyright Office to obtain a copyright registration for DPTM. Boorstyn’s investigation consisted of interviewing Don Post.7 See Boorstyn Dep. at 23. Post told Boorstyn that he alone was responsible for creating the concept of DPTM. See id. Based on this representation, Boorstyn filed a second application with the Copyright Office asserting that DPTM was an original creation. See id. This second application did not make any reference to the Halloween movie mask or the Captain Kirk mask, or to the first application previously rejected by the Copyright Office. See Def.‘s Ex. 30. Based on representations contained in the second application, the Copyright Office granted Don Post Studios a copyright registration for DPTM.
In 1999, Cinema Secrets entered into a non-exclusive licensing agreement with the
[124 F.Supp.2d 315]
holder of the Halloween copyright to produce and market a Michael Myers mask based upon the Michael Myers character in the movie. See Pls.’ Ex. 7. Cinema Secrets hired Chris Hanson, a sculptor, to effectuate the project. See Pls.’ Ex. 29. Hanson was given three smaller sized pictures of the mask as it appeared in the movie and a videotape of the movie. See Yablans Dep. at 74. The final version of the mask created by Hanson was approved for accuracy by Mickey Yablans, the movie’s licensing agent.8 See id. at 66.
In the summer of 1999, Cinema Secrets began marketing its Michael Myers mask. In the fall of 1999, Don Post Studios filed the instant lawsuit, alleging that Cinema Secrets’ Michael Myers mask was a copy of DPTM.
Anyhow, the whole case is to large to copy here (you really need to read it becauss my summary does not contain enough detail), but it looks like the court found that Don Post tried to get a licence and associated themselves with the original Halloween mask in a few cases as far back as 1981, but that in 1997,DPs attempted to get a patent on their “The Mask” which was unsuccessful as it was found to be a representation of a pre-existing work because of its connections to Halloween . the next year, Don Post tried again to get a patent claiming DPTM was a completely original work that wasnt associated with Halloween, but was their own original idea. That patent was granted and DP sued Cinema Secrets when CS started releasing Myers masks around that time…in that lawsuit it appears that DP was trying to show their connection to H1 to support their position that CS commited a copyright infringement, even though the patent they eventually got in 98 had said that DPTM was an original work NOT associated with Halloween.
I guess what im getting at, is that when you look at the different patent issues, attempts at getting patents, court cases, information from those involved, i can see how the story might get mixed up especially when different versions are being brought up to the CopyRight office and in law suits. It seems even DP has changed their position on their association/connection with the original Hero to suit the scenario they faced. I could see former employees confusing different things they heard about the lawsuit, their memories on when and who visited the studio from the film crew etc over the years and some facts getting mixed up.
Thanks for posting that link to DP vs CS case Mark!
Really re-freshed my memory.
…The prototype of the mask worn by the Michael Myers
character was created by plaintiff, Don Post Studios,2 at the
request of the Halloween filmmakers. At the time that Don Post
Studios created and delivered the mask prototype, it did not
claim nor did it reserve any rights to the mask worn by the
character Michael Myers in the movie…
It’s funny how here, DP insists that they made the Proto but as Billy had stated in another thread, TLW clearly remembers buying the (first) mask at “Burt Wheeler’s Costume Shop” but does prove that someone had went to DP studios later to buy extra converted kirks, as Frankie had stated above that someone mentions “Don Post” in the vid Paul had posted.
… Don Post claims that pursuant to the film representative’s
instructions he told his employees to paint the hair black and
the face “dirty” white. However, the hair color of the mask in
Halloween was brown and the skin color was “clean” white. There
are two plausible explanations for this inconsistency: (1) Post
does not properly recall what colors he was told to paint the
hair and the face; or (2) the filmmakers themselves modified the
hair and skin color. Whether it happened one way or another is
immaterial…
From reading this it kinda explains why the left (if it where to be the sister mask, Josh mentioned) was repainted/hair darkened (As scene on the right) to avoid issues on the DP85 resembling the HERO.
Also explains why Josh would be shunned at the time for bringing up the similarities.
…In the first place, the idea of marketing a Michael Myers-type mask was not
new to Post in 1985. He had previously attempted to obtain a
license from the makers of the Halloween movie to market a
Michael Myers mask in 1981, but his request was denied…
Kinda goes off topic but makes me assume that DP studios made some kinda of Myers proto types for the market in 81 but since the film makers wouldn’t allow it, these copies were passed underground, under the table…Or to customers that called up DP studios asking if they could buy a Myers mask…Like the one senior member mtgarret had owned. That cool story on how his mother called up DP studios asking if they had a Myers mask and that they sent him one weeks later.
Obviously DP studios didn’t really know what exactly the Myers TLW made actually looked like.
From looking at the mystery mask Josh had posted on the LEFT and the mask mtgarret had recieved from DP studios. You can tell they resembled the DP85 from that…Browner hair with colored eyebrows.
This is a great thread, I agree with a lot of people on here and some of the different theories all seem viable. I have 1 question which I hope can be answered or guessed lol. In the scene where Laurie pulls off the stunt mask, the mask doesn’t appear to be painted with cheap spray paints. I try my hardest to try and see any signs of cracking going on but it seems to flex incredibly well, especially since its a thin mask. I haven’t seen the blu ray version so maybe its just the res. To me the paint on the mask doesn’t seem in that scene the work of a newbie, looks like it is painted with correct latex paints. Thanks guys 
I’m not positive you would see major cracks as the shoot was not a long one and the main mask used, with all the flesh tones showing just from the handling of the mask means it was not a high grade type paint but rather indeed something like spray paint that, with a bit of rubbing, bending of the neck area, holding, putting it on, taking it off would come off fairly easy which we see plenty of.
The cracks, chips would not be able to be seen mixed with the lighting and the cracks being so skinny…(thread like in width) in places where there is not much stress, they would not be visible on camera.
Up close and in person, maybe but I don’t think it’s far fetched to have a freshly spray painted mask looking decent especially with lighting for just 18-20 days (give or take) or maybe 8-12 days as the whole shoot was around 20 so it’s within reason to think that the mask was easily able to last 9,10 days of actual on camera use (at minimum of course) where Myers was in a scene… Very easily “able”… That, or the mask was collapsed when painted (laid down on its back so the chin meets the bottom of the neck)
Put it on and just walk, stare…Stand still, nothing major in movement with the hero except where you would take it off/put it back on/hold it etc. To me anyway…
Would have been nice to see the yank mask after she yanked it and they yelled cut!!
Simple you’re not suppose to see the cracks on film.lol
The casual fan sees the mask as plain white. The nit picking on how the mask really was came years later.
I find it hard to believe how Malone noticed the mask “looked like a mess on film” when seeing it in the theater.
Good points bro thank you 
Cathy Tharp kindly provided the following information in an email to me last year:
“Here’s what Rob remembers about the first Myers masks. We both worked there then, but he was paying more attention than I! lol Two people from the film company came into the shop and got a tour from Bob and Bill. Don was not usually involved with these things. Rob can’t say who they were, because they were not known back then, so he didn’t recognize anyone. After they left, Rob asked Bob and Bill what was going on. They told him that these people were looking for a mask to use in their film. Bill said that they were thinking about the Emmett Kelly or the Felix Adler, but decided against those because they were too recognizable. Bill told Rob that he was going to customize a Kirk mask for them. Rob remembers Bill doing several of the white faced Kirks for the film company and keeping one for himself. These had the eyes cut out, but still had sideburns. The sideburns were removed on the set and more white paint was sprayed on. One of them came back after use and it was very dirty!”
BAM! awesome Frankie! Thanks for sharing!
Interesting stuff. As for the paint on the stunt mask not cracking, if Tommy Lee Wallace did use fish belly white, that’s a lacquer spray most often used in taxidermy, which is much different than normal spray-paint. If a couple of masks were done up with latex white prior to the application of the fish-belly white it’d also stretch. I bought a modern version that’s perfect for an H2 style mask, and it really clings to latex. I’ll see if I can dab a little on my DCSM1 that I’m currently removing paint from and grab a pic of it stretched.
I’ll see if I can dab a little on my DCSM1 that I’m currently removing paint from and grab a pic of it stretched.
That would be great to see