All right guys-just wandering if you
could clear something up for me? We all
know myers was a converted 75! But I’ve
heard 2 storys- (1) the production crew was
sent out to a local costume shop for a plain
mask. They brought back 2. A emmit Kelly
clown & the holy Grail. They slightly
converted the 75 for trial! Castle went in
room put on outfit & clown mask, came
out. Then went back in & came out wearin
the 75. It was no contest, the shape was
born! (2) production called don post,
asked for the mask with the blankest
face, they converted the 75 & sent
it back & they loved it! Both storys are
good ! I actually like the first one, but am
wondering wich is the truth? Thanks- rich
First story is correct. Never ever heard the Don post part.
The first story Was the closest Tommy Lee Wallace converted the 3 masks used in production.
-Connor
Yep these guys are right, the first story is the begining of am amazing scare!
I asked Don Post, Jr. this question back in 3/13/2008 and this is his response to the whole “Halloween” mask story. This story has been posted in countess threads so many senior members have already read this. Below is Don Post, Jr’s response.
Two people from the “Halloween” production team came to Don Post Studios in 1978; they wanted two Kirk masks cast in white with black hair. It was the busy Halloween manufacturing season and we did not have the time to custom make masks. We had a few Kirk masks available; I had someone, I can’t remember who (may have been Bill Malone or Bob Short but could have been someone else) paint over the Kirk mask white (side burns removed) and paint the hair black. After these folks left Bill Malone had another Kirk mask painted and he kept it.
The “Halloween” people said they were originally looking at a Don Post Emmett Kelly Clown mask for the role of Michael. I understand the production staff had purchased a Kelly mask along with several Kirks from Hollywood Magic (6660 Hollywood Blvd). They claim they painted those masks from Hollywood Magic to depict “The Shape” from the Movie Halloween. I suspect they did repaint whatever masks they used in the movie (Blue was added to lips and other features for photographic reasons) I suspect they used a harsh lacquer paint that attacked the latex. Because of that paint along with perspiration and the actor’s skin oil, the masks deteriorated during filming. In some scenes I can see fatigue in the cheeks as the actors face stretched the Kirk mask.
When I read this way back I wondered if the the stunt mask was the one TLW did up since the eyecuts look somewhat rough and jagged and the paint seemed to be fading than the Hero. Didn’t seem like a work of a pro.
I’ve never heard that quote before. Very interesting.
I even read an interview by one the DP people clearly stating they made the mask.
The question lies who made which??
I’ll go with what TLW has said from the start. It fits with the extremely low budget, spontaneous way the film was made. He has no reason not to be honest and it’s not like it’s something you would easily forget. Conversely, I can see Don Post studios trying to bend history a little in their favor.
There really isn’t any history to bend. Don didn’t say that they made the actual ones wore in the movie, he just basically stated that they made some for that movie. Now, Halloween II and III on the other hand… 
i completely agree. the story from carpenter is tommy went to the local mask store and purchased and clown and a kirk mask. obviously the kirk mask was the hands down pick. im sure after that he went back and bought another 1 or 2 kirks for back ups.
i would say after the movie hit it big don post just wanted alittle more credit by their name reguarding the use of their kirk mask.
i highly doubt don post painted, converted, or did anything to the masks used in the film.
in fact i will go out on a limb to say, since Halloween was such a low budget film without any promise of being successful, i doubt don post would have gave them permission to use their copywritten “75 kirk mask” especially during the pre production stage when it seemed they were just a couple of kids wanting to make a horror film.
so no rich in my opinion, i dont think the 2nd version of the story has any truth at all. i dont think don post knew it was their kirk mask being used until after the fact.
I could see both stories being true: i.e. TLW went and bought the mask, converted it, etc and once they had chosen the mask, they may have gone to Don Post to get more (since we know they had several Kirk masks on hand for filming). This would have made sense since 1. maybe this constitutes “permission” to use the mask (if it even was needed), 2. TLW wouldnt have to convert several masks for filming, hence why they asked for white ones with black hair (to match the one they already had converted), and 3. getting them directly from DP would save money.
Wasnt DP commisioned to make 2 other Myers mask but for H2?
You can tell that the blood tears mask is NOT the Hero. Check out the hairline.
DP made more than 2 or 3 for H2, however, they werent used.
Well, I would not say the 3 ‘Myers’ masks from Don Post Studios weren’t used in Halloween II. (They made 2 ‘Tramer’ masks as well.)
They had to re-shoot the explosion at the end of Halloween II; that counts for 2 of them being used. I’ve heard that when you see ‘Myers’ bleeding thru this eyes after being shot from Laurie, is a different mask. I don’t know, I guess I haven’t really paid attention to that scene. I’ve heard that the connecting shot from the Elrods house to ‘Myers’ watching the young girl on the phone outside the house is a different mask/person; (Just the outside shot, not the killing of the girl ‘Myers’ mask.) that could account for the 3rd mask as well.
I’m guessing this is about as close to the truth as we’ll ever get.
I’ve always felt TLW almost certainly did the first conversion of a Kirk to a Myers. I don’t doubt him on this at all since it serves logic. This movie was NOT expected to be the success it became, therefore I doubt seriously the original idea would have been to spend money for Don Post to convert a mask.
However when the chilling effect of what TLW did to that Kirk was witnessed, this could have changed things. Another thing that adds credibilty to TLW’s version of the origin is that the two eyes are totally different on the converted Kirk. I doubt that a professional would have cut them that way, it just so happened (lightning in a bottle) this gave Myers his signature look.
At the same time I don’t think Don Post was lying…why would he need to? Don Post masks are and were already legendary, their history in masks speaks for itself.
I’d say Don Post was asked to make some masks just as he described most likely. And how would he know that TLW already had converted one? Probably wouldn’t, especially if the request was made over the phone. John would have just asked for a Kirk mask painted white, side-burns pulled off and black hair. It wouldn’t be necessary to explain TLW had already made one and he liked it. That could be the reason for the confusion as to who did the first Myers conversion.
Remember, here is what Rob Tharp stated about one of the masks that Bill Malone made for the 1978 movie…
“I think Bill did the customizing job on the mask originally. It seems to me they brought it back at some point, and they needed another one to match it, and we remarked on what a mess it was. They’d sprayed white lacquer paint on the face on the movie set, and it was really dirty and gross looking.”
I still believe the blood tears close-up scene was the stunt mask used in H1.
Even the so-called missing chunk of hair flesh-tone area matches.
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Of course I could be wrong.
Oh yeah and the story of the chunk of hair falling off the hero, I ain’t buying that.
Strands of blonde
During production
Years after
