In Memory of Sidney Lumet

Sidney Lumet was born on June 25, 1924, three years before the Foundation of Mehron Makeup.Throughout the years the life of Sidney Lumet and Mehron Makeup led parallel existences. Although born in Philadelphia Mr. Lumet became a New Yorker and loved it till his death on April 9, 2011. With parents who were dedicated veterans of the stage it was a natural transformation for Sidney to appear on the stage at the age of 5, two years after Mehron Makeup began distributing Theatrical Makeup to the Performers of New York's thriving Theatrical Productions. It is almost a certainty that Sidney Lumet became acquainted with Mehron Theatrical Makeup as he he spent his childhood performing on the stages of New York. By the time he was eleven years old, Sidney was starring in Broadway Plays, including the 1935 production of The Eternal Road. As Sidney was spending his formative years performing on and off Broadway, Mehron Makeup was becoming a Theatrical Makeup that was sought by the Producers, Directors and Performers of the New York Theater. At the age of fifteen in 1939 Sidney Lumet was cast in his only full length film, One Third of a Nation.

His acting career was interrupted by service in World War II, and upon his return to New York, Mr. Lumet became involved with the famous Actors Studio until he formed his own workshop and started on the path to becoming a Director. While honing his skills as a Director, Sidney Lumet began teaching at the New York High School of Performing Arts. His Directing of Summer Stock Theater led him to become a highly respected director in television. Taking the same twists and turns as a Theatrical Makeup Company, Mehron Makeup had to adapt to the new frontier of Film and Television Makeup at the same time that Mr. Lumet was adapting to directing in these new arenas of entertainment. While his Television Directing Credits grew to legendary proportions, his first movie 12 Angry Men starring Henry Fonda and Lee J. Cobb in 1957 met with critical acclaim.

Throughout the 1950's as Mehron Makeup produced Theatrical Makeup for Film, Television and Stage in New York. Sidney Lumet Directed for New York Television, Film and Stage throughout this decade, becoming know as the Director who could best adapt a Stage Production for Television and Film. Just as New York was the Home to Mehron Makeup it was the Home to Sidney Lumet. Mr. Lumet loved New York, the diversity, the look, the feel and the grit of New York became an integral part of his directing endeavors.

Although his illustrious career as a Director spanned the decades from the 1950's till his death in 2011, Sidney Lumet never won an Academy Award, but was honored by The Academy with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. Some of the most powerful movies ever made were directed by Sidney Lumet, film historians, fans, stars, producers and directors know a Sidney Lumet Film when they see it, but most are not aware that the movie that impacted their life was the work of this legend. Movies such as A View from The Bridge, Long Day's Journey into Night, The Pawnbroker. The Anderson Tapes, Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, Network, The Wiz, The Verdict, Running on Empty, and so many more are all films from the heart and soul of Sidney Lumet, whose legacy will live in the work that he has left us.