MovieChat Forums > Stage Beauty (2004) Discussion > Question about stuff on actresses faces

Question about stuff on actresses faces

posted 12 years ago by angyep3
3 replies | jump to latest

I have seen this movie a few times and noticed in the part where Maria is having her picture painted when Sir Charles is speaking to her, he has on a white wig and white face with what looks like stickers on his face. Also when Mr. Kynaston is walking past a bunch of actresses there seems to be a awful lot of them with the same thing on their faces. There couldn't have been that many people with giant moles on their face in one place. So my question is this what are they and is there a reason for them? I have tried to look this up but could find nothing. Thanks for your help.

[–] missimin 12 years ago

They were worn as beauty marks but also concealed pox marks and blemishes.

http://factualimagining.wordpress.com/2008/10/25/patches-of-every-cut/

[–] angyep3 12 years ago

Thank you so much for your answer. I could not see the blog you posted, but did send a request to follow. But now I do have a place to start. Once again thank you for answering.

[–] ClassicMovieholic 10 years ago

What you probably saw were not stickers nor moles, but patches. Analogous to the modern-day beauty mark, patches were actually much more elaborate, featuring a variety of shapes and designs such as stars, crescent moons, harts, etc. They were usually made of black fabric, and pasted to the skin with a gum adhesive. In addition to covering blemishes and pockmarks, they eventually developed into a language for sending flirtation signals. Worn in strategic places, they could signify that someone was married, single, engaged, open for business, etc.