“About Face: The Life and Times of Dottie Ponedel,
Make-up Artist to the Stars”
We have TEN Copies to Give Away in July!
It’s time for our next book giveaway! And, this is a very special one for me, as I have the pleasure of knowing two of the authors, but more about that later… That said, I am delighted to say that CMH will be giving away TEN COPIES of “About Face: The Life and Times of Dottie Ponedel, Make-up Artist to the Stars” by Dorothy Ponedel, Meredith Ponedel, and Danny Miller, courtesy of Bear Manor Books.
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In order to qualify to win one of these books via this contest giveaway, you must complete the below entry task by Saturday, July 7 at 10PM EST. However, the sooner you enter, the better chance you have of winning, because we will pick two winners on five different days within the contest period, via random drawings, as listed below… So if you don’t win the first week that you enter, you will still be eligible to win during the following weeks until the contest is over.
- June 9: Two Winners
- June 16: Two Winners
- June 23: Two Winners
- June 30: Two Winners
- July 7: Two Winners
We will announce each week’s winner on Twitter @ClassicMovieHub and/or right here on this Blog in the comment section below (depending on how you entered), the day after each winner is picked at 10PM EST — for example, we will announce our first week’s winner at 10PM EST on Sunday June 10.
Dottie Ponedel with Judy Garland and Joan Blondell
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As I mentioned above, I have the pleasure of knowing two of the authors: respected writer, editor and friend, Danny Miller of Cinephiled (@dannymmiller), and Dottie’s niece, Meredith Ponedel (@Merrydyth), who I had the honor of meeting at the TCM Film Festival a few years ago (and I might add that we hit it off so well that I felt like I knew Meredith for years!).
That said, I’d like to share some interviews that I did with Dottie for the Classic Movies and More YouTube Channel (that I share with @CitizenScreen and @2MovieReviewers):
And here’s Part Two: Meredith Ponedel Interview Part 2 of 3
And Part Three: Meredith Ponedel Interview Part 3 of 3
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And now on to the contest!
ENTRY TASK (2-parts) to be completed by Saturday, July 7 at 10PM EST — BUT remember, the sooner you enter, the more chances you have to win…
1) Answer the below question via the comment section at the bottom of this blog post
2) *Then TWEET (not DM) the following message (if you don’t have twitter, see below):
Just entered to win the “About Face: The Life and Times of Dottie Ponedel, Make-up Artist to the Stars” #BookGiveaway courtesy of @ClassicMovieHub @BearManorMedia and authors @Merrydyth & @dannymmiller #CMHContest Link: http://ow.ly/vUqu30kjIt3
THE QUESTION:
What is it that you respect the most about Dottie Ponedel, and if you’re not familiar with her or her work, why do you want to win this book?
NOTE: if for any reason you encounter a problem commenting here on this blog, please feel free to tweet or DM us, or send an email to clas…@gmail.com and we will be happy to create the entry for you.
*If you do not have a Twitter account, you can still enter the contest by simply answering the above question via the comment section at the bottom of this blog — BUT PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU ADD THIS VERBIAGE TO YOUR ANSWER: I do not have a Twitter account, so I am posting here to enter but cannot tweet the message.
Click here for the full contest rules and more details.
Please note that only Continental United States (excluding Alaska, Hawaii, and the territory of Puerto Rico) are eligible.
And — BlogHub members ARE eligible to win if they live within the areas noted above.
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About the book: Dottie Ponedel knows how to amuse with rouge. Her autobiography, the story of a pioneering make-up woman in silent movies and early talkies, puts a new foundation on the stars from the Golden Age of movies. Sinners and saints without greasepaint make for memorable close-ups. Enjoy Dottie’s confidential revelations about Judy Garland, Marlene Dietrich, Mae West, Carole Lombard, Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, Joan Blondell, Paulette Goddard, Barbara Stanwyck, and others. “No stranger is going to pat this puss,” Mae West once declared. Mae, and Dottie’s other clients, often demanded her services, but tomcats and contracts seldom blended. Dottie constantly fought all-male make-up departments at the studios to get the recognition she deserved. Amazing challenges facing a woman at the top of her craft play poignantly against her straight-talking, heartwarming, hilarious encounters with famous faces. Dotti Ponedel. The designer with eye liner.
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If you don’t want to wait to win, you can purchase the book by clicking here:
Good Luck!
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–Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub
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I’ve heard Dottie Ponedel’s name but know nothing about her. Anyone who made up those glorious Hollywood faces however not only deserves a great bio but a bio I just have to read. After all, who we saw on screen e.g., Marlene Dietrich, Judy Garland, Barbara Stanwyck, Mae West etc. Those are works of art that will live for all time.
I think that people like Dottie who work behind the scenes are endlessly fascinating. Think of the conversations she must have had with all those stars and the years of hard work and dedication to her craft. I’d love to have a copy of this book, thanks for the chance to win one.
“What is it that you respect the most about Dottie Ponedel, and if you’re not familiar with her or her work, why do you want to win this book?”
I am not at all familiar with Dottie’s work but being a film collector of mostly 30s & 40s films I would love to learn more about what took place behind the cameras. That’s my reason for wanting to read this book. Fran Peters
Hi Fran, I can’t seem to find your tweet. Could you please confirm that you tweeted, or let me know here if you don’t have a twitter account. Thanks!
I would love to win the Dottie Ponedel book as I have heard of her and her work but don’t really know much about her.
I love her era and love to learn!
I am unfamiliar with Dottie or any other film makeup artist for that matter. But recently I’ve become interested in learning more about the artists behind the scenes. I’m currently reading a couple of books about costume design and makeup artistry sounds like a good next step in my education.
I do not have a Twitter account, so I am posting here to enter but cannot tweet the message
Thank you so much for entering and Good Luck 🙂
I find the stories they can share about the behind the scenes fascinating!
Dottie fought for her career in a man-driven world. she worked her way to the top , fighting to be a member of the union when women weren’t allowed. her clientele became her friends and she was hte best in the business
I am not all that familiar with Dottie Ponedel’s life and career, aside from the fact that she was Judy Garland’s makeup artist at MGM. (In the past I did watch the interview with Dottie’s niece in which she recalled her memories of meeting Judy.) I would love to know more about Dottie’s pioneering work and read her stories about working with some of the most famous stars in Hollywood history. Thanks for the giveaway!
I’ve never heard of Dottie but as someone fascinated by the costume side of movies it’s exciting to know there’s a book about the makeup side!
I’m not familiar with Dottie Ponedel and her work but I would like to win the book because it’s amazing that she was Judy Garland’s makeup artist at MGM and I would like to know the fascinating stories of Dottie’s work with Judy Garland and other stars of Hollywood’s yesteryear.
Hi Javier, I can’t seem to find your tweet. Please confirm that you tweeted. Thanks 🙂
As a 1930’s/1940’s film buff I have been anxiously awaiting this biography. The golden age of grammar! As a manager of a bookstore, it’s an easier handsell when you have had the opportunity to read the book. I can’t wait to read this!!
Hi Carol, I can’t seem to find your tweet. Please confirm that you tweeted or let me know if you don’t have a twitter account. Thanks!
(2nd try)
I am unfamiliar with Dottie Ponedel, but I love to watch old movies. I love to learn about the set design, the dresses, the makeup, the hair, the stars… The book seems very interesting. I have recently bought a few face powders from the 1940s because I loved the packaging. Thank you, Frank
Hi Frank, I can’t seem to find your tweet. Please confirm that you tweeted or just let me know if you don’t have a twitter account and/or if you twitter account is private. Thanks!
Oh yes. I tweeted exactly as requested right after making the comment here on the 9th. Do I need to find it and resend to you somehow? I saw it posted on my twit page that morning.
Okay, thank you for letting me know. Sometimes it’s tough to find the tweets by doing a twitter search. You are good and officially entered. Good Luck 🙂
Pingback: Celebrating Judy Garland’s Birthday with Her Friend and Confidante, Dottie Ponedel (Exclusive Guest Post by Author Danny Miller) | Classic Movie Hub Blog
I’m not familiar with Dottie Ponedel or her work. I’d love to win her book so I can learn more about her and her personal connection with the stars. Anything with makeup, I’m your gal. 🙂
The greatest gift Dottie Ponadel gave to Judy Garland was to arch her eyebrows. It made such a difference and made her quite beautiful. Thank you Miss Ponadel. I do not have a Twitter account, so I am posting here to enter.
Thanks so much for entering and Good Luck 🙂
I know very little about Dottie Ponedel, but I would love to learn more! The book intersects with several of my interests, including classic film, biographies of women, and the history of makeup.
I do not have a Twitter account, so I am posting here to enter but cannot tweet the message.
Thanks so much for entering and Good Luck 🙂
This looks like a great book . Good luck to everyone who entered!!!
Actually I never heard of this person before.
I know very little about Dottie but I like reading stories from the golden age of Hollywood. I also love the style from the era. And of course, a makeup artist like herself should bring many fascinating behind-the-scenes tales!
I am not familiar with Dottie Ponedel, but I can only imagine the stories she has about all the stars she did makeup for. It is so interesting learning about how the stars acted behind the scenes. I love reading stories about the Golden Age of Hollywood. Also, I am a huge Judy Garland fan and it would mean so much to me to win a copy of her book.
I do not have a Twitter account, so I am posting here to enter but cannot tweet the message.
Thanks so much for entering and Good Luck 🙂
I’ve just learned a teeny bit about her while taking TCM’s “Mad About Musicals” course on Canvas.net. Was especially happy to learn about her friendship with Judy Garland and her championing of Garland’s natural beauty. I would love to read a biography of someone who was an artist in the industry, and who would have a lot to share about the stars of yesteryear.
I am a graduate student currently researching fashion in 1930’s Hollywood films. I am intrigued with the costuming and thus everything that goes into transforming actors into “stars”. I had no idea who Dottie Ponedel was prior to my TCM Musicals course, but was intrigued to learn about her work with Judy Garland and would truly love to learn more about her and her other work. Costume designers, makeup artists, and other behind the scenes artists are as important as everything and everyone we see on the screen and because of that, we should learn more about talented individuals like Dottie Ponedel.
Cris
I respect Dorothy Ponodel because she helped make the actresses beautiful by using there own best features, just finished TCMs Mad about Musicals and learned about her.
I’d like to read this book
Just entered to win the “About Face: The Life and Times of Dottie Ponedel, Make-up Artist to the Stars” #BookGiveaway courtesy of @ClassicMovieHub @BearManorMedia and authors @Merrydyth & @dannymmiller #CMHContest Link: http://ow.ly/vUqu30kjIt3
I respect that Dottie used the actresses best features and did not use lots of makeup to change the appearNce
Just finished the course. TCM Mad about Musicals and learned about her
Would like to learn more
Hi Sandra, I can’t seem to find you tweet. Could you please confirm that you tweeted, or let me know if you don’t have a twitter account, or if your twitter account is private. Thanks so much!
The first thing Dottie Ponedel did when she was assigned to make up Judy Garland was tell the star that they would not use the plastic disks that the studio’s head of makeup made Garland place in her nostrils to make her nose more pert and upturned than it actually was. Thus Ponedel began to unravel years of negative psychological programming done to Garland, who was told from an early age how she failed to measure up to the more conventionally beautiful stars on the MGM lot. Under Ponedel’s able hand and astute eye, makeup was used to enhance an artist’s unique beauty, rather than turn them into someone they were not with the aid of prosthetics and altered hair lines. Garland never looked lovelier than she did once Ponedel started doing her makeup, and her performances were never better. I respect Dottie Ponedel for being a great makeup artist, for distinguishing herself in a male-dominated profession, and for advocating for the artists she made up by freeing them to be themselves, giving them confidence by making them beautiful and by being a loyal friend and confidante.
I imagine Ms Ponedel has stories galore about these beautiful faces we all love. Stanwyck, Blondell – I always knew there was someone pretty special who brought out the physical beauty of these larger than life stars. I’m looking forward to reading her stories.
Can you just imagine the thick boys club block she had to break through armed with cosmetics and confidence? I’ve been fascinated with her work since I was a young film fan and read how she brought out the best features of Joan Blondell and Judy Garland. With Garland at MGM, I feel her work was revolutionary. It went hand in hand with Vincente Minnelli taking Garland’s stardom even higher. When she was a teen actress, her characters longed for glamour and to no longer be ugly ducklings. Ponedel made Judy look like the Hollywood Queen she had become. Alice Guy-Blache was a trailblazing director in the silent era whose importance was pushed into a closet for decades while men like DW Griffith gained fame using techniques she’d displayed earlier. Men ruled cosmetics in Hollywood’s Golden Era and got rich using ideas they got from women. Reportedly, one of the Westmore brothers frequented Hollywood bordellos where the women used lipstick for allure and to attract customers. A Westmore took the lipstick idea, put it on leading ladies in silent films to make them alluring and a money-making trend was born. The point is, like with Alice Guy-Blache, creative women sparked great ideas but got shut out of the business when money was being made. Then the boys took over and made the rules. Dottie Ponedel didn’t just play the game, she started a new game and on her terms. I’m sure there are great lessons to be learned in her story. All these years later, inclusion is still needed in Hollywood.