Allan "Whitey" Snyder (August 7, 1914 – April 16, 1994) was an American Hollywood make-up artist and is best remembered as the personal makeup artist of Marilyn Monroe.

Career

Allan Snyder began his long career as a makeup artist in 1948. He first began his career as an assistant make-up artist on the film The Walls of Jericho. Whitey Snyder was Marilyn Monroe's makeup artist throughout her career: from her first screen test at Twentieth Century Fox in 1946 to her funeral makeup in 1962. The pair developed a very close working relationship. Towards the end of her life, Monroe asked Snyder to prepare her face if she were to die before him. This was a promise that he fulfilled, after her death in August 1962. Snyder was also a pall-bearer at her funeral. For his work, Snyder was twice nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards, under the category of Outstanding Achievement in Make-Up. These nominations came in 1978 for his work on the TV Biopic Marilyn: The Untold Story and in 1981 for Little House on the Prairie. His last project was the 1984 television series Highway to Heaven, which he worked on from 1984 to 1987.

Personal life

Snyder was married to Beverly Bray from 1937 until their divorce in 1970. They had two children: son Ron, a former makeup artist and ex-husband of film star Kim Basinger, and daughter Sherrill. His second wife, from 1970 until his death, was costumer Marjorie Plecher, who had also worked as the wardrobe director on several of Marilyn Monroe's films.

Death

Snyder died on April 16, 1994, in Hansville, Washington.

In popular culture

In the 2022 Netflix film Blonde, Snyder was portrayed by Toby Huss.

Filmography