"Hannah's War" 

Producers: Menahem Golan and Yoram Ben Ami/Cannon Films

Associate Producer: Otto Plaschkes

Director: Menahem Golan

Cast: Marushka Detmers

Credit: Make-up Artist (I did Marushka Detmers make-up and effects)

Marushka Detmers

Here is Marushka in her look before she was captured.

Marushka tortured

After a few days of water torture and beating, the idea was that an electrical tong had been taken to her.

Marushka tortured

Another view of the most extreme torture make-up.  

Menahem took an EBCU of her lips as she confessed, so that they almost filled the entire screen.  He was so happy he jumped up out of his cinema seat, came right up to me and shook my hand, and said words to the effect of - "I believe it! - well done!"

He shook my hand, thanked me and walked on to the next detail that a director/producer needs to address like quick-fire.  It was like working with a Tsunami. 

Me diving into my set box for final checks on Marushka.  This box was given to me by Ilona Herman, who used to look after Sean Connery.  She gave it to me on "Never Say Never Again" and remains a precious souvenir - even if I don't use it much these days.  While we are on the subject of make-up boxes, they are a kind of trophy.  I have my mother's box which used to belong to Eric Alright, who gave it to her when he left the business. 

Donald Pleasance and Marushka Detmers earlier in the torture sequence before the irons came out.

My first experience with Canon Films

When I got the call to go to Hungary on this picture I was skeptical about going as they had already been filming a week or two.  They wanted a make-up artist who could do bruising, wounds and blood to go out immediately for the leading lady, Maruschka Detmers. Cautiously I asked Otto Plashkes (Producer), "May ask Otto, if you have been filming a few weeks please tell me, why do you need a replacement?".  There was a moment of silence and he said, "Let's just say, we would be very happy and relieved to see you."  He made me feel safe and welcome, he'd heard my real concern, so I agreed to go.  And I have to say, he was always just like that, pleasant and a listening man - but boy, oh boy, oh boy!  What did I walk into!?  

It was an extraordinary experience and anyone in Hollywood who worked with Menahem/Canon Films knows exactly what I mean. The 1980's were excessive, but the Canon outfit took the biscuit.

It was an unlikely cocktail that the Director, Menahem, a passionate Behemoth Israeli and a sensitively artistic, plucky, naive 27 year old make-up artist from Oxfordshire, could work together, not once, but twice.  It wasn't without it's 'events'. But he did asked me back the following year for his much bigger picture,  "Mack the Knife", which was yet another 'adventure'.  

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