This has been edited on April 18, 2011 for accuracy.

The other day the tall one and I went out thrifting together. As I was checking out at a local thrift shop a clown drawing flashed in front of me. Creeped out I instantly shook my head NO but then more were shown to me and I gave the whole lot  a second look. These clowns, I realized were actually movie stars and presidents. Now I was intrigued, so much so that I agreed to buy all 26 of these zany pastel drawings.

I came home and started to research the name on the drawings, Horvatich, mainly because I was so curious who would create these. Here is what I discoverd about the artist. His name was Rudy Horvatich and he was the head of Make-up at ABC-TV for 38 years. He was a Stylist for TV shows such as “The Roy Rogers & Dale Evans Show” (makeup artist) (1962), Western Hit Parade (makeup artist) (1962), The 3rd Annual American Comedy Awards, The 51st Annual Academy Awards (1979) (makeup department head) through to The 60th Annual Academy Awards (1988) (makeup department head). Horvatich covered up Milton Berle’s wrinkles, made Lawrence Welk feel young again and gave pep talks to the Lennon sisters when they were just starting out.

He was also an image consultant to five Presidents of the United States. Rudy Horvatich did President Kennedy’s make for The Great Debates: Kennedy vs. Nixon, 1960. Mr. Horvatich died in 1989 at age 81 (corrected by family he died at age 71) From the Post-Tribune (IN) “Success obviously didn’t spoil ABC makeup man Rudy Horvatich. While showing friends from Northwest Indiana the six television monitors in his Hollywood office, Horvatich wryly commented, “Not bad for a little Yugoslav from Gary.” “

More about him from his nephew:

Rudy Horvatich was my uncle. He left Gary after WWII to seek work in California. he became interested in makeup and pioneered techniques for early Black and White television. He was captured in WWII at the Kasserine Pass in Tunisia in 1943 and spent time as a POW captured by the Germans. He made it across to Allied lines weighing 110 lbs. (normally weighing 160 or better), escaping as the Germans abandoned their posts as the Russians approached. My father, (his brother) is now 88 plus. Rudy had the friendship of many Hollywood notables, who respected his humility and enjoyed his company.
Here  are just a few of them –