# the roar of the greasepaint, the smell of the crowd...

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-roar-of-the-greasepaint-the-smell-of-the-crowd/64754>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 8, 2001, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-roar-of-the-greasepaint-the-smell-of-the-crowd/64754 "2001-05-08T12:44:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [May 8, 2001, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-roar-of-the-greasepaint-the-smell-of-the-crowd/64754/1 "2001-05-08T12:44:36Z")

</div>

I read an article once about theatrical makeup which stated that the performer’s life could be endangered by covering his/her entire body with makeup as it wouldn’t allow the skin to breathe.

This seems a little extreme to me; I would have thought it would cause dematitis at the worst, but am I wrong? - can someone die because their skin was suffocated?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\
**Post date:** [May 8, 2001, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-roar-of-the-greasepaint-the-smell-of-the-crowd/64754/2 "2001-05-08T12:48:47Z")

</div>

[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_221b.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_221b.html)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\
**Post date:** [May 8, 2001, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-roar-of-the-greasepaint-the-smell-of-the-crowd/64754/3 "2001-05-08T23:59:45Z")

</div>

While you might not suffocate, I was glancing through some texts on the history of stage make up and early on some make up did contain some really questionable stuff including what seemes to be particles of lead based paint and mercury.

Passingly mentioned in “Designing and Making Stage Costumes” by Motley also a reference to it in one of Harold Clurman’s books. I think it was “Lies like Truth.” No mention, however, in Gassner and Quinns excellent source, The Reader’s Encyclopedia of World Drama.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Bob\_Scene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Bob\_Scene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob_Scene)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2001, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-roar-of-the-greasepaint-the-smell-of-the-crowd/64754/4 "2001-05-09T03:56:57Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by TV time \*  
> **While you might not suffocate, I was glancing through some texts on the history of stage make up and early on some make up did contain some really questionable stuff including what seemes to be particles of lead based paint and mercury.**

I just read on the web yesterday (I think it was the Texas Department of Health’s site) that you can still get makeup with white lead in some countries.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Protesilaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Protesilaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Protesilaus)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2001, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-roar-of-the-greasepaint-the-smell-of-the-crowd/64754/5 "2001-05-09T04:09:03Z")

</div>

In addition to Cecil’s column, there’s also a [page](http://www.snopes.com/movies/films/goldfing.htm) at Snopes about this.