Max Factor Jr.
| Max Factor Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | Francis Factor August 18, 1904 St. Louis, Missouri |
| Died | June 7, 1996 (aged 91) Los Angeles, California |
| Cause of death | Heart attack |
| Resting place | Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery |
| Residence | West Los Angeles, California |
| Occupation | Businessman, racehorse owner/breeder |
| Known for | President, Max Factor & Company cosmetics |
| Board member of | Max Factor & Company |
| Spouse(s) | Mildred "Milly" Cohen |
| Children | Donald, Mark |
| Parent(s) | Max Factor Sr. & Esther Rosa |
Max Factor Jr. (August 18, 1904 – June 7, 1996), was an American businessman who was president of the Max Factor Cosmetics empire.
Early life[edit]
He was born Francis Factor in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Max Factor, a Polish businessman and cosmetics pioneer. Known as "Frank," his family moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1908 where he began working in the family business while still a boy.
Career[edit]
Because Max Factor was recovering from being hit by a delivery van at the time, Frank Factor took the lead over the two years that it took to develop a suitable make-up for use with the newly developed Technicolor film. This make-up was released to the film industry under the name “Pan-Cake”.[1] It was immediately a hit and its advantages led to woman stealing it from the film sets and using it privately. Its only disadvantage for every day use was that it could not be used at night as it made the skin too dark under all except under the powerful lights used in film studios. While his father wanted to reserve the product for film use, Frank Factor was open to the commercial possibilities and began developing lighter shades. At the time the company was only able to produce enough to meet studio demand which until production could be increased delayed commercial release until 1937. Backed by a colour based national advertising campaign, it immediately became the fastest and largest selling single make-up item to date, as well as the standard make-up used in all Technicolor films.
After his father's death in 1938,[2] Frank Factor legally changed his name to Max Factor Jr. and as president expanded the still private cosmetics firm, along with members of the immediate family. He was heavily involved with the development of new products, particularly "Tru-Color" released in 1940 as the first smear-proof lipstick.
Personal life[edit]
Max Factor Jr. was married in 1933 to Mildred “Milly” Cohen with whom he remained for thirty-seven years until her death in 1970.[3] The couple raced Thoroughbred horses for many years.
Max Factor Jr. died in 1996 of heart failure in Los Angeles, California, and was interred in the Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California.[4]
References[edit]
- ^ Basten, p. 112.
- ^ Basten, p. 122
- ^ Eugene Register-Guard (Oregon) - June 9, 1996 Obituary
- ^ Francis Factor at Find a Grave
Further reading[edit]
- Baxten, Fred E (2008). Max Factor – The Man who Changed the Faces of the World. New York: Arcade Publishing. ISBN 978-1-55970-875-3.
External links[edit]
- American cosmetics businesspeople
- American chief executives of fashion industry companies
- 1904 births
- 1996 deaths
- American businesspeople in retailing
- American retail chief executives
- American people of Polish-Jewish descent
- American racehorse owners and breeders
- California people in fashion
- Businesspeople from Los Angeles
- Businesspeople from St. Louis
- Burials at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery
- 20th-century American businesspeople
