Origin Story Of The Halloween Michael Myers Mask

William Shatner, the actor loved as Captain Kirk on Star Trek, has a spooky place in Halloween history. The scary white mask worn by Michael Myers in the 1978 movie Halloween was a painted William Shatner mask. The filmmakers had very little money to spend. So they bought a cheap Captain Kirk mask from a costume shop. Production designer Tommy Lee Wallace picked it up for about two dollars.

The crew widened the eye holes and painted the whole face white. They also teased out the hair to give it a wild look. The change worked so well that most viewers never guessed who was underneath. Director John Carpenter had a budget of only about 325,000 dollars, so clever thinking mattered more than money. The little film went on to earn tens of millions of dollars and started a long running series. Next time a trick or treater walks by in a plain white mask, remember that a little bit of Shatner may be hiding behind it. It is proof that a good idea and a bit of paint can create something people remember for generations.