Danné Montague-King I wrote “The Maybelline Prince” book several years ago. It is about a very controversial time in Hot Springs, Arkansas during the 1970s. This time involved sex, rock and roll, the mob, wealth, and glamor – all while surrounding myself with an heiress of the Maybelline family and fortune. If you had told me all the twists and turns this saga would take me through when I was at its beginning, I would not have believed you. 

EARLY PROMISE 

Forty years after writing the book, I continue to receive many e-mails and messages from people, many of whom were just kids at the time saying, “You and Miz Williams came into town and changed my life!” I look back at the stories people still wonder, “How did I make it to 82 years of age?” 

I have been approached over the years by various investors to have the book made into a series or docudrama, since my story also encompasses nearly 58 years of building an aesthetics business in almost every country in the world, starting with nothing but a box of before-and-after slides and drawing illustrations for audiences on flip charts. None of these offers panned out, so I pushed the idea into the back of my mind thinking “maybe someday.” Someday happened in 2022, out of nowhere, in the form of Seth Harden, a well-known Hollywood music video director. 

PARTY ANIMALS 

At 23, Seth went to the same college as my nephew, Drew Coleman (now head of DMK United States Sales). In those days, Drew was somewhat of what we called a “chick mag,” a top athlete, Iron Man, and one of the more popular young men at Azuza State College in California. He lived with me at my mountain-top estate, built for privacy and the occasional hotel for overseas distributors and guests. Needless to say, Drew and his buddies turned it (and my beach house in Belmont Shore) into a National Lampoon movie, giving “Animal House” a run for its money. 

When I returned from an extended lecture tour overseas, I found an unlabeled video lying around on the bar. Curious, I put it in to see what it was – college girls were running around the pool, doing long lines of tequila shots on a bar that looked strangely familiar! “OMG!” I thought, “That’s my mountain-top pool and my beach house!” I put a stop to that as much as I could. But Seth stood out from everyone because he appeared to be more of a watcher than a participant. 

Seth was tall and lanky with a stoic face, but eyes like a computer, watching everything. Curious about his demeanor, I asked him what he was majoring in at the college. He replied, “Cinema arts and videography.” I immediately asked him what he thought of “Citizen Kane?” Bette Davis? Joan Crawford?  Only to be answered with a blank look and a “Who?” I privately thought, “What the heck are colleges teaching these kids now if they aren’t covering well-known icons of the movie industry?” 

I resolved to rectify this by inviting him to my place every Sunday, feeding him a big Indiana country dinner like Mom would make and introducing him to all the classics. To this day, he credits that early exposure with a lot of his success in the movie and music industry. 

A WAY IN 

When “The Maybelline Prince” book first came out, it was difficult to ignore the production buzz coming from my publisher, but it wasn’t until film star glamazon Julie Newmar read it and insisted it be made, introducing me to some producer friends of hers. Again, Hollywood smoke and mirrors would produce the series, but I would have to pay for it. 

I eventually did both. Why would I need other producers? It was Seth who started the ball rolling. He had attracted the attention of a group of young English actors affiliated with a parent company in London called Hello Pictures. Backed by their fathers’ hedge fund fortune, they leased a recently remodeled Burbank studio just a few blocks down from Disney. Seth had talked them into taking on “Maybelline Prince” as their first big production (nothing had been produced at this brand-new, incredibly equipped place). 

We had two meetings with them, but they seemed too young and inexperienced (one had even been a Disney child actor). That said, they all played the Hollywood movie industry role as if they were working from a script! It became apparent to Randy Larsen and Drew Coleman, my business partners and co-producers, that they were a little dodgy. They were paying a substantial monthly lease based on hedge fund Daddy’s ten million to go and play moviemaking in Hollywood. In fact, they didn’t plan on investing a penny in “Maybelline Prince” yet wanted 30% of the royalties. 

CONCEPT TO REALITY 

Finally, it was Randy Larsen who suddenly swept all the talk aside, telling them Burnt Cork Productions (our company) would pay for everything, including leasing the studio from them. At last, we were having script meetings, casting calls, wardrobe meetings, location finders, and all the multitudinous things that go into making a movie! I was literally reborn. At the time, I had hit 78 years of age, and I was feeling every year. Working on the movie renewed me after decades of traveling the world and slowly building DMK into a multimillion-dollar company from nothing over fifty years prior. 

Every morning, I eagerly got out of bed and rushed to the studio to be in the makeup trailer by 6 a.m.. All the makeup artists and hair stylists were young professionals encountering a “period movie.” They were furiously Googling 1970s styles, but I waved that all aside. “I was there,” I kept repeating, “did my early skin revision using Evelyn Williams, Miss Maybelline as my guinea pig.” I should have kept my mouth shut regarding the treatments because all the principal players ended up coming to DMK headquarters for treatment, and the makeup artists swore that our medical silicone base foundations went on smooth – one light coat, no powder unless there was heavy contour or aging-up makeup. In addition, the lighting crew noticed that there was no need for touch-ups during the entire day’s shoot! 

FINDING YOUNG DANNE 

I cannot tell you how it feels to be re-living a singular part of your life making a film. It’s like being in a time machine – and in some ways, I became that person again. Young pop star Greyson Chance was cast to play me. When he came up to my home to meet with me, he told me he had watched every video online he could find for months, calling me a “multidimensional man.” 

Greyson had never acted in a movie before. He was and still is doing many popular music videos and is the quintessential stage performer. I did not consider this a negative, having gone through 50 audition videos of film and television actors, where none seemed right for the part. I told Greyson that a performer was exactly what we needed! Every morning that I got up at Maybelline Manor in Hot Springs, Arkansas, I had to go out and perform in a society that was totally alien to me. He perfectly portrayed that quality in me, bringing me and my viewers back in time. 

THE MESSAGE 

Without giving too much away, “Maybelline Prince” is part of a true story meant to inspire young people in this disturbing and ever-changing world. It’s part comedy, part tragedy, part history, and 100% based on the concept that every person on this planet has the right to be who they are, any place and at any time – and flourish. “Maybelline Prince” is now available to stream and for purchase on Amazon Prime.