Halloween 4’s Blond Michael Myers Mistake Explained (& Why It Was Left In)

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers featured an undeniable mistake by presenting the ruthless killer wearing a mask with blond hair. The white mask Michael Myers wears throughout the Halloween franchise has become synonymous with the character. Hiding behind the expressionless mask gives the escaped sanitarium patient a darker allure as he hunts down victims without any noticeable signs of humanity. While the legendary Michael Myers mask has gone some changes since its debut in 1978’s Halloween, the primary characteristics have stayed the same. That was until a glaring continuity error appeared in Halloween 4.

In the Halloween franchise, Michael Myers obtained his mask shortly after escaping from Smith’s Grove Sanitarium. Before stalking Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her friends on Halloween night, the Haddonfield native stole the bright-white mask from a local hardware store. Because of a low budget, director John Carpenter and his crew had to be crafty with their props. For Michael’s mask, they repurposed a Star Trek mask modeled after William Shatner’s Captain Kirk. Aside from painting it, the production team altered the mask’s hair and widened the eye hole areas. The same mask was used in Halloween II, but the crew from Halloween 4 were tasked with developing their own versions of the prop.

As the subtitle stated, Halloween 4 marked the official return of Michael Myers as the primary antagonist in the franchise. The previous sequel, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, still remains the only installment to omit Michael Myers altogether. Though the killer and his iconic mask returned, there was a scene in Halloween 4 that steered away from Michael Myers’ traditional look. When Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence) took young Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris) into a nearby school for safety from the ensuing murderer, there was a brief sequence in which the villain emerged in the hallway. As Michel Myers threw Dr. Loomis into a glass door, the mask had noticeable blond hair and pinkish skin. The mistake has resulted in much discussion from the cast and fans of the franchise, but Halloween 4‘s director Dwight H. Little has since shed light on the error.

According to the cast and crew in Back to the Basics: The Making of Halloween 4 (via YouTube), the original Michael Myers’ mask props from Halloween and Halloween II were long gone. When the production team ordered new masks made from the Captain Kirk molding, they arrived with pink skin and light-colored hair. Makeup Technician Ken Horn recalled repainting some of the masks and adding dark streaks in the hair, which created the bumpy texture. The cast noted the ongoing upheaval regarding the mask issues, causing a few workarounds. Still, one of the blond-haired masks made its way into the final cut.

In the documentary for the making of Halloween 4, Little explained why the mistake with Michael Myers’ mask was left in the school scene. He thought the error stemmed from a tired crew member rushing to the prop area before grabbing one of the incorrect masks. Though nobody on set caught the error, it was acknowledged in the later stages of production. Granted, Little confirmed the mistake was left in the movie, stating it would have been fixed if his team had more time and money. By keeping the blond-haired Michael Myers in Halloween 4, the folklore involving the legendary mask has held onto a humorous misstep.

About The Author

Kara Hedash
(1744 Articles Published)

Kara Hedash is a features editor and writer for Screen Rant. From time to time, she dives into the world’s most popular franchises but Kara primarily focuses on evergreen topics. The fact that she gets to write about The Office regularly is like a dream come true. Before joining Screen Rant, Kara served as a contributor for Movie Pilot and had work published on The Mary Sue and Reel Honey. After graduating college, writing began as a part-time hobby for Kara but it quickly turned into a career. She loves binging a new series and watching movies ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to hidden indie gems. She also has a soft spot for horror ever since she started watching it at too young of an age. Her favorite Avenger is Thor and her favorite Disney princess is Leia Organa. When Kara’s not busy writing, you can find her doing yoga or hanging out with Gritty.

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