Leslie Howard's Haircut: I Must Emulate It. Help Please?

[inappropriate]

Hi there!

First off all, I think this belongs in some other section than "Beauty" because that section is obviously predominantly perused and posted-to by women, and I'm after a man's haircut. If I'm posting in the "wrong" spot then it's a good sign that you ought to have a section for men and THEIR hair, their products, their skin, their mustaches, etc.

I'm after a look from a movie, and if you haven't seen the movie then you can't know the look. Ergo, this section fits the bill.

Please keep in mind as you read this post that it's not at all my intention to sound demanding. I've just been trying in vain to get the haircut I want for well over a year, and, having had no luck, I'm mucho exasperated.

Getting to the point:

My hair is black, and only ever-so-slightly-more-wavy than Leslie Howard's. Nevertheless, I know that I can pull it off - if only I knew the basic haircut on which it is based, and what products to use to keep it tight, neat, and wet, without getting oily, flat, or stiff.

Watch "The Animal Kingdom," or "The Petrified Forest." You won't know what I'm after if you can't see the backs and sides of Leslie's haircut, and if you just Google image search for pictures from these movies then you'll never spot those angles. This has been my difficulty in getting a hairdresser to copy the style; I can bring pictures of the front, maybe 3/4, but nothing that nails the nape, or the sides, etc.

Please tell me what to ask for from the hairdresser. I've tried explaining, I've brought in pages of printed pictures of everyone from Charlie Chaplin to Errol Flynn to, of course, Leslie Howard, and they just can't ever get the damn thing done right in terms of balance, height, body, length, proportion, and especially tidiness in the back and nape.

After lobbing some useful hair-lingo my way, please be dears and suggest some product. Right now I'm using nothing but brilliantine, and it's so-so-okay, but not quite "it."

Thanks much, take care.

 

[BinkieBaumont]

Everyone in England had a "Short back and sides" the fringe would be very long, past your chin, and you would slick it back with pommade, nowadays you would probably use a silicone based "dry" wax such as "Dirty trix" by Matrix it is realy strong and non oily, that slicked back finge wont be going anywhere!!

 

[inappropriate]

Thanks very much for the tip - and for being the sole person to take the time to respond.

Sorry to be simple, but I've got a few questions:

What portion of the hair constitutes a "fringe?"

Are you certain that it was, in the case of Leslie Howard or Charlie Chaplin at least, "slicked back?" They've got a lot of wave, even some curl, and moreover it seems to be parted to the side rather than going back.

Any links you know of that might help my hairdresser to understand? Pages out of a manual, for example, like I've seen some folks get when they (for whatever reason) wanted Austro-Prussian militarist 'doo's?

Thanks much, bye.

 

[BinkieBaumont]

The fringe is the area of hair that gows on the scalp forward of the front of the ear

 

[FATS88]

Keep it simple

Hello inap.

What I mean by "keep it simple" is;
At the beginning of my desire to wear dress hats, I always felt
that getting the right look would have to involve my
hair, as well as clothes, accessories etc. you know what mean..
So one day, while watching TCM, I noticed that the actors
from the golden age were able to remove their hats,
and as the shot continued, without cuts for makeup to rush in
and tidy up, they had no "hat head".
While getting my haircut, I told my BARBER about this, and he explained that it was called feathering, and learning to do this was a requirement for any serious barber, in the past, (because men wore hats) I asked him to start cutting my hair this way.
My hair took about a year for the "fringe" to get long enough to comb
back, part, (and get into my eyes!) it took so long because my hair
has been thinning for about ten years, so, unintentionally it also
became a remedy for my thin spots.

Having said all that; I really think if I were you, I would find a BARBER SHOP
A REAL BARBER SHOP, even if the barber(s) are not old enough to
know who Lesie Howard is... was, they probably will have a willingness
to train your hair so that it will be easier each visit to get that look.
just had an idea; Lesie Howard is one of my favorites, and
seems to me, I remember reading somewhere, that hair style
was worn by many of the WW2 RAFpilots, and while posting this,
I multi tasked to find this BBC WW2 "photo album"

Hoping you'll be able to find some, side, and rear snaps of these heros' coiffs
to copy and take to the barber with you.
If your not too far from Frisco, PM me and I'll be glad to give you my
barber's address and telephone number, because I KNOW HE CAN DO THAT
HAIRCUT! he's been at the same location since 1961

I apologize for not getting this off to you when I first read your post.
I couldn't remember where I saw those ww2 RAF pilot photos.


Cheers!
FATS88

 

[scotrace]

"America, USA" is a little vague as to location, but if you ask one of our members, HappyFilmLuvGuy, where he gets his haircut, you will find the place to get what you want. HFLG has the best vintage haircut going, and it's very much like Howard's.

Also search the thread here, as this topic (vintage haircuts) is covered extensively.

 

[FATS88]

TIVO ALERT!

Inap,
just a...HEADS up
http://www.tcm.com/schedule/index.jsp?startDate=4/7/2009&timezone=EST&cid=N

Are you still out there?

Fats

 

[Creeping Past]

Everyone in England had a "Short back and sides"

Some of us still have...

 

[FATS88]

Inap! are you still kickin?

Does anybody know what happened to Inap...or his hair?
Anybody else care about this dead thread?

Scotrace?

Interesting subject: emulating a particular actors haircut.
As much as I like LH, I have only seen one or two of his films.
I did watch the TCM tribute this week and recorded two or three more.
I was saddened to hear Robert Osborne speak of the way he was killed,
a bit of trivia to most, but left me feeling sad about it even as I post this.
I had not seen Pygmalion before, and really liked it.
Now, back to LH's coiff;

I must tell you that in my opinion that Pygmalion would be the film
to have if you want to examine Howard's hair,
there are as many rear views of his head, as there are front!
I think maybe more.
And certainly many profiles, left and right (now that Inap has me looking)
LH has both a high brow, (literally and figuratively) and wavy or even
somewhat curly hair.
Also just my opinion; I think if the person attempting to get that look
does'nt have either, you'll probably be going to a hair $tyli$t, and not
the neighborhood barber shop.


Cheers!
Fats

 

[inappropriate]

Hi! Sorry I missed your replies earlier.

I'll go through Pygmalion and get some screenshots for the barber - if I can find one anywhere near where I life!

My hair is definitely VERY wavy (I can get the 1930's/1940's wavy look without any extra work to "set" my hair) but as for my brow not quite sure what you mean.

Everywhere I've been trying cuts it way too short. I think it throws them off to have to work from photos of hair that has brilliantine or the like in it. Just not quite sure what to tell them to do differently. They make the top really puffy, too...don't know quite how to explain it.

Any more tips? Thanks again! Bye!

 

[Cigarband]

Many of the Golden Era stars didn't have "hat head" because they wore "appliances" to cover their "thinning" hair. The makeup people used wax to stiffen them. Also remember, the hat was put on the actor immediately before the Director called "Action!"

 

[HadleyH]

Hi! Sorry I missed your replies earlier.

I'll go through Pygmalion and get some screenshots for the barber - if I can find one anywhere near where I life!

My hair is definitely VERY wavy (I can get the 1930's/1940's wavy look without any extra work to "set" my hair) but as for my brow not quite sure what you mean.

Everywhere I've been trying cuts it way too short. I think it throws them off to have to work from photos of hair that has brilliantine or the like in it. Just not quite sure what to tell them to do differently. They make the top really puffy, too...don't know quite how to explain it.

Any more tips? Thanks again! Bye!

Well, you have put a lot time an effort trying to get a Leslie Howard's haircut, with no happy results so far. Why dont you just give up the ghost of Leslie Howard's hair and take up... say Ramon Novarro's who had wavy hair or any other actor with hair similar to yours? I'm sure it'd look good on you too inappropiate! [huh]

 

[inappropriate]

Hey! Actually it's funny you should say that - last time I gave it a try, I took photos of Novarro and Ven Heflin instead, who both have hair quite similar to mine...and they STILL couldn't get it right!

I found a "barber shop" type place nearby, and I guess there's nothing to lose by giving it a shot - but I've heard around that "all they do is buzzcuts." My wavy 'do might be sheared clean off.

p.s. what manner of product do you think that Van Heflin was wearing in his hairstyle through, "The Feminine Touch?" It looks a lot more "natural" than my brilliantine!

 

[Atterbury Dodd]

For viewing pleasure here are some pictures of Leslie Howard's hair:

Front:

Side:

Back, best I could find:

 

[BinkieBaumont]

"It looks pretty ordinary really it's as plain as a pensioners "Dry Trim" I think Van Johnson & Danny Kaye had more style when it came to "Follicle Fashion"

 

[FATS88]

Hey Inap,
I'm just catching up with everything, and everyone.
How did your look come out?