Seraphic Secret

Robert J. Avrech: Emmy Award winning screenwriter. Movie fanatic. Helplessly and hopelessly in love with my wife since age nine.

Hollywood Hair: Leda Styled By Leonardo da Vinci

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Four studies of Leda by Leonardo Da Vinci. In Greek mythology, the God Zeus transforms himself into a swan and travels to Earth to seduce a lady called Leda. She gives birth to two eggs that hatch to be Polydeuces and Helen.
Four studies of Leda by Leonardo da Vinci. In Greek mythology, the God Zeus transforms himself into a swan and travels to Earth to seduce a a beautiful lady named Leda. She gives birth to Polydeuces and Helen, AKA Helen of Troy. The date of this chalk and ink work is 1506, and executed while Da Vinci lived in Milan. The dimensions are 17.7 x 14.7 cm.  The completed “Leda and the Swan”painting is lost.

Years ago, on Shabbos evenings, when our children were little, I would frequently grab an art book, sit in my chair, and one of the kids would climb into my lap. We’d turn the pages, look at the pictures, and make up stories about the figures in the paintings.

Ariel, Z’TL, was intrigued by the Dutch painters of the Seventeenth Century: Jan Steen, Peter de Hooch, Vermeer, and Rembrandt. Offspring #2 and #3, girls, inclined to the High Italian Renaissance: Botticelli, Titian, Raphael, Da Vinci, and Michelangelo.

One memorable night, I opened a book devoted to the sketches of Leonardo da Vinci.

Offspring #2 was about 5 years old at the time, and after leafing through a few pages, she grew bored. She wanted lush colors, luminous light, and dramatic figures in mysterious landscapes. Leonardo’s drawings were too stark, too black and white. And Leonardo’s anatomy drawings… totally gross.

Then I turned to Leonardo’s four sketches for the head of Leda.

Offspring #2 nearly fell off my lap.

“Look at her hair, daddy!”

“Nice, huh?”

“How come it’s like that?”

“Da Vinci is telling us that this woman is special, her hair is like a crown.”

“Like a princess?”

“Exactly.”

Over the years, I have returned again and again to Leonardo’s Leda. Her hair is a Hollywood dream — before Hollywood dreamers existed. But Leonardo’s genius eventually found its modern equivalent in Hollywood’s greatest hairdresser, Sydney Guilaroff (1907 – 1997), born in London to poor Jewish  immigrants from the Russian Pale of Settlement, and who eventually settled in Canada.

Guilaroff was chief hairdresser at MGM for over fifty years, during which time this modest and hugely talented man, styled, and was confidant to, every major female star in Hollywood.

That is a lot of very high maintenance women.

 

Joan Crawford brought Guilaroff to MGM in 1934. Before coming to Hollywood, Guilaroff created silent screen star Louise Brooks' signature black helmet bob. He also styled the actresses Corinne Griffith and Miriam Hopkins.
Joan Crawford brought Guilaroff to MGM in 1934. Before coming to Hollywood, Guilaroff created silent screen star Louise Brooks’ signature black helmet bob.

 

Of course, Guilaroff styled MGM's biggest star, greta Garbo. I his memoir, “Crowning Glories, Guilaroff claimed to have been Garbo and Ava Gardner's lover. Not bad for the child of impoverished Jewish immigrants from Russia.
Of course, Guilaroff styled MGM’s most exotic star, Greta Garbo. In his fascinating memoir, Crowning Glories, Guilaroff claims to have been romantically involved with Garbo and Ava Gardner.

 

Guilaroff's brilliant hair style for Norma Shearer as Marie Antoinette.
Just one of Guilaroff’s three hundred brilliant wigs for “Marie Antoinette” starring Norma Shearer as the doomed, but well-coiffed Queen.

 

Claudette Colbert's bangs were given to her by Guilaroff.
Claudette Colbert’s bangs were created for her by Guilaroff.

 

Jean Harlow was the original platinum blonde. But so damaging were the chemicals and treatments that at the height of her short but brilliant career, Harlow's hair was falling out in clumps. Sydney Guilaroff created a series of wigs for Harlow that managed to disguise her baldness.
Jean Harlow was the original platinum blonde. But so damaging were the chemicals and treatments that Harlow’s hair was falling out in clumps. Sydney Guilaroff created a series of wigs for Harlow that managed to disguise her baldness.

 

When Lucille Ball came to MGM in 1943 to star in “DuBarry Was a Lady”, Guilaroff found her brown hair uninteresting.” He turned her into a redhead, which helped establish her long career.
When Lucille Ball came to MGM in 1943 to star in “DuBarry Was a Lady”, Guilaroff found her brown hair “not interesting.” He turned her into a redhead, which established her look, and helped lead to a very long and successful  career.

 

Sydney Guilaroff with Marilyn Monroe.
Sydney Guilaroff with Marilyn Monroe. MM was so dependent on Guilaroff that she would fly him all over the world—at huge expense—to style her hair before public events.

 

Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara. Ss MGM's chief hair stylist, from 1934 to the late 1970s, Guilaroff was responsible for styling “Gone With the Wind.”
Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara. As MGM’s chief hair stylist, from 1934 to the late 1970s, Guilaroff was hairdresser for “Gone With the Wind.” Guilaroff was equally brilliant with period and modern hair styles.

 

Grace Kelly chose Guilaroff to style her hair for her wedding to Prince Rainier in 1956.
Grace Kelly chose Guilaroff to style her hair for her wedding to Prince Rainier in 1956.

Karen and I wish all our friends and relatives a lovely and inspirational Shabbat.

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Comments

  2. You have taught me about the legendary dress designers Robert – and now to learn about the hairdressers!
    And you are right – Hollywood is the epicenter of the “High Maintenance Woman”
    Think of the wider influence Guilaroff had – when every woman wanted to look like her idol …

  3. “Da Vinci is telling us that this woman is special, her hair is like a crown.”
    “Like a princess?”
    “Exactly.”
     
     
    Actually, somewhat reminiscent of Princess Leia (Star Wars)  😉
     
    http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.marlataviano.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/princess-leia.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.marlataviano.com/real-hard-love/loving-princess-leia/&h=1428&w=1133&sz=233&tbnid=CJ3Sf5qGaN4puM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=71&zoom=1&usg=__h1EdLf7FT30cvnkqoJExsjpEZDc=&docid=uU26ENhs1Q4PPM&sa=X&ei=p5RqUqP2B4K-2wWrw4DwBg&ved=0CEYQ9QEwBg
     

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