With the movie being filmed here in town, I am busier than ever. Early in the morning I get up and go over to the movie lot and get all four stunt doubles (see “Stunt Studs” ) and all four lead actors (see “Clipping Stars”) “styled.” Then I check with Larry the production assistant and go back to the shop if I’m not needed. This has been going on for three weeks. I’m making an obscene amount of money from the movie work alone, but word got out here in town that I’m working with the movie lead actors.
One morning as I was walking back to my car from the production office, Larry stopped me and asked if I had time to give him a haircut. Did I have time? Duh....
Once in Larry’s office, I set up my equipment. Larry was about my age but taller and with much more tone to his muscles than me. He had longish, (5” on top and 3” to 4” sides and back), limp brown hair that, though, neatly kept it still fell into his deep blue eyes. He also had those obligatory Hollywood sideburns. (Someone tell them that Elvis is gone.)
I asked Larry what he had in mind. Larry said he was tired of the same old longish limp hair and wanted something that would be low maintenance. (Did he come to the right guy or what?) He liked how I had transformed the actors and the stunt doubles and asked me to do the same for him. He said that he would leave the style and length up to me. (Why can’t all of them be this easy?)
He sat down and I put the cape around his neck. I ran my fingers through is brown hair and realized that he had a widow’s peak that had been hidden by those long bangs. Hmmm - - -
I got out my Oster and put on the #1 (3/32”) attachment. Starting on his right side, I tilted his head slightly and clicked the clippers on. I ran the clippers up the side of his head. 3” to 4” of brown hair fell onto the cape and his lap. Slowly and firmly I ran the clippers up the side of his head over and over again reducing his rather limp brown hair down to 3/32” of stubble.
Moving around to the back of his head, I tilted his head forward and ran the clippers up the back of his head from the nape of his neck up to his crown. Again and again I reduced his longish brown hair to stubble. When I got to the left side of his head, I started just behind his ear and ran the clippers around his ear to the front. A pile of 3” to 4” of brown hair fell into his lap.
I finished buzzing the left side of his head and took off the attachment and removed his left sideburn by starting down by his earlobe and slowly moving up the side of his face to the hairline. Then, I moved around to his right side and again removed his right sideburn. I clicked off the clippers and set them down.
I took out the shaving cream and lathered up around his ears and the back of his neck. With the straight razor, I defined the edge around his ears and the back of his neck. Next, I lathered up his handsome face and shaved his face. I slowly rubbed tonic around his ears and the back of his neck and on his face. Then, I rubbed my hand up the back of his head. He seemed to enjoy that.
I put the 2 (1/4”) attachment on the Oster tilted Larry’s head forward and clicked the clippers on. Starting on the right side of his head, I ran the clippers back across his head to his crown. A cascade of 5” of brown hair fell into his lap. I kept slowly running the clippers back to his crown slowly revealing his widow’s peak. Once I had reduced his moppish hair down to 1/4”, I ran the clippers over the top of his head just to make sure everything was even.
When I was done, I slowly and firmly rubbed my hands over the top of his head and around the sides of his and up the back of his head. I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. I took the cape off and put my things away. At first Larry just sat there, but then, Larry slowly stood up and rubbed his hands over his buzzed head. He smiled and thanked me and asked what he owed me. I thought for a moment and then told him he didn’t owe me. Just have him keep my shop in mind when he needed a haircut. He said that he would and I left for my shop.
About 5pm that evening, I was finishing up with a regular customer when Larry came in with his boss Barry. We all said ‘hello’ and they sat down and watched while I finished tightening up a flat top. When the customer had left Barry got up and sat down in the chair. He said that he liked what I had done for Larry but he wanted it shorter. (Where have these guys been all my life?)
Now Barry is a couple of years older than me, about 6’3” and built like a hockey player. He has bright pale green eyes. He had thick curly black hair that was about 4” all over. I put the #1 (3/32”) attachment on, tilted his head forward and clicked the clippers on.
Starting on his left, I ran the clippers back over the top of his head to his crown reducing 4” of thick black curls to 3/32” stubble. I kept running the clippers over the top of his head showering his lap with thick black curls. By the time I reached the right side of his head, there was a mound of thick black curls in his lap.
Then, I took off the attachment and kept on going moving the clippers back across the right side of his head. A cascade of thick black curls fell onto the cape and to the floor. I moved around his ear and to the back. I removed his long thick sideburn and then I tilted his head forward and slowly and firmly moved the clippers up the back of his head to the crown reducing all that beautiful thick black hair down to nothing.
When I reached to just behind his left ear, I tilted his head and slowly moved the clippers around his ear to the front showering his lap with even more black curls. Then I removed his left sideburn. I finished removing the black curls from the left side of his head. Using clipper over comb, I blended in the top and sides.
I took out the shaving cream and lathered up the sides and back of his head. Slowly and carefully, I shaved the sides of his head, rubbing my hand over each section slowly and firmly, before and after. Then I shaved his face. I rubbed tonic on the sides and back of his head and face. So smooth on the sides and back and just so nice and prickly on the top of his buzzed head.
I took off the cape and he stood up and rubbed his hands over his head. He paid me and he and Larry left. Behind me someone cleared his throat. I smiled. “Come on over Casey.” (See “Long and Short of it”)
Say good night Gracie. . .
© 1998, Cal's Corner, all rights reserved.