page_title: Sydney Guilaroff
section_title: Early life
hierarchical_section_title: Sydney Guilaroff / Early life
caption_attribution_description: English: Cropped screenshot of Vivien Leigh from the trailer for the film Gone with the Wind
context_page_description: Sydney Guilaroff was a hair stylist during Hollywood's Golden Age who was the first to receive on-screen credit in films. He worked for more than 40 years at the Metro Goldwyn Mayer studios on more than 1,000 films. He was instrumental in crafting many of the hairstyles that became the signature looks for numerous film stars.
context_section_description: Guilaroff was born in London, England to Russian Jewish immigrants who later settled in Canada. The family lived in both the cities of Winnipeg and Montreal. At age 14, Guilaroff left Canada for New York City and found work in the stockroom of Gimbels department store. An on-the-job accident caused him to leave, and at times his financial situation forced him to sleep on benches in the city's Central Park.
  His fortunes changed when he was hired as a beautician's assistant. His menial responsibilities included sweeping the floor of a hair salon. The owner recognized the teenager's energy and enterprise, and proceeded to mentor him in the hairdressing trade. By the age of 16, Guilaroff had become so proficient a hair stylist that he had established a considerable clientele. His blossoming career, however, was interrupted by a diagnosis of tuberculosis, which required his return to Canada. He recovered and returned to New York to continue his profession as hairdresser. It was during this period that Guilaroff is reputed to have created silent screen star Louise Brooks' signature bob. He also devised the hair looks for actresses Corinne Griffith and Miriam Hopkins. He ultimately found a position at Antoine’s, one of the city's most exclusive salons, where he was known as Mr. Sydney.
caption: One of many hair styles designed for Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind (1939)
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