military movies with non regulation hair cuts

[Edward]

His Richard III and discontented sililoquy per sey was on the whole quite excellent.
...a bit long toothed now for princely veracity's sake.
God gave McKellan one face and he applies pancake to make himself another....
____________

Must say Branagh's complete capture of Henry before Agincourt is nothing less than spellbinding.
A marvelous performance and imaginative production.

....it needs be said: It takes an Irishman to play Henry V.

Wasn't it Orwell who said that "A man at fifty has the face he deserves"? Sounding harsher to me, that, now it's looming!

As to Branagh.... Way back in 1984 he was still with the RSC, before he made the film - my first experience of Shakespeare was in Stratford, Branagh playing Henry V with Brian Blessed in the cast. I was ten and I loved it.

 

[Harp]

As to Branagh.... Way back in 1984 he was still with the RSC, before he made the film - my first experience of Shakespeare was in Stratford, Branagh playing Henry V with Brian Blessed in the cast. I was ten and I loved it.

I have found children to be most receptive to the Bard when his majestic talent unfolds either on stage
or through film; and, when a brilliant thespian takes Will's writ to its absolute pinnacle, the effect can
flare a spark that will enflame youthful minds far beyond pedestrian classroom lecture.

I was schooled to the far harsher rhythyms of the Christian Brothers of Ireland but perhaps the most
poignant moment in my adolescence under their instruction was when my English master, a crusty
curmudgeon lectured that Romeo loved love itself, not Juliet; he cut through all blarney with his razored
mind, while still teaching the absolute majesty of Shakespeare. Brother Sloan did not simply play the
poker percentages with William Shakespeare, he performed an exacting literary analysis that spared
neither sentiment nor tradition. He sought the truth in Shakespeare, and this particular play which
is so misunderstood was laid out as on an autopsy table, and thoroughly examined with a ruthless
scalpel. I subsequently read law with the scalpel he gifted.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I once saw -- and enjoyed -- a "Children's Theatre" production of Richard III. The mind didn't actually boggle, but it did consider it.

 

[Zombie_61]

...one example in KELLY'S HEROES , actor CLINT EASTWOOD'S hair is too long and thick , most soldiers in WW2 had more of the greasy slicked back combed to the side...

Really? Kelly's Heroes includes one of the worst anachronisms in cinema history, and you blow right past it to comment on Clint Eastwood's pompadour? Then again, everyone seems to ignore this, and I don't know why: Donald Sutherland's character Oddball and his entire tank crew are hippies straight out of the 1960s. During World War II??? I've even had people argue, "Well, they weren't really hippies, they were beatniks and that movement started in Europe before it started in the U.S." Nice try; even in Europe the Beat Generation didn't begin until the 1950s, and it started with American writers like Allen Ginzberg, William S. Burroughs, and Jack Kerouac.

 

[Harp]

Really? Kelly's Heroes includes one of the worst anachronisms in cinema history, and you blow right past it to comment on Clint Eastwood's pompadour? Then again, everyone seems to ignore this, and I don't know why: Donald Sutherland's character Oddball and his entire tank crew are hippies straight out of the 1960s. During World War II??? I've even had people argue, "Well, they weren't really hippies, they were beatniks and that movement started in Europe before it started in the U.S." Nice try; even in Europe the Beat Generation didn't begin until the 1950s, and it started with American writers like Allen Ginzberg, William S. Burroughs, and Jack Kerouac.

Not hippies: hybrids. And believe that however implausible those characters seem set in the 1940-45 era,
in a combat environ when normal martial discipline is loosened by circumstance, choice, or combatant
issues such relaxation isn't so novel. The occasional oddball or goof outfit surfaces-not in special ops-but
in line units, yeah. Oddball was a tank sergeant and upon his intro to Kelly made a fairly good impression
as a guy who, distaff aside, had his shit together. And his guys were pros, strange bastards sure,
but with a couple of million strong the US Army is full of them. The beats came later of course and there
is no lineage to Oddball and his men. There is some back channel to Burroughs (who it must be said
was a complete asshole) and Ginzberg. Kerouac, light snuffed out far too soon. Sutherland's character,
Oddball, once back in garrison would be seized upon by senior noncoms and cut, shaved, and showered.
Out in the field for as long as that lasted, he would be accorded sufficient latitude as circumstances
allowed so the movie depict is odd duck but not so far off the mark.

 

[Haversack]

Most tankers I have known hold the scene of Odball's platoon emerging from the railroad tunnel and shooting up the Saint Sever railyard in pretty high esteem. There aren't many movies that show tanks working together doing what tanks do best. Breaking stuff.

 

[EngProf]

I decided to go back to some original photos of the 101st Airborne to see what their WWII hairstyles were like. I looked through "101st Airborne - The Screaming Eagles at Normandy" by Mark Bando. After looking at dozens of WWII paratroopers, not a one had what people think of as "military" haircuts - cut close to the skull on the side and with fairly short hair on top.
To a man, they had perfectly normal haircuts that wouldn't rate a second look if they walked down any city or town street in the country today. Medium length, combed over neatly, nothing extreme...
The one rare exception was that a few guys cut their hair into Mohawk styles and wore war-paint on D-Day itself. Showing off... Other than that, the Division looked perfectly ordinary.
A second, sort-of exception, is that the WWII soldiers were noticeably older than Vietnam-era soldiers. In this case the exception is that one of the paratroopers in the photos is almost 100% bald and two others are heading that way fast.

 

[Harp]

^I heard mention somewhere that way more WWII photos were taken of the 101st Airborne
than the 82nd. And no specific cause or reason was given for this discrepancy.

The fact of the matter is the 101st were far more handsome than eighty-deuce's sorry bastards,
the latter being dogface ass ugly scrounge mutts. Just the facts, Jack.

 

[EngProf]

^I heard mention somewhere that way more WWII photos were taken of the 101st Airborne
than the 82nd. And no specific cause or reason was given for this discrepancy.

The fact of the matter is the 101st were far more handsome than eighty-deuce's sorry bastards,
the latter being dogface ass ugly scrounge mutts. Just the facts, Jack.

I may have made some comments previously about the one-sided 101st to 82nd photo ratio.
Here is the story as best I can research it:
Gen. Bill Lee (original Division Commander of the 101st) was friendly with the Public Information Officer (PIO - Capt. Barney Oldfield) at Ft. Benning (Parachute School). Oldfield was a newspaperman prior to going into regular-army service and had the press viewpoint that more publicity was a good thing. Apparently that philosophy was adopted by Gen. Lee, also. That can almost be taken literally, since according to (later) Colonel Oldfield's autobiography, Lee referred to him as "one of my boys".
In contrast, here is the description of his relation to Jim Gavin (later Major General and Commander of the 82nd):
"Barney reported in 1942 to Lieutenant Colonel James M. Gavin, regimental commander of the 505th Parachute Infantry. Gavin saw no use for Barney's crazy-quilt background of press and publicity, saying, 'The 505th is going to fight and doesn't need a press agent.'
The 101st, on the other hand, had two regimental-level photographers on D-Day. (T/5's Mike Musura and Albert Krotchka).
These two were elevated to Divisional-level photographers after D-Day, with other regimental photographers being appointed (Sgt. Joe Pistone, and Lt. John Reeder, among others).
Thus, the 101st had several in-house photographers from D-Day onward, unlike almost all other Divisions in the Army.
Most of the ETO photo work was done by the Signal Photo Companies of the Signal Corps. Since there were only two of these (165th for First Army and 166th for Third Army) in the ETO, they were spread very thinly.
Also, the strict rule against individual soldiers having cameras and taking pictures was apparently ignored in the 101st. There are lots of individual photos which were taken by GI's in books about the 101st.
For example, Doc Lage, one of the Regimental surgeons, even shot a bunch of Kodachrome slides (later printed) on and shortly after D-Day.
That's why there are probably ten 101st photos for every one 82nd - at least.
(The fact that the 101st guys were better-looking also likely helped...)

 

[Harp]

"Barney reported in 1942 to Lieutenant Colonel James M. Gavin, regimental commander of the 505th Parachute Infantry. Gavin saw no use for Barney's crazy-quilt background of press and publicity, saying, 'The 505th is going to fight and doesn't need a press agent.'
The 101st, on the other hand, had two regimental-level photographers on D-Day.
Thus, the 101st had several in-house photographers from D-Day onward, unlike almost all other Divisions in the Army.
Also, the strict rule against individual soldiers having cameras and taking pictures was apparently ignored in the 101st. There are lots of individual photos which were taken by GI's in books about the 101st.
That's why there are probably ten 101st photos for every one 82nd - at least.
(The fact that the 101st guys were better-looking also likely helped...)

Lt Col Gavin was undoubtedly aware of the Eighty-deuce overall assugly-dogface situation which obviously
accounts why the handsome Maxwell Taylor commanded the 101st Airborne lady killers and not he,
but that supposition is ripe with speculative gossip, innuendo, and rumour, so no need for further inquiry there.
The War Department was also in the know as regards this deplorable open secret and attempted the usual
damage control by assigning photographers to the 101st Airborne; also, barracks lingo insists that along
with switchblade knives the 101st was issued individual cameras-unlike any other outfit and men were
encouraged to shoot more than just the enemy.
A snap in time saves nine and a picture says a thousand words. Hubba hubba.
The 101st ran faster and farther, jumped higher, finished more Huns,
beat up more MPs, closed more bars, and overall scored more home runs
than the dog faced ass ugly drag ass Eigthy deuce.

Just the facts, Jack.

 

[EngProf]

Lt Col Gavin was undoubtedly aware of the Eighty-deuce overall assugly-dogface situation which obviously
accounts why the handsome Maxwell Taylor commanded the 101st Airborne lady killers and not he,
but that supposition is ripe with speculative gossip, innuendo, and rumour, so no need for further inquiry there.
The War Department was also in the know as regards this deplorable open secret and attempted the usual
damage control by assigning photographers to the 101st Airborne; also, barracks lingo insists that along
with switchblade knives the 101st was issued individual cameras-unlike any other outfit and men were
encouraged to shoot more than just the enemy.
A snap in time saves nine and a picture says a thousand words. Hubba hubba.
The 101st ran faster and farther, jumped higher, finished more Huns,
beat up more MPs, closed more bars, and overall scored more home runs
than the dog faced ass ugly drag ass Eigthy deuce.

Just the facts, Jack.

"...barracks lingo insists that along
with switchblade knives the 101st was issued individual cameras-unlike any other outfit and men were
encouraged to shoot more than just the enemy."
This fits with something the 101st Historian once told me: "82nd people claimed that 101st rifle squads had ten men - one more than the regular nine, with the tenth man being a photographer."
It may not be true, but based on the volume of the photographic historical record it almost seems that way.

Back in the late 80's and early 90's the vets' widows started sending the photos and possessions of the deceased vets to the 101st Museum in increasing quantities. It wasn't a photograph, but one item I remember to this day is the map that Col. Bud Harper used at Bastogne. We museum volunteers were upstairs away from the behind-glass exhibits so we got to look at the items that came in before they were stored away or exhibited.
Holding that map and thinking about where it once was and what happened while it was in use was very memorable, to say the least.
For non-101st folks, Col. Bud Harper was commander of the 327th Glider Infantry Regiment and was the person who relayed Gen. McCauliffe's famous "NUTS!" response to the Germans' surrender demand at Bastogne ("Battle of the Bulge").

 

[Zombie_61]

Veering back towards the primary topic of "non-regulation" haircuts in period military movies, I've been told it really depends upon the individual actors' clout and their willingness to alter their appearance for whichever movie they're participating in. I mean, if you're just starting out and trying to make a name for yourself (in a positive way) you'd probably be more willing to, say, shave all of the hair off of your body if the role called for it. But if you're Tom Hanks or Meryl Streep and you've already made your foothold in Hollywood, you might not want to go around looking like a WWII grunt for the duration of the filming schedule and have it written into your contract that you don't have to.

 

[Harp]

Veering back towards the primary topic of "non-regulation" haircuts in period military movies...

Outside of training the shaved head is more rare. Reasonable length, trimmed hair is within military regulations. Hair length is an important issue for combatants since in close quarter fighting, hair long enough to be caught or pulled can prove a fatal disadvantage. A fistful of an enemy's hair can lead to a fast broken neck; knee in the back and a blade across throat; or knife clavicle area plunge. The kidney is also a knife prime kill target. So short and very short hair suits a soldier best.

 

[Harp]

"...barracks lingo insists that along
with switchblade knives the 101st was issued individual cameras-unlike any other outfit and men were
encouraged to shoot more than just the enemy."
This fits with something the 101st Historian once told me: "82nd people claimed that 101st rifle squads had ten men - one more than the regular nine, with the tenth man being a photographer."
It may not be true, but based on the volume of the photographic historical record it almost seems that way. This second book's title and author escapes immediate memory.

Back in the late 80's and early 90's the vets' widows started sending the photos and possessions of the deceased vets to the 101st Museum in increasing quantities. It wasn't a photograph, but one item I remember to this day is the map that Col. Bud Harper used at Bastogne. We museum volunteers were upstairs away from the behind-glass exhibits so we got to look at the items that came in before they were stored away or exhibited.
Holding that map and thinking about where it once was and what happened while it was in use was very memorable, to say the least.
For non-101st folks, Col. Bud Harper was commander of the 327th Glider Infantry Regiment and was the person who relayed Gen. McCauliffe's famous "NUTS!" response to the Germans' surrender demand at Bastogne ("Battle of the Bulge").

While stationed at Ft Campbell I made a point to visit the 101st Museum and was most favorably
impressed and grateful. Whatever the reason for the discrepancy of photographic account between
the 101st and 82nd all are now priceless historic testament to a tragic moment in History.
____________

Several books that have caught my eye include Donald Burgett's Curahee and another personal
account penned by a Screaming Eagle whom was separated from his outfit, hooked up with the Soviet
Army and wound up in Moscow at the American embassy. Repatriated back to American lines
he recounts an episode at Ft Sheridan, Illinois where German SS veteran POWs pulling messhall chow line
file detail for 101st returnees got involved in a messhall bar fight in which seven or more SS vets were
beaten to death. The historical record is archived in part in these rather scarce biographies.

 

[Magenfill]

In the movie ""Rage"" Brad Pitt had a military undercut haircut, which is a good example of how the American military looked in the 1940s, as well as a sample of the correct haircut of a soldier. Since the Second World War, an unspoken rule among infantrymen has been: ""Everything under the helmet is yours."" The temples and the back of the head were often shaved to zero, and the top was made at the soldier's request. Often it was left untouched, without any transition work with scissors. Unfortunately, not every man can afford such a haircut because of gray hair. Although thanks to fue hair transplant nyc, many people bring their ideas to life.

 

[LostInTyme]

Robert DeNiro in Deerhunter. During his return to VietNam, he is sporting a full beard and long hair, something, at the time would have been noticed right away.

 

[Who?]

I can’t even remember how often I got a haircut when I was a GI.

Likely it was somewhere around every two weeks.

 

[LostInTyme]

During Basic Training it was every two weeks. After, during Advanced Individual Training (AIT), it was relaxed, but no long hair was allowed below the lower edge of your work cap. Hence, the WhiteWalls haircut. Long hair under the cap, shaved sides showing. No beards, but mustaches were tolerated.

Also, you could smoke cigarettes, chew tobacco, or rub snuff, but you weren't allowed to chew gum.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Get a haircut, you slobs.

 

[Edward]

In the movie "Rage" Brad Pitt had a military undercut haircut, which is a good example of how the American military looked in the 1940s, as well as a sample of the correct haircut of a soldier. Since the Second World War, an unspoken rule among infantrymen has been: "Everything under the helmet is yours.

Wasn't it called Fury, or am I thinking of a different picture?

I get the impression looking at old photos that the military haircut was a lot less different than civilian styles in the WW2 period.

During Basic Training it was every two weeks. After, during Advanced Individual Training (AIT), it was relaxed, but no long hair was allowed below the lower edge of your work cap. Hence, the WhiteWalls haircut. Long hair under the cap, shaved sides showing. No beards, but mustaches were tolerated.

Also, you could smoke cigarettes, chew tobacco, or rub snuff, but you weren't allowed to chew gum.

Makes sense, really. I remember when I used to clip my hair to a number one, before I went for the full headshave, I used to do it about twice a week to keep it that short. Now I hit the equivalent of a number one - at least where there's any left(!) - in about three days if I don't shave it.

The hat rule seems logical too, given that as I recall the original purpose behind the short military cut was to give your enemy less he could grab hold of in a hand to hand situation...