16 Facts About Sydney Guilaroff

Sydney Guilaroff was a hair stylist during Hollywood's Golden Age, and the first to receive on-screen credit in films.

Sydney Guilaroff was instrumental in creating many of the hairstyles that became signature looks for film stars.

At age 14, Sydney Guilaroff left Canada for New York City and found work in the stockroom of Gimbels department store.

Sydney Guilaroff's fortunes changed when he was hired as a beautician's assistant.

Sydney Guilaroff recovered and returned to New York to continue his profession.

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Sydney Guilaroff devised the hair looks for actresses Corinne Griffith and Miriam Hopkins.

Sydney Guilaroff subsequently found a position at Antoine de Paris's, one of the city's most exclusive salons, where he was known as Mr Sydney.

Sydney Guilaroff's rise to prominence as a hairdresser to the stars was championed by actress Joan Crawford, who brought him to Hollywood and MGM, where he was chief hair stylist from 1934 to the late 1970s.

At a time when a star's appearance was a significant function of the studio's image machine, Sydney Guilaroff's skills created distinctive looks that not only raised stars' profiles, but inspired many of their fans to have their hair styled similarly.

Sydney Guilaroff maintained his most formidable undertaking had been his work for the 1938 film Marie Antoinette, for which 2,000 court wigs were required and an additional 3,000 wigs for the extra players.

Sydney Guilaroff was uncredited as hair stylist for Vivien Leigh in Gone With the Wind.

Over his long and distinguished career, Sydney Guilaroff's clients included Elizabeth Taylor, Judy Garland, Lana Turner, Greta Garbo, Lena Horne, Greer Garson, Debbie Reynolds, Ann-Margret, Barbara Stanwyck, Cyd Charisse, Marilyn Monroe, Katharine Hepburn, Ingrid Bergman, Hedy Lamarr, Kathryn Grayson, Liza Minnelli, Clare Booth Luce, Ginger Rogers, Geraldine Page, Libby Holman, and Nancy Reagan.

Sydney Guilaroff was the stylist of choice for such male stars as Cary Grant, Clark Gable, Fred Astaire, James Stewart, Spencer Tracy and Frank Sinatra.

Sydney Guilaroff won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Hairstyling for a Miniseries or Special for The Two Mrs Grenvilles starring Ann-Margret and Claudette Colbert.

Sydney Guilaroff subsequently adopted another son, and some years later a third, who had been a former employee.

Sydney Guilaroff died in Beverly Hills, California on May 28,1997 at age 89.