Duck's Ass
Encyclopedia
The Duck's Ass is a haircut style that was popular during the 1950s. It is also called the Duck's Tail, the Ducktail, or simply D.A.
s of Los Angeles
. The Duck's tail became an emblematic coiffure of disaffected young males across the English-speaking world during the 1950s. In Britain, it formed part of the visual identity of Teddy Boys and Rockers
, along with the Quiff
and the Elephant's Trunk.
be combed back around the sides of the head. The teeth edge of a comb
was then used to define a central parting running from the crown to the nape at the back of the head, resembling, to many, the rear end of a duck
. The hair on the top front of the head was either deliberately disarrayed so that untidy strands hung down over the forehead, or combed up and then curled down into an 'Elephants trunk' which would hang down as far as the top of the nose.
A variant of the style, the Detroit, consisted of the long back and sides combined with a flattop
.
The ducktail hair style contributed to the term greasers: to accomplish this look, lots of pomade
(hair grease) was required to hold the hair in place. This was still the era of hair creams, so it only required an increase in the amount to make hair remain in the desired style. Brands of grease used include Black & White, Sweet Georgia Brown and Murrays.
To ensure that the hair was just so, the wearer often touched up the D.A. many times during the day by running his greased comb through it. The character "Kookie", played by Edd Byrnes on the 1950s television drama show 77 Sunset Strip
was constantly tending his hair, leading to Byrnes's 1959 hit song with Connie Stevens
, "Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb".
, who sported the same look. Although the ducktail was adopted by Hollywood to represent the wild youth of the Fifties, only a minority of males actually sported a D.A., even amongst the British Rockers
and Teddy Boys of the same era. The style became popular in India after film star Shammi Kapoor
started sporting it.
, and anime
sport DAs. Possibly most notable among them are Goku and Vegeta of the Dragonball series and Uchiha Sasuke of the Naruto manga. It is also common to many characters in the series Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, most notably Josuke Higashikata
who is identified by the hairstyle. The Happy Days
character Fonzie
also has one. Al Davis
also has worn his hair in a DA, as did Ken Wahl in his role as Vinnie Terranova in the dressier sequences of the cult TV drama, Wiseguy
.
History
Joe Cirello, a barber from Philadelphia, claimed to have invented the Duck's Ass in 1940. A similar hairstyle, sometimes called the Argentine Ducktail, consisting of greased hair piled high on top and swept back at the sides to form a ridge or seam at the back, was simultaneously fashionable among the Mexican-American PachucoPachuco
Pachucos are Chicano youths who developed their own subculture during the 1930s and 1940s in the Southwestern United States. They wore distinctive clothing and spoke their own dialect of Mexican Spanish, called Caló or Pachuco...
s of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. The Duck's tail became an emblematic coiffure of disaffected young males across the English-speaking world during the 1950s. In Britain, it formed part of the visual identity of Teddy Boys and Rockers
Rocker (subculture)
Rockers, leather boys or ton-up boys are a biker subculture that originated in the United Kingdom during the 1950s. It was mainly centered around British cafe racer motorcycles and rock and roll music....
, along with the Quiff
Quiff
The quiff is a hairstyle that combines the 1950s pompadour hairstyle, the 50s flattop, and sometimes a mohawk. The etymology of the word is uncertain but may derive from the French word "coiffe" which can mean either a hairstyle or, going further back, the mail knights wore over their heads and...
and the Elephant's Trunk.
The combing technique
The style required that the hairHair
Hair is a filamentous biomaterial, that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Found exclusively in mammals, hair is one of the defining characteristics of the mammalian class....
be combed back around the sides of the head. The teeth edge of a comb
Comb
A comb is a toothed device used in hair care for straightening and cleaning hair or other fibres. Combs are among the oldest tools found by archaeologists...
was then used to define a central parting running from the crown to the nape at the back of the head, resembling, to many, the rear end of a duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
. The hair on the top front of the head was either deliberately disarrayed so that untidy strands hung down over the forehead, or combed up and then curled down into an 'Elephants trunk' which would hang down as far as the top of the nose.
A variant of the style, the Detroit, consisted of the long back and sides combined with a flattop
Flattop
A flattop is a type of very short hairstyle similar to the crew cut, with the exception that the hair on the top of the head is deliberately styled to stand up and is cut to be flat, resulting in a haircut that is square in shape...
.
The ducktail hair style contributed to the term greasers: to accomplish this look, lots of pomade
Pomade
Pomade is a greasy or waxy substance that is used to style hair. Pomade makes hair look slick and shiny. Unlike hair spray and hair gel, pomade does not dry and often takes several washes to remove...
(hair grease) was required to hold the hair in place. This was still the era of hair creams, so it only required an increase in the amount to make hair remain in the desired style. Brands of grease used include Black & White, Sweet Georgia Brown and Murrays.
To ensure that the hair was just so, the wearer often touched up the D.A. many times during the day by running his greased comb through it. The character "Kookie", played by Edd Byrnes on the 1950s television drama show 77 Sunset Strip
77 Sunset Strip
77 Sunset Strip is an hour-length American television private detective series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Roger Smith, and Edd Byrnes....
was constantly tending his hair, leading to Byrnes's 1959 hit song with Connie Stevens
Connie Stevens
Connie Stevens is an American actress and singer, best known for her roles in the television series Hawaiian Eye and other TV and film work.-Early life:...
, "Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb".
Significance of the style
The D.A. quickly became a stereotypical feature of rebels and nonconformists, and gained popularity especially after the rise of rock 'n roll legend Elvis PresleyElvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, who sported the same look. Although the ducktail was adopted by Hollywood to represent the wild youth of the Fifties, only a minority of males actually sported a D.A., even amongst the British Rockers
Rocker (subculture)
Rockers, leather boys or ton-up boys are a biker subculture that originated in the United Kingdom during the 1950s. It was mainly centered around British cafe racer motorcycles and rock and roll music....
and Teddy Boys of the same era. The style became popular in India after film star Shammi Kapoor
Shammi Kapoor
Shammi Kapoor was an Indian film actor and director. He was a prominent lead actor in Hindi cinema from the late 1950s until the early 1970s....
started sporting it.
Existence in Pop Culture
The 1956 rockabilly song by Joe Clay, "Ducktail," insists on the care one takes to maintain the hairdo, warning the listener "Don't mess with my ducktails," echoing Carl Perkins' "(Don't Step on My) Blue Suede Shoes," which appeared the same year. Several characters in various comics, mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
sport DAs. Possibly most notable among them are Goku and Vegeta of the Dragonball series and Uchiha Sasuke of the Naruto manga. It is also common to many characters in the series Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, most notably Josuke Higashikata
Josuke Higashikata
is a fictional character from the Japanese manga JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. Josuke is the main hero of Series 4. He begins the series as a new freshman in the town of Morioh...
who is identified by the hairstyle. The Happy Days
Happy Days
Happy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of life in mid-1950s to mid-1960s America....
character Fonzie
Fonzie
Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli is a fictional character played by Henry Winkler in the American sitcom Happy Days . He was originally a secondary character, but eventually became the lead...
also has one. Al Davis
Al Davis
Allen "Al" Davis was an American football executive. He was the principal owner of the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League from 1970 to 2011...
also has worn his hair in a DA, as did Ken Wahl in his role as Vinnie Terranova in the dressier sequences of the cult TV drama, Wiseguy
Wiseguy
Wiseguy is an American crime drama series that aired on CBS from September 16, 1987 to December 8, 1990 for a total of four seasons. Starring Ken Wahl, the series was produced by Stephen J...
.