Hair Flashes (1955)

The newest trend of glueing colorful hairpieces onto your head to match your dress. You are in the mood to wear something red, you can easily add a red strand of hair to match it.

London.
C/U of a gorgeous woman looking into a mirror and primping her hair. Narrator states: "The days when gentlemen may have preferred either blondes, brunettes or redheads may have gone for ever. For now a new vogue - chameleon streaks - enables a girl to match the colour of her hair to every occasion." The model's black hair has a streak of bright green in the fringe - fabulous! She pulls some great faces whilst looking in the mirror. She decides that she doesn't like the green and pulls it out. L/S of the girl who has a hair stylist standing beside her. They are in a set dressed to look like a bedroom or dressing room with a large dressing table. The model selects another colour. C/U of a set of different coloured hair pieces laid out on a piece of fabric. The hair stylist Bertram Godwin uses a special spirit gum to stick a coloured flash to the forehead of lovely South American actress Alicia Lotti (she really is gorgeous!). She is described in the paperwork as a "starlet from Equador".
Extreme C/U of glue being painted on to the end of a hair piece. C/U of Alicia having the piece stuck on. C/U of the hair being stuck on. Great C/U of Alicia. Another piece is being stuck on. Narrator states that the fashion began by accident when a firm of London wig specialists made white streaks for Gregory Peck in the film "Moby Dick". A girl assistant borrowed one of the of the "flashes" to wear for a dance. It was obviously a great success. Great C/U of Alicia admiring her look in a hand mirror. She smiles.
A fashion model is seen combing her hair at a dressing table - named by the narrator as Anita Collins. She opens a draw to reveal lots of curled pieces of coloured hair laid out inside - fantastic! She selects two red pieces which match her dress. C/Us of Anita painting glue onto the hair and placing them in her hair. Narrator quips: "Anita Collins decides on red to match her dress, but if these elaborate curls come unstuck during the evening her face will match too." Oh, the embarrassment! He adds that if you don't like long hair and you are blonde, you can sell it. Presumably the hair pieces are made from real hair. High angle of Alicia combing the red hair into her own. C/U and M/S of the finished look - fabulous.
Note: this is 1955 glamour at its finest. I want to be Alicia Lotti - or at least have a drawer full of coloured hair like Anita.
Although not named in the commentary, the name of the wig specialist is ""Wig Specialities Ltd." Some paperwork on file including a newspaper article which proclaims "A hairline at three quid a quiff".
The "Chameleon Streaks" cost 35 shillings (or three quid according to the newspaper) which included the spirit gum for sticking!
The British Film Institute have no listing for Alicia Lotti so she presumably wasn't a big star.
FILM ID:27.14

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Видео Hair Flashes (1955) канала British Pathé