ABSTRACT
The Duck's Ass-or D. A. for short-was extremely popular with teenage males during the 1950s. The D. A. consisted of overlapping wings of hair combed from the side of the head to the back. Mounds of grease helped keep the hair properly in place, hence the appellation "greasers", which was commonly applied to its exponents. A South Philadelphia barbershop proprietor named Joe Cirello was credited with originating the style. The D. A. spread throughout the youth subculture, fueled by the example of rock 'n' roll stars and Hollywood exploitation flicks featuring juvenile delinquents of the greaser persuasion. However, lower class urban teens ultimately turned to the natural, long hair look already in vogue with the majority of late 1960s youth. Joe Cirello moved to Hollywood to work as a staff hairdresser at Warner Brothers Studios, cutting the hair of such notables as Frank Sinatra, Eddie Fisher, Bill Haley, Elvis Presley, and James Dean.
