She Cut a Quarter

Ducktail haircuts — which had previously been a hallmark of rebellious male teens — came into their own with females in the early half of the 1950s. In August 1954 three La Cañada girls, sisters Kathy and Ginny Hairgrove and neighbor Cindy Hill, posed for the cover of the Valley Sun to show off their stylish hairdos.

As a child, I always had long, blonde curly hair. I never liked it. As a matter of fact, I wanted a ducktail /duck’s ass. One day while playing in nursery school with my friend Dena Kaye (Danny Kaye’s daughter), we decided to have some extra fun. Dena knew I was unhappy with my long hair and asked me if I’d like to play “beauty parlor.”

So off we went by ourselves to the large crate boxes that were on the far corner of the…