The Way They Were

The 1975 satire Shampoo depicts an insane and vain, but far from plain, L.A. Here, Ian Somerhalder, Marina Black and Clare Kramer put a modern spin on the cut-and-blow classic.

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Behind the Scenes

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1. It's little known outside of Hollywood that George Roundy, the philandering character Warren Beatty played in 1975's Shampoo, did not just cleverly mirror Beatty's own Don Juan reputation, but was actually based on a few equally amorous Beverly Hills hairdressers. Most notable was stylist Gene Shacove, who had a hand in just about everyone's hair--from Marlene Dietrich's to Lucille Ball's--and who passed away last year. According to Robert Towne, who cowrote Shampoo with Beatty, the others were Richard Alcala and Jay Sebring (both also deceased), and Dusty Fleming, who still coiffs from his eponymous salon on Canon Drive in Beverly Hills. "They all started at a salon called The Razor's Edge," says Towne. "They were known to be hairdressers to the stars. It was just a bunch of guys who got the idea that this was a good thing to do--cut women's hair and hang out. They were more than celebrities, they were hot."

2. For a little '60s-inspired hair salon kitsch, there's Beauty Bar on Cahuenga Boulevard in Hollywood (there are sister locations in New York and San Francisco). It looks like an old-fashioned beauty salon, complete with vintage hair dryers and manicure stations taken from a '60s-era salon in Bakersfield, but the Beauty Bar is also very much a comfortable lounge. The beauty theme doesn't stop with the decor--their libations have smart names like the Platinum Blonde, the Prell and, of course, the Shampoo. The main draw is the Martini & Manicure happy hour on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, which has attracted stars and fashionistas alike, (www.beautybar.com)

3. Model-turned-actor Ian Somerhalder, who portrays Warren Beatty's character in our shoot, knows a thing or two about the art of seduction. After having lured women in the many ad campaigns he did for Guess? and Versace, and looking impressive opposite Hayden Christensen in Life as a House, Somerhalder will smolder again in The Rules of Attraction, which also stars Jessica Biel, Shannyn Sossamon and Faye Dunaway, and Colored Eggs, in which he again costars with Dunaway. His Rules of Attraction costar, Clare Kramer, who here has taken on Goldie Hawn's role, first got her start in the hilarious Bring It On before vamping it up as Sarah Michelle Gellar's rival in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Next we'll see Kramer in the indie Ropewalk with Peter Facinelli and Michelle Hicks. Marina Black, who's stepped into Julie Christies shoes, has Hollywood in her veins. The niece of Shirley Temple, Black also has a producer mother and director father. Her recurring role as troublemaker Parker on "Six Feet Under" has caused her to dip into her dark side, while the upcoming romantic comedy Man's Best Friend with Lindsay Sloane will show off her comedic talents.

4. Though in Shampoo Julie Christie was driving the hot car at the time--a 1970s convertible Mercedes-Benz--it has nothing on Mercedes-Benz's brand-spanking-new 2003 SL500 convertible. Outfitted with the world's first electronic braking system, a GPS navigational system, 302 horsepower engine and a retractable hardtop roof, the $86,000 wonder also has a near impossibly long waiting list. Not even the crème de la crème in Hollywood can use their pull to get one any faster than regular folk. But the car is worth the wait. Fashioned after the original 1954 SL, the car's sleek, classic design and smooth, aerodynamic ride will put any driver in the spotlight.

5. Leopoldo and Lea Poli founded La Nouvelle Bague in 1976, just a year after Shampoo came out. Though their Florence-based jewelry company has grown and changed over the years, there's still an unmistakable '70s feel in the New Fiori ("new flowers") collection. Using brightly colored enamel and coral surfaces, the Polis have fashioned whimsical floral motifs in rings, bracelets and necklaces, all meant to evoke a bygone hippie culture. "At a time when everyone is desperately seeking peace, I like evoking the symbols that have always represented it," Leopoldo says.

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