History Main / BeardnessProtectionProgram

* In {{LawAndOrderCriminalIntent}}, a criminal had a thick beard but had it shaved once he got in the country.

* Between his election in [[http://www.historyplace.com/lincoln/lincpix/linc-2.jpg 1860]] and his inauguration in [[http://www.historyplace.com/lincoln/lincpix/linc-3.jpg 1861]], Abraham Lincoln grew a beard because he had been [[http://www.historyplace.com/lincoln/ warned about a possible assassination attempt]], and wanted to be less recognizable while traveling to Washington.

* [[ZigZag Doubly inverted]] in ''ThePrisonerOfZenda'' -- in order to impersonate the king, the protagonist shaves off his beard. (Both he and the king are bearded, but he uses the shave to explain "his" change of appearance.)

* Doubly inverted in ''ThePrisonerOfZenda'' -- in order to impersonate the king, the protagonist shaves off his beard. (Both he and the king are bearded, but he uses the shave to explain "his" change of appearance.)

* Inverted in ''ThePrisonerOfZenda'' -- in order to impersonate the king, the protagonist shaves off his beard. (Both he and the king are bearded, but he uses the shave to explain "his" change of appearance.)

* In the film version of ''TheFugitive'', the second thing Dr. Kimble does after escaping from prison is shave off his beard. (The first thing is to ditch his orange jumpsuit.) Harrison Ford begins the film with a beard only to lose after 20 minutes and look like himself for the rest of the film.

* In the film version of ''TheFugitive'', the second thing Dr. Kimble does after escaping from prison is shave off his beard. (The first thing is to ditch his orange jumpsuit.)

* A variation on the idea of growing a beard just to be able to shave it off for an easy disguise is the reason the [[DrMcNinja McNinja]] family all wear ninja facemasks at all time. If no-one knows what they look like, then when they really need to, they'll be able to take their mask off and dissapear.

* The JamesBond novel ''Moonraker'' has an example of the prepared-in-advance version.

* Garion suggests this to Zakath when he joins them in the ''[[{{Belgariad}} Mallorean]]. He has no trouble with complying, because he doesn't actually know how to shave. Garion's a little incredulous that a man at his level of power/paranoia would let other people near him with a straight razor.

A man who is on the run or otherwise trying not to be recognized will often grow a beard as part of his attempt at concealment. The [[BeardlessProtectionProgram inversion]] -- where a heavily bearded character shaves for similar reasons -- is also relatively common. A sufficiently CrazyPrepared character might grow a beard so that, ''sometime in the future'', they'll be able to shave it off and go unrecognized.

Examples:

* In ''[[SantaClausIsCominToTown Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town]]'', this is supposedly why Kriss Kringle first grows his beard. Yeah, jolly old elf, change from relative non-entity to the most iconic toy-making symbol ever — that'll work.

A man who is on the run or otherwise trying not to be recognized will often grow a beard as part of his attempt at concealment.

The [[BeardlessProtectionProgram inversion]] -- where a heavily bearded character shaves for similar reasons -- is also relatively common.

The inversion — where a heavily bearded character shaves for similar reasons — is also relatively common.

The inversion -- where a heavily bearded character shaves for similar reasons -- is also relatively common.

[[AC:{{Film}} -- Live Action]]

* In ''[[SantaClausIsCominToTown Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town]]'', this is supposedly why Kris Kringle first grows his beard. Yeah, jolly old elf, change from relative non-entity to the most iconic toy-making symbol ever -- that'll work.
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