Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Golden Gate Glamour: Barcelona



To showcase Barcelona, one of the other spectacular ensembles from Sandra Stillwell's Golden Gate Glamour Convention, I decided to use Rita Hayworth, a special F.A.O. Schwartz doll. Even though she is not fully articulated, she is still one of my faves. But enough about Rita...let's check out this beautiful piece of couture!



Rita definitely looks better with the jacket unbuttoned!





And even better without the jacket altogether; now she's looking more like Gilda! Please note the change of earrings; Sandra provided two sets of earrings with this ensemble. So many choices! And the pocketbook...love the black lace around the matching green fabric. Gorgeous!









To see if there are any outfits left to buy, be sure to check Sandra's sales page. Follow my Gene Marshall, Madra Lord, Zita Charles, Violet Waters, Trent Osborn, Poppy Parker, and other classic movie star doll updates on Twitter. See more Gene Marshall photos at my regular website.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Golden Gate Glamour: Paris of the West



Sandra Stillwell is AWFUL...for my bank account. Her recent Golden Gate Glamour convention provided a number of new outfits for our old gal Gene (and her pals). Anyone who knows Sandra already is aware of the high level of quality that is the hallmark of her conventions and ensembles, and this one was no different. Although I couldn't attend, believe me...I was watching her blog daily for photo updates! I was fortunate enough to snag two outfits (most were sold immediately), one of which is shown here. Based on a design by Lilli Ann (see photo #1), Paris of the West is modeled by Rich Girl Madra Lord.



You can tell it's a Sandra Stillwell ensemble; perfect fit, well-tailored, and SOOOO fashionable.



















To see if there are any outfits left to buy, be sure to check Sandra's sales page. Follow my Gene Marshall, Madra Lord, Zita Charles, Violet Waters, Trent Osborn, Poppy Parker, and other classic movie star doll updates on Twitter. See more Gene Marshall photos at my regular website.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Forget Me Not



Forget Me Not was a 1998 release featuring a circa 1954 set of "unmentionables" (clasp hand in front of mouth in shock right now!). Expertly designed by Timothy Alberts, this ensemble gives Gene owners the opportunity to show her off in a more racy light. Since I was doing a shoot of Gene brides, I brought this set out for the first time and added the garter from "To Have and To Hold" to show what Gene might have looked like while getting ready for her wedding.

From the Story Card:

Even Hollywood movie stars have days when nothing goes right and "glamorous" is the last word they would use to describe themselves!



Gene hurries into her dressing room to change into the next costume for the publicity photoshoot, her famous blue eyes still dazzled from the flashing bulbs and Klieg lights. "Only five minutes to change, Dottie!" she says to her happy white terrier, stopping to give her a fond pat. Gene steps out of her gown, sighing with relief as she adjusts the too-low bodice of her exquisite longline bra with its French lace of forget-me-not blue. All during the last shoot she worried about revealing more than anyone had intended!



Does the next gown require the white crinoline or the silky full slip? Gene reaches for the photo schedule and snap! There goes a garter! As she fixes that, her fingernail snags and runs the seamed nylons! Gene huffs a wayward curl off her forehead in exasperation, smoothes on another pair, slips into a pair of fluffy mules...and loses a pearl earring! The wardrobe mistress pops her head in. "Miss Marshall, we're ready…oh dear me, troubles, honey?"



"I'm a mess," Gene says with a charmingly wry grin as she searches the carpet for her earring.

The woman laughs. "Dear, no matter how messy you feel, even in your dainties you still look like a lady that no one could ever forget!"

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Monday, June 13, 2011

Scarlett: Who Mourns Better?



Today's post compares, contrasts, and critiques the Robert Tonner vs. Franklin Mint mourning ensembles. Naturally, I had to post a photo of the actual Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh), shown dancing with Rhett Butler (Clark Gable), wearing the outfit that Tonner patterned theirs after.

This is probably the most realistic portrait doll that Robert Tonner has released of Scarlett. I don't believe the sculpt is different, but a new face paint has worked wonders.

With the hat on, the large curls look very much out of scale and a little unruly. No matter how I tried to move them to even them out and make them look better, they quickly returned to their wild state.



On the positive side for the hat, I love the fact that it snaps under her chin, meaning the bow doesn't have to be tied, undone, and retied. On the negative side, that damn button fastener is so large and silver that it shows up in every photo. Surely a black fastener could have been located. I also doubt that Scarlett's had shimmery gold fabric on the underside of the chin strip. Looks like Tonner was trying to use up the same fabric they used on Mrs. Coulter from their "Golden Compass" line. What the heck...shimmery gold for a Civil War widow?



Without the hat crushing the front curls down, they don't look so bad.



Once again, Tonner uses white thread on a dark garment. This just looks cheap cheap cheap.



The hairstyle in back is pretty cool, and helps make up for the out-of-scale front curls.







In summation, it's a nice doll. However, for a list price of over $200, no jewelry? No mourning brooch? No Paris Hat? And why oh why oh why would they recreate an ensemble already done by the Mint? When Scarlett becomes a widow again after Frank Kennedy is killed, at least the bodice on her mourning dress has an interesting horizontal striped pattern; why not at least do that version for a little excitement? My overall recommendation: get the doll, sell the outfit...and MAYBE keep the hat, since the Franklin Mint didn't do this particular headdress. Also—Tonner's doll comes with black gloves and gold gloves for underneath to avoid staining; I was too lazy to struggle to get both to fit on her hands at the same time.

The Franklin Mint version (shown below) is much better. The fabric actually resembles a period garment; not too shiny...just enough sheen to look correct. I added a headdress created by Alana of Doll Fashions by Alana, since the Franklin Mint's ensemble didn't come with this hat (it did however come with black stud earrings and the beautiful brooch shown here in photos). The buttons do seem a little excessive though!

CAUTION: The Franklin Mint dress DOES NOT fit the Tonner Doll; I couldn't fasten it completely in back, and the seam ripped a bit just in trying to get it over the doll's rump!







The craftsmanship on the Mint's dress is superior to Tonner's; no white thread to be found here! The ensemble also included the famous Paris Hat, which Scarlett playfully wears backwards when flirting with Rhett. The Mint put a rather large tag on the hat though, preventing the owner from putting the hat on both ways.



I still get baffled by Tonner; they continue to release previously done dresses at high prices and then skimp on the details. I can't figure out who would go crazy over this, other than crazy completist collectors like me?

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Sunday, June 12, 2011

To Have And To Hold



To Have and to Hold is a circa 1942 José Ferrand creation released in 2002. It is my very fave Gene Marshall wedding outfit.



From the story card:

1942's The Bride on the Cover was a romantic comedy about a love match between a sweet young thing (Gene) and a slightly jaded, rather "mature" bachelor magazine editor (Trent Osborn, insisting that playing a "mature" role was quite a stretch!).



It all culminated in a huge wedding with the sweet young thing maneuvering her man to the altar. And on the day the big wedding scene was scheduled, who should be in town but Gene's parents.



"This will be fun!" Gene told her mother. "You and Daddy can be extras and not only will you get a chance to see me at work—we can say we've made a Hollywood movie together!"



"I'd rather that this was a HOME movie," grumbled Mrs. Marshall with a smile, and Gene laughed and put her fingers to her mother's lips.



So the next morning, in appropriate attire, Dr. and Mrs Marshall were seated in a pew to see their daughter "marry". The director called "Action!" and the organ music started. The crowd rose to their feet and turned on cue—and down the aisle came Gene, resplendent in her wedding gown. All eyes were on her as she strode to the front of the church, glowing the way a bride should.



And if you watch closely, you'll see the corner of Gene's mouth tremble just a bit as she passes two sniffing extras in the second pew on the left…













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Thursday, June 9, 2011

I Thee Wed



Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. With the faintest color of pink in the fabric, this wedding dress is a sight to behold. Released in 2003 and designed by Michele Tibbetts, this circa 1957 gown would make any bride groom proud!



From the story card:

1957 marked the year of one of Gene's most beloved comedies: "Personal Secretary." Filmed in wide-screen and in glorious MonolithiColor, audiences returned again and again to see Gene as the secretary who dreams, schemes and finally lands her handsome boss.

One of the big audience pleasers was the wedding dream sequence early in the film.

Gene, newly hired as a personal secretary to the boss, has fallen head over heels, hopelessly in love with him. It's all she can do to maintain a degree of decorum whenever he's around.

It's right after lunch. Afternoon dictation is over. The office is warm in the summer heat. And, sitting at her desk, she drifts into the cotton candy cloud of a lovely dream…

A wedding all in pink: bridesmaids, groomsmen, the groom (her boss, of course), the guests—even the minister is in pink. She literally floats down the aisle in a pink wedding gown, taking her place next to her boss, who takes her hand and says, tenderly, "With this ring I thee wed… With this ring I thee wed… With this ring… This ring… Ring… Ring… Rinnnnngggggg…"

Suddenly, she realizes that the phone on her desk is ringing off the hook. Flustered, she returns to reality and picks up the phone, practically shouting "I do! I mean, I will!! I mean—oh ring, ring, ring-a-ding-ding!" And with a sigh, she buries her head in her arms and plops dejectedly on her desk just as her boss steps up behind her…

And audiences howled with laughter!











A tear of joy that can only be wiped away by that "something old," a treasured handkerchief.



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