Ready for El Morocco

It was well-designed retro outfits like this one that sold me on Gene. This particular one, entitled El Morocco, was created for an evening in 1955 when Gene does her first TV interview from her parents’ home. Afterwards, she goes to El Morocco, the chic nightclub, to celebrate her father Edward's 50th birthday. Released in 1996 and retired in May 2000, the El Morocco ensemble was designed by Timothy Alberts and ranks among the top of my fave Gene outfits. And yes, there really was an El Morocco nightclub. The New York City hotspot opened in 1931 and was known for its zebra-striped banquettes that could be seen regularly in the celebrity photos shot at the club. From the storycard:

Taking a break from your hectic film schedule, it’s wonderful to go back East to visit family and friends in New York City. But it’s not easy to go out for a relaxing night on the town as it used to be! Now, your fans are everywhere, photographers are your constant shadow, and what you do, who you see, what you wear…makes the papers and the fan magazines within hours!

And Britney and Lindsay think they have it bad. To see more Gene Marshall photos, visit my regular website.

More Cognac Evening

One more shot of Cognac Evening, which is one of my favorite outfits. Although simple, it is definitely classic, and the color is so deep and rich. My one beef is that the majority of Gene dolls come with those annoying tie shoes. My fingers are too damn big to maneuver those things!

Two things got me to start my Gene webpage and this blog; one is that it is very difficult to find decent-sized photos of Gene and her outfits. Another is that with all of her different costumes, Gene will be the perfect model for blending my travel photography with appropriately-themed poses of the fictional Hollywood beauty.

To see more Gene Marshall photos, visit my regular website.

Welcome to Gene Marshall @ Daveland!

It’s a short one, but today is the first post of my new blog (like I really need another one!). This one honors Mel Odom’s creation Gene Marshall, a fictional character come to life in the form of a 15" doll. Her backstory is that of an actress from Hollywood’s Golden Age with a fierce fashion wardrobe. This blog will feature publicity stills of Miss Marshall as well as photos I have taken of the Genes in my own collection. Enjoy!

The first outfit shown here is known as Cognac Evening. Created in 1999 by Jose Ferrand, it is a circa 1951 ensemble. One of the perqs of each Gene doll and outfit is that they come with storycards, describing the clothes and how they fit into Gene’s life and career. Here’s an excerpt from this particular one:

During visits back home to Cox Cob, Gene was always happy to accept an invitation to enjoy a reception at the Governor’s Mansion. As one of Connecticut’s most famous ‘children,’ she relished the opportunity to sit with friends and catch up on events in her home state.

To see more Gene Marshall photos, visit my regular website.