I’m not really a Madra collector, but I do like a handful of her outfits. Gene’s face and design screams vintage to me; not so much for Madra. Fortunately for my wallet, I have been able to avoid her charms. Yes, as soon as I saw Stolen Moments I was captivated, as it looked like something from a Classic Hollywood film. For this photo, Gene borrowed the moon I photographed on a trip to Beacon Hill in Boston. Here is the info from Madra’s story card:
Critics and movie fans were always amazed at the richness of character Madra Lord brought to debutante roles (and Madra played debs longer than anyone in the history of film!). Madra was something more than just a poor-little-rich-girl; her portrayals had dimension and depth.
Maybe it was because Madra had grown up as Mabel-who never had to do without, but wanted to do with so much more. Maybe it was the nights of wide-awake dreaming, imagining what it must be like on the right side of the tracks that gave Madra the key to playing the kind of society girl movie-goers could root for.
Take, for example, the way Madra handled the lead character in Stolen Moments, one of her many box office smashes. In it, she laughs at the upper crust and foolishly falls in love with the son of the family's stable master.
In the film's climactic scene, she leaves a stuffy party to make her way through the wintry grounds of the estate to meet her lover. Hood covering her head and muff warming her hands, she steps into the stables to find...his father, the stable master brewing a pot of tea. "Care for a spot, miss?" he says, nodding toward a chair. Looking around questioningly, she sits. "Oh, he's not here, miss. I sent him to town. Because there's a little something you and me have got to discuss..."
Whatever the outcome, Madra knew audiences would be with her whichever decision was made. Because that's what made her a STAR!
Over on Shuga-Shug’s fantastic blog she has posted photos of the new Gene, which will be from Ashton Drake, not Integrity. My wallet is very relieved...I think I will be passing on this one. I like it even less than It's A Cinch. Nice photo though (which is the property of Integrity Toys); just not an outfit that appeals to me.
And while I'm on the preview mode, Tonner has just posted the rest of his collection. Again, my wallet is breathing a sigh of relief. The Scarlett 22" holds no interest for me; unless it has a new sculpt, their large-format Scarletts of the past have had no resemblance to Vivien Leigh at all. The BBQ dress is nice enough; wrong color though, and Scarlett's hair looks as if it’s fallen victim to a bad home perm.
No new "Wizard of Oz" dolls, other than an 8" piece of poo. The one mildly interesting new item is the Jessica Rabbit doll, curiously placed under the Disney Princess label:
Still seems like they really weren't ready for today's update, as many photos are missing, pending licensing approval. Can you hear my wallet breathe a sigh of relief?
To see more Gene Marshall photos, visit my regular website.
I love the hooded pink outfit!
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