Meet Me In St. Louis, Pt. 1

Thanks to the wallet-emptying miracle of ebay, I stumbled upon the Madame Alexander Judy Garland "Meet Me in St. Louis" doll. The hair is a little bushy and the face paint seemed a little off as well; I haven't done anything to the hair (yet) but I went ahead and redid the face paint to make it look more like Judy in the actual film.



This frilly confection of a costume that comes with a matching umbrella was worn by Judy in the film’s final scene. The entire Smith family ventures to the Fair for the first time and is awed by the beauty and grandeur of it all.







See more Gene Marshall and Friends doll photos at my regular website.

Gene Goes To Palm Beach

Gene Marshall borrows from the closet of the First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy, for a little Palm Beach outing. The scarf was a bit of a problem; attempting to make it look scale without showing the stitching was a challenge. In addition, I swapped out the shoes from the Franklin Mint outfit as the molded plastic ones it comes with make it impossible for Gene to stand on her own. I also threw in a pair of AD sunglasses, as the Franklin Mint ones looked unbelievably cheap.







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Elizabeth Taylor Tribute

In honor of the recently departed Elizabeth Taylor, here are some photos of the Franklin Mint’s vinyl portrait doll wearing outfits from “Raintree Country” and “A Place in the Sun.”



















See more Gene Marshall & Friends photos at my regular website.

St. Patrick’s Day: Gene Goes To The Emerald City

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, Gene Marshall (Champagne Supper) wears couture designed by Adrian for “The Wizard of Oz.” These two outfits were made by Tonner.



This first outfit was worn by the girls that worked in the salon of the Emerald City, where Dorothy, The Lion, The Tinman, and The Scarecrow all got a makeover.







This gown was worn by some of the extras in the Emerald City scenes:











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Gene Marshall: Spring In Central Park

Even though it has taken me ages to photograph it, this particular Gene doll and outfit are a fave of mine. This circa 1953 ensemble was released in 2002 in an edition of 1000, available exclusively at FAO Schwarz. The hair reminds me of Joan Crawford (I am sure at some point she will model some of Joan’s outfits). For the first photo, Gene is posing in Central Park. For the next two, she is standing in front of some blossoming azaleas in Savannah, Georgia.

From the story card:

The “clop-clip-clop-clip” of horses’ hooves played a lilting tattoo as Gene Marshall sat with her luncheon companion in the back of the carriage ambling its way through Central Park.

It was early spring, and Gene was in New York City on a quick visit to sign some papers for the studio’s East Coat lawyers—but she’d extended her time there to see old friends and catch a show or two.

The invitation to lunch and a carriage ride in Central Park was too much to resist. In addition to the good company, there was just something about being in this woody oasis in the middle of the City's hustle and bustle that filled her with wonder and joy.



It being so early in the season, small patches of snow huddled white against the bottoms of the trees, firmly refusing to fall victim to the sun, who poked his smiling face through the gray clouds just enough to tease. The air was warm enough to be without a wrap for the first time in months—although Gene took advantage of the slight waft of new-blossom-scented breeze to nestle a little closer to her companion.

Suddenly, it appeared that the sun could take it no longer. Out he sprang, setting the surface of Central Park Lake glittering with a million watery diamonds—making Gene smile as she reveled in the beauty of Central Park in the spring.







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Inauguration Day, 1961

Oleg Cassini designed this sable-trimmed outfit for Jackie Kennedy to wear to her husband’s Inauguration on January 20, 1961. To quote Cassini, “What I wanted for Mrs. Kennedy was a uniquely simple, not ostentatious, fashion statement that would show off her beauty and elegance.”

The Franklin Mint has done a very good job with this collection; informational inserts accompany each outfit that include photos of Jackie herself wearing the fashion as well as reproductions of the sketches that Cassini drew. The Jackie doll itself is beautiful; like many of the Mint’s dolls though, the eye-paint is a little garish with the deer-in-the-headlight look (I have adjusted them in photoshop to make them look more natural) and the hands are a little on the masculine side. Trying to pose this doll for my photos really showed off the limited potential due to the lack of articulation.

The JFK doll is just...well, a little odd. It looks like him, but it also has more of a cartoon-like sculpt, especially noticeable when posed next to Jackie. I can only assume this doll was a bomb, as no further fashions were ever released for him. He is forever stuck in his ill-fitting navy blue suit.



You will discover that this coat fits very well, but do not attempt to put the matching dress on that it comes with underneath; much too clunky and makes her look very bulky.









See more Jackie Kennedy doll photos at my regular website.

Ivy Jordan celebrates Mardi Gras

For a trip to New Orleans during Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), Ivy Jordan borrows Gene Marshall’s Mardi Gras Magic. The background for photo #1 is a vintage slide of New Orleans, one of my favorite cities to visit. Just the thought of dinner at Antoine’s makes my mouth water!

This Circa 1947 outfit was released in 2005 and designed by the talented George Sarofeen.



From the story card:

The 1947 film Mardi Gras Magic put Gene in the middle of a whirlwind of romance and glitter in one of the most romantic cities in the world—old New Orleans.

Returning her once again to that enchanted city, Mardi Gras Magic was the direct opposite of “Voodoo Blues,” Gene’s 1946 hit with a New Orleans backdrop. In this film, Gene played a young career girl who wins a trip to New Orleans on a radio call-in show. Eagerly, she and a friend leave the workday world behind and run off to celebrate Fat Tuesday.

Dressed in a gown sure to knock the revelers off their feet (one of the radio show prizes, of course), she finds herself not only at the Mardi Gras Ball, but also chosen as their “Queen of the Mardi Gras”! And as King—a handsome young soldier on his last night in the states before getting shipped overseas…

After spending the rest of the night as the King and Queen, love blossoms between the “royal” couple. But is it the thrill of Mardi Gras, just a glittering bauble like a string of Mardi Gras beads—or is it the real thing?



As the dawn comes up on Wednesday, they stroll down Bourbon Street vowing to separate for a year and then return to Mardi Gras—then, if that Mardi Gras Magic is still weaving its spell…

For publicity's sake, Gene appeared at the Mardi Gras Ball during the 1947 Mardi Gras celebration, dressed in the same costume she'd worn in the film. And, as usual, art imitated life, as she was unanimously chosen to be the Ball’s “Queen of the Mardi Gras” for a night!





See more Gene Marshall & Friends photos at my regular website. For more photos of New Orleans, you can visit my New Orleans webpage.

Gene in Casablanca

Gene steps in for Ingrid Bergman during the pivotal climax scene of the classic 1942 film “Casablanca.” Red-dy for Love Gene dons a Madame Alexander “Casablanca” ensemble to look the part. Doing this photo shoot made me wish that this particular Gene had more articulation!



Bogie holds up the chin of a tearful Gene.



The Alexander outfit is a fairly decent recreation of what Bergman wore, with a few minor gripes...buttons on the wrong side of the jacket...no purse...and a hat that just doesn’t have the rakish angle of the original.







Follow my Gene Marshall, Madra Lord, Zita Charles, Violet Waters, Trent Osborn, and other classic movie star doll updates on Twitter. See more Gene Marshall & Friends photos at my regular website.