Don't Look Back: A Second Look!

"Don't Look Back" by Tonner is my VERY favorite vinyl Scarlett O'Hara doll. Even though the Franklin Mint sculpt/paint job on the doll itself more closely resembles Vivien Leigh, I still love how Tonner styled this doll. Still...there was room for improvement. Here is a photo of Leigh in the very scene that this doll and fashion were based upon:



I also had the opportunity to see the actual hat that she wore in this scene when it was on exhibit in Beverly Hills:



As is so typical, I kept thinking if only Franklin Mint and Tonner had collaborated, I would have had the perfect outfit. Naturally, I took it upon myself to mix and match!



Using the jewelry, umbrella, and hat from Franklin Mint, I paired them with Tonner's sumptuous gown and shoes. Voila! FM's outfit for their vinyl doll was a garish blue color, and the fabric seemed cheap in comparison to Tonner's.





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Mattel Timeless Treasures: The Wicked Witch

Generally, vinyl dolls seem to bear a much closer resemblance to their celebrity counterparts than the porcelain versions do. However, Mattel surprisingly proved to be the exception to the rule when they released their Timeless Treasures series of Wizard of Oz dolls. Fitting into the 12" Barbie scale, it's even more amazing to see the accuracy of the sculpt. Few Wicked Witch/Margaret Hamilton sculpts look as good as this one.

Even the broom is accurate to the one used in the movie.



You can almost hear her saying, "I'll get you, my pretty!"



Compared to most other Oz dolls that typically deflate in value, these have held up fairly well on the resale market.

See more Wizard of Oz doll photos on my Oz doll web page.

Franklin Mint Business Woman

I have been purging my collection, getting rid of outfits/dolls I'm not enthused about, or costumes I have doubles of. Originally, I was buying both Tonner and Franklin Mint costumes, but for the sake of space, decided a little editing was in order. I sold the Tonner version of this outfit and kept the Franklin Mint, as it is definitely much more authentic to the movie version that Scarlett wore when she visited the lumber mill and allowed her foreman to hire convicts.

I did my best to match the pose of Vivien Leigh in the original publicity still, but because of the lack of articulation, this was the best I could do.







Franklin Mint is now out of the doll biz, so it is up to Tonner to carry the torch. The photos of their upcoming new Scarletts are promising!



Maybe I'll revisit this outfit a third time with Gene Marshall and open my photos up to the fun of articulation!

See more Gone With The Wind doll photos on my GWTW doll web page.

Covent Garden

Released in 1998, Covent Garden was one of the last Ashton Drake dolls that I purchased. Designed by Tim Kennedy, this 1948 outfit is one that had me on the fence. Although I did eventually get it, I also eventually sold it...both the doll and the outfit. They were very pretty, but Champagne Supper was so similar that I couldn't see the point in keeping the doll. As for the outfit, it is gorgeous, but just not the type that I would keep and re-photograph as much as the ones I am holding onto.

Today, Champagne Supper is ably standing-in for the original Covent Garden doll.



From the story card:

Two snow-white horses drew the elegant carriage up to the marble steps of London's Covent Garden Opera House as the crowd of onlookers craned their necks to see who was arriving in such vintage splendor. The coachman opened the door and Gene Marshall appeared…and a sigh of adoration swept through the crowd at the magical, storybook vision she made in her breathtaking gown. Gene gracefully descended from the carriage on the hand of her escort in a luminous, trailing cloud of white. She floated up the marble stairs to the soaring white columns of the Opera House entrance as flashbulbs popped like stars.



The opera was one of Gene's favorites: Rossini's La Cenerentola, the story of Cinderella. After the final curtain Gene was on cloud nine, the rapturous glory of the romantic music still echoing in her heart. She was so entranced that she didn't even notice her laced velvet shoe had loosened until it slipped right off her foot on the marble steps upon leaving the opera house! Her escort—a dear friend and occasional leading man—gallantly retrieved the dainty shoe and laced it back on as Gene steadied herself with a hand on his shoulder. Neither of them thought any more about the incident until the morning newspapers blazoned their photograph with the headline "Cinderella at the Opera!" The article gushed over Gene's beauty, comparing her own "rags-to-riches" story to the classic fairytale—and even suggested that England's new two-week-old prince would fall madly in love with her at first sight!













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Holly Golightly: How Do I Look? Pt. 1

The last three dolls that I ordered in the Holly Golightly line from Integrity Toys arrived last week from favorite seller Doll Peddlar; it was like Christmas! With a short amount of time for a photoshoot, I did the one that appeared the easiest.



No gloves, no difficult jewelry to maneuver (at least for this particular look). The two cigarette holders that come with this set are a blast! Sorry to burst your bubble, but the smoke in the photos is not included in the set!



As always, the fit and tailoring of the outfits is impeccable from Integrity. I've stated my one disappointment before, and that would be with the sculpt of the face. I am SO glad that Integrity has chosen to use Poppy Parker's face for the future Audrey "Sabrina" dolls. Poppy embodies the essence of Hepburn much better than the sculpt they chose for the "BAT" line.



More photos to come...

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 Audrey Hepburn/Holly Golightly doll photos on my Audrey doll web page.