Falling For DeeAnna

My latest obsession in the doll world is DeeAnna Denton. Not the 16" version, but the 17" sculpt. Amazing what a difference one inch can make! Of course Tonner is now defunct, but thanks to ebay, every now and then a DeeAnna comes up for sale. If only I had fallen for her while she was still being made! First up is Bye Bye Baby, which I am guessing was a not-so-veiled tribute to Marilyn. DeeAnna is standing in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, waving “Bye Bye” to her fans.

The second doll shown is known as Falling For Her. The outfit is so-so for me. The hat appears to have been made out of pillow foam. Seriously. I may attempt to mimic it, but use feathers instead. The purse is a faux gold leather that is already disintegrating. But DeeAnna herself...stunning with her curly auburn hair.



Cherry Cordial is my favorite DeeAnna so far; she looks great as a brunette. It has been suggested that her inspiration was Deanna Durbin, and this particular doll would highly support that theory. She is shown entering the Chateau Marmont just in time to see their Christmas decor.



This DeeAnna I believe is Vivaciously Vintage. I have dressed her in the Spot On outfit. Again, she is at her best as a brunette!



Here DeeAnna takes a well-deserved rest.



Overall critique on DeeAnna: LOVE the face sculpt and paint. Probably one of my favorite vintage-style fashion dolls of all time. The negatives: let's start with the hands. Good Lord they are huge. Even the gloves that come with the doll do not fit over the sprawl of fingers. The body is curvaceous which I very much like; but the articulation is extremely limited. However she has been put together, there is just not a lot of movement. One would think it would be easier to have a larger doll balance and stand on its own; not so with DeeAnna. Tonner did not take the time to engineer the shoes to make that possible. This doll is pretty much dependent on a stand if you want her to pose for photos. The verdict: she’s a winner in my book! Still looking for a raven DeeAnna to round out the collection!

See more Robert Tonner doll photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: 1972 Vinyl Shirley

I still remember the first time I saw Ideal’s 1972 vinyl doll. It was sitting high on top of the shelf in the local hardware store's Toy Shop. The display was a cardboard stage that was a promotional item by Ideal. I thought it looked just like Shirley. Shiny sandy blonde curls, the dimples, the smile, the instantly recognizable polka dot dress from “Stand Up and Cheer”…it was Shirley come to life in 17 inches of peach-colored vinyl.



I even thought the box was cool; LOTS of photos of Shirley all around it!



There was also an alternate dress that was a modern riff on the “Stand Up and Cheer” outfit. Screw that...I wanted it to look just like the one in the 1934 movie!



After the 1972/73 doll was released, Ideal also produced four outfits (sold separately of course!) that were “inspired” by some of Shirley’s most famous movie roles.



“Inspired” is somewhat accurate, as these outfits not only strayed far from the original designs but they looked pretty cheap, too. The best of the bunch was probably “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm”:



“Captain January” wasn’t too bad, but it didn’t have the arm patch (can you hear the pennies saved on that one?). “Heidi” wasn’t awful from the front:



…but it sure was a mess in the back. BTW: this doll has been “enhanced” with a petticoat and hose, unlike the original outfit which only had short socks. Shoes weren’t included either. All outfits were expected to share the same pair of red vinyl shoes that came with the “Stand Up and Cheer” doll.



The hair on these dolls was the equivalent of a mullet. Business in front…



party in the back. No Shirley-style curls and bare hair plugs...this poor thing needs some rogaine and a curling iron.



The amount of hair on the back of the head varied. Some were close to bald, some had a bigger afro. I actually had one of mine restyled by Kathy Johnson, who magically turned the messy mass into Shirley curls!



The prize for the worst outfit of the quartet goes to “The Little Colonel.” Missing at least two ruffles and made out of the cheapest polyester possible, you can almost smell the steam coming off of this one.



When Ideal closed shop, Dollspart Supply started selling parts for the 1972 doll. You could buy a whole set and make your own 1972 Shirley Temple Ideal vinyl doll. Sort of…

No eyelashes, cheaply painted (no blushing), and even less hair on the head (could that be?!?), you would have to be pretty desperate to buy one of these nude dolls and go to the hassle of putting it together.



See more Shirley Temple doll photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: Evolution of a Duck

In the 1935 Shirley Temple classic, “Curly Top,” Shirley leaves the orphanage and moves into high society wearing this outfit known as the Duck Dress. Why? Because of the beautifully embroidered detail on the bodice:



How the dress looks today; not bad for over 80 years!



With their Shirley Temple composition dolls of the 1930s, the Ideal Toy Company re-created this cute little number, including the velvet hat with ribbon detail:



I'm still eating saltines after acquiring that one! There were two versions that Ideal sold; one had a flower at center for the embroidery, and the other (which is not in my collection!) was like the one in the movie with ducks:



When the Danbury Mint sold their Shirley Dress-Up doll in the 1990s, they sold it wearing the Duck Dress. I'm not sure who measured the prototype for the hat and the skirt, but I think they were nipping at the sherry, as the scale is way too big for the 17" doll.



Putting the outfit on an 18" doll is much better! Who says size doesn’t matter?



The Danbury Mint also sold the outfit separately. However, in doing so, they went on the cheap with the embroidery and used a garish iron-on patch instead.



Watch out for those little rosettes; they're glued on, too. They could be on the carpet right now.

See more Shirley Temple doll photos at my main website.

Sandra Stillwell: Have It Your Way

At last year’s Sophisticated Lady Convention in Cleveland, Sandra Stillwell did not disappoint with her latest line of fashions for Gene Marshall and Friends. One of my favorites was this creation titled “Good Golly.” I wanted to order it, but I thought it would look even better if the dress was lengthened. Sandra always says, “If you want something in a different fabric, let me know and I might be able to do that.” I told her my request, and wrote it on the order sheet as well...and probably drove her crazy with written reminders each time she sent me order updates. Last week though, lo and behold...I received my “Good Golly,” which is exactly what I exclaimed when I saw the finished product.



To say I was pleased would be an understatement. Sandra’s magic tailors did exactly what I requested and the outfit looks FANTASTIC on Gene.



See more Sandra Stillwell convention photos at my website. You can order these Sandra Stillwell outfits at her website...while they last!