USO at the Hollywood Canteen

In celebration of the upcoming Jamieshow Hollywood Canteen Convention in Chicago, I finally got Ashton Drake's USO outfit and had J'Adore try it on. Hairstyles by none other than the talented Kathy Johnson.



This highly detailed Doug James outfit is a beauty, and comes with the microphone shown in the photos. The original doll that came with this outfit also had auburn hair. The trunk was sold separately.



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Something's Got To Give with Gene

I have always thought this fur-trimmed ensemble from the unfinished Marilyn Monroe film "Something's Got To Give" was ultra chic. When Diane Wagner agreed to recreate it for me, I was so excited to have Gene model it that I did a quick photo session. I was not so excited about the result. The photos just seemed lackluster.

Enter Kathy Johnson, hairstylist supreme.

She spruced up the same wig and voila, Gene has got her oomph back. The added diamond pin didn't hurt, either.



Her feet were tired from posing so she had to sit down.



Wearing a new Jamieshow wig called The Hutton which was a prize I received from the AWESOME Studio Commissary!:



The fur hat that goes with this ensemble looks much better with a less poofy hairdo:



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Happy July 4th from J'Adore!

No other Gene Marshall outfit is quite so perfect for July 4th as Stand Up and Cheer by Dolly Cipolla.



This circa 1944 costume released in 1999 also came with a festive "noisemaker."



J'Adore does a wonderful job modeling this holiday ensemble. Happy 4th to all!

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Midnight Gamble: Who Wears It Better?

1998's Midnight Gamble is a beautiful circa 1953 outfit by Doug James. The beaded jacket reminds me of Judy Garland, who often wore similar garments for her concerts.

The dress underneath does very well on its own. Here, Gene raises an arm to her fans.



These first three photos show the original doll paired with this outfit.



Using one of the new wig caps from the Le Jazz Hot Convention in Chicago, J'Adore Gene steals the outfit from her Ashton Drake counterpart.



So who do you think wears it better? J'Adore seems ready challenge you if you choose otherwise!



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Happy Birthday, Gene Marshall!

Gene's birthday was April 17; although I am late to the party, hopefully readers will not care! Here's J'Adore Gene, arriving at the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans for her gala celebration, wearing a Chris Stoeckel gray suit. Below is an official portrait taken at the hotel before she changed into her gown for the festivities.



Decked out in Toast at Twelve, Gene (with hair by Kathy Johnson) is a knockout!



Closing out the post are two more official birthday photos; she was given a special orchid corsage for the occasion!



Dripping in diamonds, wrapped in fur…what a wonderful birthday!



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Fall Preview: Wearing of the Green

Gene gets ready for a St. Patrick's Day celebration, wearing Sandra Stillwell's Fall Preview fashion. This rich green outfit was part of Sandra's 2014 Toast of Manhattan Convention.



I tried hard to resist purchasing any of the fabulous outfits Sandra posted on her site, but this one, based on a 1950s Modes Royal design, won me over.



For today's last image, Gene switches out the Fall Preview hat for her J'Adore chapeau:



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Gene in Pin-Up

One of my older outfits, yet one that took me years to photograph! Released in 1996, "Pin-Up" is a circa 1944 design by Tim Kennedy. White Hyacinth is the model for the first few photos, and J'Adore was used in the last two shots.



From the story card:

After the impact of Gene Marshall's first pin-up for the war effort, Crimson Sun, the G.I.s demanded, "Give us more!" Now Monolithic Studios has done just that with this all new pin-up poster. And it certainly gives the troops a lot more of Miss Marshall! She appears in a sizzling black teddy and matching negligée that should get every G.I.'s immediate attention. We can already hear the wolf whistles from Corregidor to the coast of France!



Pin-up is Gene's "gift" to the troops! Black laced satin teddy is accented with pink ribbon, including ribbon lacing up the back. Complete with matching lace-trimmed negligée and laced heels. No wonder the G.I.s loved it!

As a film star in the 1940s, like everyone else you are concerned with the country's war effort, and want to do what you can to support the troops stationed overseas in Europe and the Pacific. Quietly and privately, you contribute generously to the War Bond campaign, and to the Red Cross. And when your studio sees a way for you to use your star status to boost the morale of the troops, you agree to go along with the plan.

Thus it is that Gene finds herself in front of the cameras in an outfit more daring than any she has yet worn on the screen, posing for a promotional photo to be released by Monolithic Studios to cheer up "the boys" overseas.

Gene is "dynamite" in a strapless black lace teddy and matching see-through negligée. When she poses with her back to the camera, you can see that the teddy laces up the back with pink ribbon...a small but very sexy detail!



Within weeks this photo has been distributed by the thousands to troops all over the world...and what a stir it causes on all fronts! When G.I.s are interviewed about Gene in Pin-Up, they call her a "dish", and a "gorgeous dame", and get all dreamy-eyed thinking of their own wives and girlfriends back home. So it is that Gene's photo becomes the inspiration for thousands of love letters sent back from overseas.



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Postcards from Cannes revisited

The last time I shot the Madra Lord outfit, Postcards from Cannes, was almost four years ago. I can't say I was really happy with the results. This time, I used J'Adore Gene with a few of the wig caps from Jamieshow and the photos turned out much better.



The fan is borrowed from one of Gene's Ashton Drake outfits.



All of the posing made Gene thirsty for a cocktail.



Saved my favorite for last:



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Gene as Grace

Today's post shows J'Adore Gene Marshall wearing a dress created by the talented Diane Wagner based on Grace Kelly's outfit from the Hitchock film, "Rear Window." Two different wig caps; the 2nd one was restyled by Kathy Johnson. It takes an army to make these photos!



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Emerald Eve

Released in 2002, the Emerald Even outfit is a stunner. J'Adore, wearing two different wigs, models this shimmery vision of green.

From the story card:

In the winter of ‘55, That Joyous Season made audiences a little misty the whole world over. Set in the middle ‘40s, it was the heartwarming story of a young widow (Gene) who gets a new lease on life after bringing a 12-year-old war orphan from a European orphanage to America.

Their victories (learning each other’s languages, the widow teaching her young charge etiquette, the first glimmer of trust between them) and the obstacles thrown in their way (unfeeling immigration officials, snobbish society acquaintances, and cruel schoolmates) found their way into the hearts of audiences who still vividly remembered the War.

The climax of the film was at a holiday party thrown by the widow. All of the city’s elite had been invited, including the mayor. The widow, dressed in elegant emerald, had started toward the staircase to greet her guests. But the sounds of sniffling behind a bedroom door stopped her. Peeping in, she saw the girl kneeling by the bedside: “Please, Sinter Klaas, let me stay in America. I love The Pretty Lady so much...”

Tears in her eyes, the widow scooped up the girl and took her to the top of the staircase. The crowd, hushed, looked up, just as the widow said, “Dear friends, I’d like to have you meet—my daughter.”

Three years later, much to the viewing public’s delight, NBS aired That Joyous Season as a Holiday Special, hosted by Gene Marshall (wearing the same emerald dress)—and her now-teenaged co-star!



Which wigged Gene do you prefer?

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Gene in Main Feature

Enabled by Melissa from The Couture Touch, once I saw this outfit (Elsa Lin's Main Feature from Integrity) on her blog, I was on a mission to find it. As you can see, it didn't take long.



It was just too Art Deco to pass up, and it fit her like a glove.



Although you can't see them, I didn't bother putting on the shoes that came with the outfit. The straps and attempting to figure out how to put them together made me go cross-eyed, so out came the perfect Jamieshow black velvet pumps from J'Adore.



The earrings and bracelet are original to the outfit, but the gloves are from Jamieshow. What a beautiful way to pose Gene!



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Gene Goes To New York City, 1958

It took awhile, but I was finally able to obtain the Creme Suit from the 2005 Star Wardrobe separates collection. J'Adore is today's model, wearing the hat and holding the purse from the White and Floral Accessories set. She is standing in Times Square, circa 1958.



Gene changes her hairdo with a blonde Havana Nights wig cap from Jamieshow.



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Ginger Gene for The New Year

This circa 1951 creation was released in 2003. Like "The Kiss," this one also makes me think of Jean Harlow, which puts it closer to the 1930's. Either way, J'Adore is gorgeous with her ginger hair and green satin gown. She is ready for New Year's Eve! I decided to "plus" the jewelry (Facets by Marcia) and shoes (Jamieshow) from what Ashton-Drake offered with the original outfit.



From the Story Card:

"Who's double crossing who? Or is it 'whom'? Crosser or crossee, you'll never know whodunnit 'til the end!"

So went the ad campaign for Criss Crossed, Gene Marshall's 1951 mystery thriller.

Gene had already made Tango and Daughter of the Nile that same year—and this foray into an atmospheric "dark old house" melodrama was a welcome change.



The tale of the reunion of thirteen casual former school chums at a gloomy and forbidding beach house had audiences on the edges of their seats. Gasps and nervous laughter filled the theater at every showing (along with appreciative whistles whenever Gene as the glamorous Christina Cross appeared in a new gown).

Shadowy hallways, dark passages, and a chilling chase crossing the craggy coast for the climax confounded moviegoers as to who the killer was—right up until the last few minutes of the film. And many an office watercooler jockey was told off after revealing the surprise ending to coworkers who hadn't seen the movie yet!



Gene loved her role so much in Criss Crossed that she jumped at the chance to spread the word about the film—even appearing in a one-hour radio version that recreated the film…right up to the final revelation! The day after the broadcast, theaters across the country bulged with eager fans dying to know exactly WHODUNNIT!!!

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