Smart Set

Here's yet another outfit that I can't believe it has taken me so long to photograph! Doug James' Smart Set is a circa 1948 sheath and jacket released in 1998. The shoes and earrings shown here are not original to this outfit. The mini painting by Mel Odom DID come with the set; what a cool accessory!



Gene holds it up so that you can get a better look at it:



In this photo, Gene is holding an Eight Ball; what do you think it tells her about her future?



Reminiscing about her childhood, Gene pulls out her Shirley Temple doll, Viewmaster set, and a Barbie board game. Those were the days!





The hat that comes with Smart Set is a cute black felt number with a white felt feather. Unfortunately, it's a bit big for Gene's scale. I shrunk it with Photoshop to make it look more appropriate.



From the story card:

In the darkly atmospheric suspense thriller Montage, Gene Marshall led spellbound audiences into the labyrinthine coils of the European art world--a coterie of sinister forgers, cunning thieves, and murderers, where nothing is what it seems and no one can be trusted.

Filmed on location in Rome, Gene plays the lovely, innocent daughter of a renowned painter, enjoying the sophisticated roundelay of society balls, galleries, and art salons of Europe's cultured intelligentsia. Her carefree life takes a sudden and frightening turn when her father mysteriously vanishes without a trace. Gene is convinced the key to his disappearance lies in the haunting, surreal portrait he painted days before--a portrait that someone is willing to murder for.

Audiences will never forget the terrifying moments when Gene, clutching her father's enigmatic painting, fearfully hurries down the shadowy, twisting streets of old Rome, stalked by a menacing figure in a black trench coat. The vivid red of her fitted sheath suit and pleated bolero jacket seems to flash a warning as the camera captures every hair-raising moment of suspense during this unnerving, deadly game of cat-and-mouse among the dark colonnaded piazzas of Rome.

By the end of the film, the killer is revealed, the father is safe, and Gene's suit was copied for the fashion runways of Paris as "Smart Set".



See more Gene Marshall Doll photos on my regular website.

Warmest Wishes

Released in 1998, "Warmest Wishes" was one of my first Genes. I cannot believe it took me so long to post about her! Tim Kennedy's circa 1948 design is a favorite of mine. Part of an FAO Schwarz release, she comes with a wrapped Christmas package that has a miniature nutcracker inside.



From the story card:

Shopping for the holidays on New York City's Fifth Avenue! What a wonderful way to feel the holiday spirit, amid the festive hustle and bustle of the city. Gene happily hummed the refrain of the new carol "Sleigh Ride" as she made her way along the sidewalk, smiling at all the rosy faces smiling back at her.

The dazzling lights, colors, and whirring mechanical motion in a toy store's window enticed her to stop and stare with childlike delight at the marvels within. And that's when she saw him...a toy soldier, tall and proud, so dashing in his crisp white soldier's uniform with a red shako hat, polished black boots, gold braid, and black epaulettes. With his snowy-white hair and beard it reminded Gene of Henry, the gentlemanly doorman of the posh hotel she stayed at when in town. Over the years he had become a gallant friend, handling Gene's mail, messages, and fans with the same calm efficiency that had made him a decorated soldier in the war. A bullet in the left leg left him with a bad limp, but nothing would ever daunt his pride at serving his country. Now, wearing another uniform, he guards and serves the hotel's guests in all kinds of weather, with the same dedication and loyalty he gave to the army. What a perfect gift that toy soldier would make for darling Henry!



"Besides," Gene later thought impishly as she walked out of the store, gift box tucked under her arm, "I never could resist a man in uniform!"



See more Gene Marshall Doll photos on my regular website.