Tonner and the Lost BBQ

I can't say I've been enchanted by the "Lost Costume" sub series that Tonner Dolls have created for their "Gone With the Wind" line, but when I saw "The Lost Barbecue," my feelings changed. Based on the watercolor sketch created by costume designer Walter Plunkett, this outfit never made it to the screen. It is an interesting alternative to the BBQ dress that Vivien Leigh ended up wearing in the final movie.

Tonner has done a great job of staying faithful to the original sketch with both the outfit and the hairstyle.



Of course I have a few gripes. It would have been amazing if Tonner had made the dark green border pattern at the hem of the dress out of velvet instead of part of the print.



It also would have been nice if scale had been paid a bit more attention when creating the velvet waist sash, which seems a bit large for the doll.



One will find the usual amount of sloppy construction techniques with this doll, such as the bow for the hat. Sadly, I have just taken this as the norm for Tonner dolls.



Still, overall this one is a win for me.

See more "Gone With the Wind" doll photos on my regular website.

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More Tonner GWTW

Today, the Tonner Doll Company released some preview images of their upcoming 2015 Mainline Collection. The ones I was most interested in were the two "Gone with the Wind" dolls. And then I saw the photos. The doll titled "I'll Never Be Hungry Again" is a rehash of the Franklin Mint Muslin Battlefield doll, which now fetches very good prices on ebay.



On the Tonner version, the pattern of the dress is out of scale as well as the size of the dress itself. Just too much darn fabric. This seems to be a consistent issue with most of the Scarlett releases I have seen from Tonner.



The doll used in the preview photos looks as if it is wearing a wig, despite the fact that the description says it has rooted hair. Wig or rooted, it is ghastly.



Here's what the dress looks like in the movie:



…and how the Franklin Mint interpreted it.



A+ for Franklin Mint for scale as well as matching the pattern. D+ for Tonner. No thanks; I'll save my $200 for this limited edition of 500.

Next up is "Shanty Town," also a limited edition of 500, but this one goes for $215.



The doll and hair look MUCH better; the dress isn't bad, either.



Until you look at the detailed shots, showing the faux buttons that serve no purpose:



Compare with FM's version, with buttons that actually fasten the top together.





This time, the Tonner Doll wins, but once again, FM walks away with the best outfit.

See more "Gone with the Wind" Doll photos on my regular website.

Tonner Sewing Circle

For their 2014 Fall Release, the Tonner Doll company has added another Scarlett O'Hara to their "Gone with the Wind" collection. Once again, my wallet is breathing a heavy sigh of relief. Based on the outfit Scarlett wore in the sewing circle scene, it is very plain.



I am really curious if Tonner sells many of these; are doll collectors that crazy about having each doll/outfit to fork over $200?



Franklin Mint created this outfit for their vinyl doll line many years ago. In comparison to Tonner's, the fabrics seem more appropriate and this outfit also included a little embroidery hoop. Very nice touch.



A screen shot from the actual movie scene:



A publicity still:



with a detailed view of Vivien Leigh wearing the Sewing Circle outfit. Neither Tonner or the Franklin Mint chose to include the shawl that Scarlett had in this scene.



There are so many other interesting outfits that Scarlett wore in the movie that I can't figure out why Tonner chose this one, other than because it would be easy to manufacture.

See more "Gone with the Wind" Doll photos on my regular website.

Scarlett Dressing Gown Revealed!

My wallet was worried; there was opportunity for Tonner to out-do the Franklin Mint version of this "Gone with the Wind" outfit.



The doll's likeness to Vivien Leigh is great, but the recently released photos of it have assured my wallet that there will be no purchase.



Although not completely shown, the undergarment doesn't appear to be as screen accurate or as rich looking as the Franklin Mint version. As is typical with Tonner GWTW outfits, there is an abundance of fabric. TOO much. It really throws off the scale and makes the outfit look as if it belongs on a larger doll. The trims used just do not look as rich as the FM version, either.



Here's a shot of the FM version for easy comparison. Sadly, both companies omitted the hair comb and earrings that Leigh wore in the movie.



See more Gone with the Wind Doll photos on my regular website.

Tonner 2014 Mainline Collection

The Tonner 2014 Mainline has recently been unveiled, and there are a few releases that are right up my alley. From the "Gone with the Wind" collection, Scarlett's green robe from the "No more babies" scene has been announced, but so far, photos are still to come. Above is the sketch from the film's costume designer, Walter Plunkett, and below is the fragile piece as it looks today:



The detailing on this piece is amazing, especially when considering it was only seen on-screen for a few moments.



As the scene from the film starts, Mammy is attempting to get Scarlett cinched into her corset. When she discovers that her waist is no longer 17", she vows to tell Rhett that she will not be having any more babies!



She puts the beautiful green robe on before telling him.



The Franklin Mint also created this outfit, back when they were producing Scarlett O'Hara dolls. Obviously, the detail of the original would have to be simplified for cost reasons as well as for the purposes of miniaturization/scale, and FM did a very admirable job with this. The gown underneath the robe was beautifully detailed, too.



Gene Marshall models the FM outfit, with a haircomb borrowed from Rose of "Titanic" fame.



According to the Tonner website, here is the description of what they will be selling:

•White cotton dress with lace trim and a gold brocade corset
•Green velvet robe with gold trim and gold satin sleeves lining
•Nude pantyhose with attached panties
•Matching green faux leather shoes

There is an opportunity for Tonner to improve upon the Franklin Mint version. As you can see here, Scarlett (Vivien Leigh) is wearing a lovely hair comb, a piece of jewelry that FM chose not to make for their set. They could also pick up a bit more of the lovely embroidered detail...



As well as create a more accurate undergarment that more closely matches what Ms. Leigh was wearing. Here's hoping!



Tonner is also releasing two dolls that celebrate the hit comedy show "The Big Bang Theory." Photos of the Sheldon Cooper (played by Jim Parsons) doll show a sculpt that is letter perfect.





Shots of his companion doll, girlfriend Amy Farrah Fowler, have yet to be released. The big news for me is that Tonner plans to release two dolls from the 1966 "Batman" TV series. Sadly, photos have yet to be released of the Batman (Adam West) and Catwoman (Julie Newmar) dolls; if the sculpts and clothes are accurate, they could have a real blockbuster on their hands!

See more Doll photos on my regular website.

New Marilyn and Scarlett From Tonner

New photos from Tonner's Fall 2013 collection have been released; two definitely appeal to me. The first is a new Marilyn Monroe doll called Shipboard Wedding, based on an outfit that Marilyn wore in the final sequence from the 1953 film "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes."



The new 16" vinyl doll sells for $224.99 on the Tonner site (link above); $99.99 for outfit only and includes applied black eyelashes.



The doll comes with a rhinestone ring & necklace (neither is included in outfit only package) and is being released in a limited edition of 300. It looks like the finger has a hole so that the ring can be pushed into it.





Based on the photos, it looks like Tonner has done a fantastic job of re-creating the outfit worn by Marilyn:



The new Scarlett O'Hara "Gone With The Wind" release is only being shown so far in sketch form, but is titled Peachtree Street Stroll:



The 16" dressed doll will retail for $234.99 (link to Tonner site above) and includes pink and black stripe cotton dress with a black and gold brooch, pink satin skirt, pink crinkle chiffon under sleeves and collar, and black velvet attached belt, white cotton petticoat, black and gold earrings, black straw hat with a pink satin sash, black stretch knit gloves, and pink satin shoes. No mention of a purse, which was included in the Franklin Mint's release. Tonner is putting this one out in a limited edition of 300.

Here's a photo of the Franklin Mint version:



A photo from the movie, showing the sequence that the outfit is based on. Scarlett strolls down Peachtree Street with husband Rhett and daughter Bonnie Blue. They are attempting to woo the "fat old cats" who have been appalled by Scarlett's greedy behavior in the past.



I'm on the fence about Marilyn, but the Scarlett...with each new release Tonner has shown improvements in the face paint and Vivien Leigh likeness...I may have to pick this one up.

See more Gene Marshall doll photos on my Gene web page.

Scarlett on Peachtree Street

In this scene from "Gone with the Wind," Scarlett (Vivien Leigh) & Rhett (Clark Gable) are pushing their daughter, Bonnie Blue Butler, down Peachtree Street in Atlanta. Rhett is determined to gain respectability for his daughter's sake, even if they have to "crawl on our bellies to every fat old cat."



Tonner's "Don't Look Back" is a great model to wear the Franklin Mint ensemble corresponding to what Vivien Leigh wore for this scene.













In this shot, Scarlett looks as if she's putting her troubles off until tomorrow.



Note: Peachtree is an actual street in Atlanta, and also happens to be the street author Margaret Mitchell lived on when she wrote, "Gone With The Wind." Sadly, it was also the street she was killed on when hit by a speeding car in 1949.

See more Scarlett O'Hara doll photos on my GWTW doll web page.