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!



See more Gene Marshall Grace Kelly Doll photos on my regular website.

Grace Kelly: Royal Honeymoon

Grace Kelly was a stunning beauty who had a brief but glorious career on the silver screen, which she gave up to become the Princess of Monaco. Here is the Franklin Mint portrait doll, wearing a replica of the outfit Grace wore on her Royal Honeymoon. Warning: I retouched the eyes and also shrunk the head a bit to make this doll look more realistic.



See more Grace Kelly portrait doll photos on my Grace Kelly doll web page.

Grace Kelly & Jet Set Chic

Grace Kelly is seeing a resurgence in the doll world, thanks to Mattel. Recently, they have released her in the 12" format wearing a costume from "To Catch a Thief," and they have also announced future Grace dolls as well.



The upcoming Bridal Grace from Mattel:



And her trousseau:





Based on the photos, I still prefer the Franklin Mint sculpt. If only her eyes hadn't been painted as if she were a deer in the headlights! I have done my best to fix that with photoshop for this particular shoot, as I haven't been brave enough (yet) to fix it permanently with my paint brush.

My FM Grace featured in this post is modeling Jet Set Chic, a Madame Alexander outfit created for her Grace Kelly doll. As you can see, Alex bears very little resemblance to the actress:



Jet Set Chic is loosely based on the outfit Grace wore in this photo of her with President Kennedy & Jackie:



Talk about smoldering looks; damn!



Back to Madame Alexander's outfit. It is very well-made, but definitely a bit snug on the FM Grace. The shoes are not a great fit for FM Grace, nor is the hat, which I had to use glue dots to get to stay on. Even for Alex though, the feathered hat is much too small compared to what Princess Grace actually wore.









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Grace Kelly/Rear Window series, Pt. 3

Ladies Who Launch Gene is back, standing in for Grace Kelly, modeling my favorite “Rear Window” creation by Diane on Whidbey Island. Photos do not do justice to this outfit; the pleats and other details are difficult to capture due to the all-black coloration of the dress. Just take my word for it—it’s gorgeous.











And a photo of the actual Grace wearing this costume in the movie, with costar Jimmy Stewart:



For a little bonus today, I got my Franklin Mint vinyl Grace Kelly out to model the oufit. Seemed only natural since it was originally worn by Grace in the movies.



If you’ve seen a Franklin Mint Grace Kelly, then you’ll know I’ve fiddled with mine. Her eyes are painted too large, her head is too big for her body, and she comes with one hairdo: pulled back tight in a bun. Thanks to Kathy from Oregon, she now has a Grace ’do. This photo shows what her face looked like before I photoshopped it. Yes, the eyes are a little scary. One day when I get the time, I’ll do a repaint.



One more of Grace, taken from the balcony of her San Francisco apartment:



See more Gene Marshall photos at my regular website.

Grace Kelly/Rear Window series, Pt. 2

Diane on Whidbey Island is (again) the talent that recreated this Grace Kelly outfit based on the Edith Head design from Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window.” Today, Gene Marshall “Star Entrance” is the stand-in for Grace. This time I remembered the pearls.





And a photo of the actual Grace wearing this costume in the movie:



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Grace Kelly/Rear Window series, Pt. 1

The extremely talented Diane on Whidbey Island has created a whole slew of Grace Kelly outfits based on the Edith Head designs from Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window.” Today is the first entry in this multi-part series. I thought “Ladies Who Launch” Gene was the most appropriate to stand in for Grace.





Two shots of the actual Grace wearing this costume in the movie, also starring Jimmy Stewart:





I should have put Gene in a strand of pearls. Oh well...next time.

Follow my Gene Marshall, Madra Lord, Zita Charles, Violet Waters, Trent Osborn, and other classic movie star doll updates on Twitter. See more Gene Marshall photos at my regular website.

On The Veranda, Pt. 1

Of course I couldn’t prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt, but this outfit surely seems to have been inspired by the dress & hat Grace Kelly wore at her wedding to Bing Crosby’s character in “High Society” (1956). The date that Odom gave this particular doll (1955) doesn’t rule out the possibility, either. Designed by Lynne Day in 1999, this particular story is about a famous Italian director hosting a party in Italy to charm Gene into doing his next film. Instead, she convinces him to direct her film, “Bitter Snow.” What a vixen. And what an outfit.

Compare and contrast with Ms. Kelly:





From the storycard:

Gene is the guest of honor at an afternoon fête hosted by an internationally renowned Italian director. The lavish hors d’oeuvres, champagne, music, dancing, and the breathtaking view of the fabulous gardens from the veranda, are all part of his elaborate Machiavellian plot to woo the talented American movie actress into staying in Italy and starring in his next film. He had seen a number of her pictures, and was highly impressed by her talent. His intuition—that innate sense that made him such a brilliant director—whispered to him that their collaboration would be electrifying, all but ensuring the movie’s success.

Once he met her though, the best-laid plans all went to dust. Thus were the charms of Miss Gene Marshall. To see more Gene Marshall photos, visit my regular website.