Holly Golightly: A Girl I Know Named Holly

The other doll recently released in Integrity's "Breakfast at Tiffany's" series is "A Girl I Know Named Holly." This is one outfit that Mattel did not release. I debated whether or not to purchase it; I can't say the outfit itself, consisting of a white shirt and peach colored robe, is really all that exciting. But those accessories...they sucked me in.



The fun earrings, the mask...



I ended up getting her. With her poseability, even this bland outfit seemed fun.







See more Audrey Hepburn/Holly Golightly doll photos on my Audrey doll web page.

Holly Golightly: Fifth Avenue at 6 AM

The flagship doll of the Holly Golightly line from Integrity has been released: Fifth Avenue at 6 AM. I loved the style & quality of the first doll's fashion; but as I feared from looking at the publicity stills, the face was not really something that I cared for. It was too similar to the squinty-eyed trout-mouthed dolls that Integrity typically churns out, with very little (if any) of the doe-eyed wonder of Holly's portrayer, Audrey Hepburn.



However, with the sunglasses on that come with this doll, I actually like this one. She has grown on me and will probably stay in my collection.



The pluses: unlike Mattel's version of the same doll (made famous in the opening scene of "Breakfast at Tiffany's"), the scale of the wrap, dress, and jewelry is perfection. The glasses actually fold...the earrings, tiara, and necklace are about as close as you could possibly get to looking the actual jewelry used in the movie. INCREDIBLE! The hairstyle and poseability of the doll are also in the plus category.



The minuses: Those damn black gloves. What a b&*%h they are to put on! I already snagged one just trying to get them over the claw-like fingers. Still...there is a silver lining. Unlike the typical gloves you get with a 12" doll, these don't look like mittens. Instead, they fit snuggly over the hand and actually have 3 individual finger areas to make them resemble a scaled-down version even more. It's a Catch-22; easy-to-put-on vs. a snug fit. The necklace is a big minus, too...it just does not stay fastened. For some reason the catch in back doesn't hold very well, and the damn thing keeps slipping off.



One more note - if you like the look of the Schrafft's bag and the decorated coffee cup, don't get too excited; these came from the Mattel set, not the Integrity one.



Integrity comes with a generic white coffee cup, without the decorative blue square band around the rim, and there is no Schrafft's bag, either.



All minor points though...overall, I'd say this doll is a winner.

See more Audrey Hepburn/Holly Golightly doll photos on my Audrey doll web page.

Diane does Dots!

I was thrilled with this outfit by Diane Wagner, expertly modeled by Cocoa Crisp, but I can't say I am very excited about the photo shoot. Too rushed; poor lighting; and uninspired layout. When I have the time, I will revisit this fantastic fashion, which came complete with the umbrella!





To read about the Diane's inspiration for this polka-dot creation, visit her blog.

See more Diane's work on my Gene Marshall web page.

Holly Golightly debut

The first doll in Integrity's "Breakfast at Tiffany's"/Holly Golightly series has been released. Called "Crazy for Tiffany's," this doll depicts how Holly looked on her date with her rich Brazilian boyfriend, José da Silva Pereira (played by José Luis de Vilallonga).



The doll looks very much like the publicity shots that were released. On the plus side, the construction of the outfit is impeccable. The dress blows away the Mattel versions and makes them look extremely cheap. Integrity shows that clothes for a 12" doll need not be ill-fitting and poorly constructed. The purse, jewelry, and shoes are made perfectly to scale and make this doll appear as if she just stepped out of the 1961 movie.



Except for the face. I totally understand that Integrity wasn't licensed to do Audrey Hepburn's face. But for once...just once...could they do a different sculpt that doesn't have overblown lips and half-shut eyes? Even if Audrey couldn't be re-created, they could at least attempt to capture her loveable humor and charm. This doll has zilcho charm in my book. And don't even try to pose her without the stand; this doll with the "Kitten Heel" foot will topple over no matter how you try. Is it that hard to design a shoe that will balance these gals? At least on the dolls with flexible ankles you might stand a chance. Not this one though.



The presentation of the box is lovely, and the extra pair of hands are a nice bonus. I will be looking forward to the other releases in this series.

See more Audrey Hepburn/Holly Golightly doll photos on my Audrey doll web page.

Gene Marshall: Bright Day

It's beginning to get a bit chilly out, so I figured it was time to squeeze in this summery outfit called "Bright Day," modeled by Star Entrance Gene, one of the most versatile Integrity dolls.









A rare moment for Gene to take a load off her feet and get a little R&R.



Here's Gene displaying her cherished Shirley Temple doll, one of her favorite childhood toys.



Follow my Gene Marshall, Madra Lord, Zita Charles, Violet Waters, Trent Osborn, Poppy Parker, and other classic movie star doll updates on Twitter. See more Gene Marshall photos on my Gene Marshall web page.

Ladies Who Lunch/Launch/Front Row

This is a variation on the Ladies Who Launch outfit for Gene called Front Row and was an exclusive from the Lone Star Convention; the set came with a red-haired Gene. Star Entrance Gene expertly models this gorgeous period checkered outfit; I have also thrown in the black poodle for good measure.















To see if there are any outfits left to buy, be sure to check Sandra's sales page. Follow my Gene Marshall, Madra Lord, Zita Charles, Violet Waters, Trent Osborn, Poppy Parker, and other classic movie star doll updates on Twitter. See more Gene Marshall photos on my Gene Marshall web page.

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Integrity has recently announced a way cool release: a line commemorating the 50th Anniversary of "Breakfast at Tiffany's." Although they have gone out of their way to re-create the fashions that Audrey wore, they decided to stylize the character of Holly Golightly. Unfortunately, the style looks all too much like the typical frozen-bitch face that Integrity is known for. All of the charm and doey-eyed innocence of Hepburn is gone. In the future, I see a huge amount of nude Integrity "Breakfast at Tiffany's" dolls for sale on ebay.

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

Meet Poppy Parker

If it’s not modeled after a real person (AND a good likeness), then I’m not really very interested in dolls. A few years ago, Gene Marshall changed that. And then recently, I finally gave in to Poppy Parker. I loved her face sculpt; it seemed so genuinely retro. And, unlike most of the Integrity dolls that are released, she didn't look like an angry anorexic woman with eyes that were barely opened.

Here’s the story line created for her:

The story of Poppy Parker is set in New York in the late 50's / early 60's era, the time when glamour was all about the hair, simple elegance and having the perfect little "kit" for every occasion! You can take a girl out of the Midwest, but you can't take the Midwest out of the girl. Under her fashionable hair, perfect makeup and fancy couture clothes, Poppy is just a simple girl. Will she be able to dazzle the city that never sleeps? So far, the answer is "yes"!

Poppy has landed in New York. She nervously takes a seat in her first taxicab. During the long drive into the city, she wonders what life as a teen fashion model will be like. There are so many new things to discover about the city in which she now lives. The magic of New York, from its wonderful shopping districts, art galleries, landmarks and parks to its bohemian downtown, is unparalleled and Poppy wants to experience it all. Get ready New York, she's arrived! Will the city that never sleeps ever be the same again?

It's now 1964 and so many things have changed for Poppy Parker since she arrived in New York. She is now one of the most popular teenage models in New York. She has been on the cover of five fashion and teen magazines and recently scored a new gig as the face of McCalpin's Department Store for their Juniors' department.

Another new development is the arrival of Poppy's best friend, Darla Daley. They met in a record shop and now, they are inseparable. Darla is an upcoming young singer who just made her television debut on the Ted Mullivan show. Thanks to her appearance on the show, she now has her first hit single!

BTW: This story line was pieced together from a few pages on the Integrity/Poppy Parker website. The dolls themselves do not come with story cards. Instead, you have an assortment of warnings: how to avoid staining from the clothes, how to remove her hands so that her clothes can be removed (I wasn't about to try this...I had a feeling that the plastic would break as the hands DO NOT come off easily).



The one Poppy Parker I allowed myself to get is a gift set titled "I Love How You Love Me." The outfits were cool and her styling was perfect. The story for this particular outfit is limited:

She starts the day in a smart red jumper with white blouse and patterned tights, which is followed by her lovely white satin party dress and brocade coat evening ensemble. Finally, she crawls into bed wearing her adorable pink gingham nightie, matching bloomers and fuzzy slippers.



My take on Poppy once she arrived? Yes, the outfits looked as adorable in person as they did in the photos. The shoes are a bit of a pain and difficult to stay put on her feet. Gene and the other 16" dolls are truly just the right size for playing, posing, and being able to handle the clothes without difficulty. I have come to the conclusion that 12" dolls are not for me. It was extremely hard to get Poppy's beautifully sculpted hands in and out of her outfits. Even though she has plenty of articulation, at her small size and with clothes on, I found her poses became limited as the fabric constrained her limbs. The hooks on her clothes are also difficult to work with; the threads on a few already began to unravel, meaning at some point I will have to attempt to sew them back on. And the hair...a few stray clumps had come apart from the shellacked curls and required a ton of photoshop work. At some point, I will need to send her to Kathy in Oregon for a redo. The 3 curls in back are also odd; I believe Terri Gold (the one who enabled me on this one!) called them "three rolls and no butter." Had a great laugh out of that one. Instead of using the white bow that came with the set (which I had difficulty pinning into her clumped hair), I took one of the white bows from the packaging and tied it directly into her hair.

I'm all for creativity, but for the prices that Integrity charges for these sets, I don't feel I should have to get out the needle and thread or redo a doll's hair because of poor craftsmanship.

At this point, I'd say my association with the 12"-sized market are finito.



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

More Silhouette of the 40's

I brought out one of my faves again to shoot, Silhouette of the 40's, and gave her a patio set, hat, and purse to add to the mix.











See more Gene Marshall photos at my regular website.

Ivy in Lavender

Ivy Jordan is one of my favorite extra characters (even more so than Madra), but I rarely take her out. Today she steps out looking ready for Spring by donning a Star Wardrobe outfit.







See more Ivy Jordan photos at my regular website.