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!



See more Gene Marshall Doll photos on my regular website.

It's Magic: Gene Marshall goes to Disneyland, 1961

Released in 2005 at the Modern Doll Collectors Convention held in Anaheim, California, October 20-22, the story behind this Gene Marshall doll was that she was visiting Disneyland in 1961. The limited edition of 150 was something that I really wanted for my collection, mainly because of the backstory. The doll (shown in photo #1) was auctioned off, but the outfit and accessories stayed. I wasn't crazy about the paint job. The dark eyebrows just seemed a bit severe. For this post, Derby Dreams (overwhelmingly the polled favorite on Studio Commissary) stands in for the original doll. Gene begins her 1961 trip to Anaheim by lounging at the Disneyland Hotel pool in an outfit created by Diane Wagner:



What follows has been adapted from the original story card to accompany these vintage Disneyland photos:



What luck! Gene was one of the fortunate VIPs to receive a Gold Pass to Disneyland for 1961!



She'd been a Disney fan since she got her first Snow White doll when she was about 15 (and the whole set of seven little Dwarfs — 11-inch stuffed dolls with painted faces and velvet costumes.) How fortunate to run into Mickey Mouse himself at the gate!



So, with her Gold Pass and friend and co-worker Madra Lord in tow (who graciously shot all of these photos), Gene hit the park!



The obligatory shot with the Sleeping Beauty Castle in the background:



exploring the newly opened Snow White Grotto with its marble figures straight from Italy:



twirling in the Mad Tea Party Tea Cups (that made Madra a little queasy!):



Gene and Madra enjoyed a little snack on the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship Restaurant in Fantasyland:



She got to pose with Peg-Leg Pete the Pirate:



At the nearby Skull Rock Cove waterfall:



What fun she had on the Matterhorn:



Getting ready to travel through "liquid space" on the Submarine attraction:



At mid-afternoon, Gene made a quick personal appearance in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle.



As the dusk set in and Tinker Bell made her flight from the Matterhorn to Sleeping Beauty Castle during the fireworks show, the lights flickered on across the park. Gene took time out to change into a lovely gown, befitting a fairy-tale princess. Here's the publicity shot of Gene in her outfit:



Looking magical:



Waving to guests below from the Castle balcony:



Gene gathered an exhausted Madra and started to leave. But before she could get through the gate, she got a special farewell from Mickey himself.

See more Gene Marshall Doll photos on my regular website.

Toast at Twelve: The Backstory

Once again, talented designer José Ferrand was kind enough to write a backstory of how he came to create A Toast at Twelve, a circa 1949 outfit released in 2000. The doll (and of course her gown) ranks at the top of my Gene Fave List:



Toast at Twelve was done under the utmost secrecy; it was to be my first Convention doll although I didn't even know it at the time. It was one of those "drop-everything-we-need-this urgently" kind of projects. I had intended it for Madra (its code number was M5), as most of my "kinetic" asymmetrical designs tended to be. It was inspired by an Avedon photograph in a 1951 Harper's Bazaar in which a model in a Balenciaga dress was spinning and as she was turning, the skirt lifted diagonally showing the petticoats underneath. I decided to make the diagonal upsweep permanent, designing a sort of waving overskirt/peplum that was almost as long as the tulle underskirt on one side and wrist length on the other. It was a tricky balancing act but I was more than happy with the result as the dress is full of movement even in repose. The bodice, on the other hand was more reminiscent of Jacques Fath.



The black and blush combination was their idea (I had originally imagined it in silvery ice blue) and I must say they were absolutely right. The final dress and jewelry looked exactly like my sample, except that I had sent it with a tulle shawl speckled with black beads to match the skirt instead of the final black fur stole (see photo below).  I was extremely glad to see they kept her jet black hair the way I sent it, as I felt she looked lovely and that there were already too many dolls in ballgowns with updos. I wish I had been able to be present at the 2000 Gene Convention as Frank Rotundo told me the conventioneers were extremely happy.






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

Cognac Evening: The Backstory

I have posted photos before of Cognac Evening, one of my very favorite outfits made for Gene Marshall. Recently, designer José Ferrand was kind enough to write for me the behind-the-scenes story of how he came to create this gorgeous Circa 1951 outfit that was released in 1999:

I had started making this dress for my own enjoyment, before I even dreamed of becoming part of "The Gene Team." It turned out to be a good thing since, after meeting Mel at the Plaza during Toy Fair and approaching him the following day at FAO Schwarz, I had only a few weeks to make a small collection to show him and Joan Greene. It was bought on the spot, once they saw it along with "Love, Paris" and a third one that would develop into "Honeymoon." The design was a result of copious sketching and it owes a little to Dior's Oval collection (1951) and also to old family pictures. The original hat was more of an Ann Boleynish cap with beading along the edges, burnt orange marabou feathers on one side, and black netting over her forehead. The much loved final hat was designed by someone at Ashton Drake (most likely Michelle Tibbetts).

Here are two photos of Cognac Evening with the original hat:





And the final outfit, as photographed by Steven Mays for the original Gene Marshall publicity materials:



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 doll photos on my Gene Marshall doll web page.

Love, Paris

I don't know what took so long for me to shoot this gorgeous outfit! José Ferrand's circa 1947 outfit perfectly captures Parisian Couture. Released in 1999, this was one of my first Genes...and she is still in my collection!



From the story card:

Henry, the kindly doorman at her New York apartment, greeted Gene with interesting news as she stepped from the studio's limo. "Two large packages from Paris arrived for you today, Miss Marshall," he said. "I'll send them right up to you."



Curious, for she wasn't expecting anything, Gene opened the first box and gasped with wonder. There, neatly folded amid colorful sheaves of tissue, was a jacket and circle skirt of the softest dove gray silk tweed with dashing black accents. Drawing it out, she gasped again...what an innovative fashion design! So flattering, so feminine, such a new, fresh look! A fine vellum letter fluttered out from the sweeping folds of the skirt, and with mounting curiosity, Gene read the brief note: "You are an inspiration, a breath of fresh air. I hope you like wearing my newest fashion. Love, Paris."



The second box contained an elegant rose suede hat and accessories to complement the outfit perfectly. Gene immediately decided she would wear this remarkable fashion creation the orphans' charity fundraiser the next afternoon. As she had hoped, the press went wild over this revolutionary new fashion when she walked into the room. The media attention brought a storm of publicity to the orphans' charity, making this fundraiser their most successful ever. Gene's secret admirer never came forward...but every year after that, Gene unfailingly sent a bouquet of perfect pink roses to a certain famous Paris designer in gratitude and admiration.







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

Love Letters

Another fave that has taken me awhile to shoot is this Circa 1947 fire-engine red concoction, designed by José Ferrand and released in 2000. From the story card:

The film Love Letters was set for a Valentine's Day release—and couples all over the country had marked their calendars with a big red heart to make sure they'd be there for the most romantic picture of the year.

In Love Letters Gene is a shy young woman who answers a lonely hearts ad. Quick and courteous postcards turn to long and loving letters—and finally a marriage proposal. They arrange to meet at the train station on Valentine's Day. “How will I recognize you, my Mysterious Lady?” he writes in a postcard.



"I'll wear something red, for the occasion," she replies in a card.

Valentine's Day finally arrives. As he enters the train station, his arms filled with heart-shaped candy box, bouquet, and corsage, his eyes search the crowd for even a hint of red. And there is Gene, resplendent in a red dress, red hat, red shoes—and a sign that says, "Be Mine!"

Rushing to her, her bespectacled pen pal suddenly stops short. His face turning as red as her dress, he takes off his glasses and whispers, "I hope you're not disappointed. Will you still marry me?"

"Does Niagara have Falls?" says Gene, with a slight catch in her voice. "Let's get on that train." But before they turn to go, she points a stern finger at his nose and says, "But NO picture postcards to any Mysterious Ladies, okay?” And, laughing, they make their way to the Honeymoon Express.

The last two show Gene modeling a rare red Tucker automobile from 1948. Uniquely designed (just like Gene!), the Tucker had the engine in the back and the trunk in the front.





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 & Friends doll photos at my regular website.

To Have And To Hold

To Have and to Hold is a circa 1942 José Ferrand creation released in 2002. It is my very fave Gene Marshall wedding outfit.



From the story card:

1942's The Bride on the Cover was a romantic comedy about a love match between a sweet young thing (Gene) and a slightly jaded, rather "mature" bachelor magazine editor (Trent Osborn, insisting that playing a "mature" role was quite a stretch!).



It all culminated in a huge wedding with the sweet young thing maneuvering her man to the altar. And on the day the big wedding scene was scheduled, who should be in town but Gene's parents.



"This will be fun!" Gene told her mother. "You and Daddy can be extras and not only will you get a chance to see me at work—we can say we've made a Hollywood movie together!"



"I'd rather that this was a HOME movie," grumbled Mrs. Marshall with a smile, and Gene laughed and put her fingers to her mother's lips.



So the next morning, in appropriate attire, Dr. and Mrs Marshall were seated in a pew to see their daughter "marry". The director called "Action!" and the organ music started. The crowd rose to their feet and turned on cue—and down the aisle came Gene, resplendent in her wedding gown. All eyes were on her as she strode to the front of the church, glowing the way a bride should.



And if you watch closely, you'll see the corner of Gene's mouth tremble just a bit as she passes two sniffing extras in the second pew on the left…













See more Gene Marshall doll photos at my regular website.