Flapper Pidgin

My latest Pidgin creation by Joshua David McKenney was inspired by 1920s silent film star Louise Brooks, with a dash of Clara Bow thrown in for good measure.



Her outfit was based on the one that Marilyn Monroe wore in the 1959 movie "Some Like It Hot." It seemed appropriate to the era that this Pidgin inhabits. Pidgin borrowed the Ukulele and pearls from the Franklin Mint's Marilyn Monroe vinyl doll.



Here's a photo that Joshua took before Pidgin made the journey West to my house. The adorable Purple cloche with rhinestone embellishment is by http://eastvillagehats.nyc; dress by Laura Foulke.



And yes...there's a third in the works. Stand by for details.

See more Pidgin photos at my website.

Happy Birthday, Marilyn!

Had she lived, today would have been the 88th birthday of the legendary Marilyn Monroe. The Franklin Mint vinyl Marilyn is probably one of the best likenesses of Marilyn created in a doll. First up is the "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" outfit that Marilyn wore in the film's opening number, "Little Rock."

This outfit is known as "Walk of Fame," and was worn by Marilyn when she and Jane Russell were immortalized in the forecourt of Grauman's Chinese Theater.





The Franklin Mint's version of the outfit Marilyn wore when she entertained the troops in Korea:





One more of the Little Rock outfit:



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 Marilyn Monroe 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.

Diamonds: Who Wears Them Better?

Today it's Gene vs. Marilyn; who do you think wears diamonds better?



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Faves From The Tonner 2013 Mainline Release

The last few lines have left me somewhat lukewarm, while my wallet has been ecstatic. With the 2013 Mainline release from Tonner, the roles have been reversed. Let's dig in, shall we? And first, I will start off the statement that all of these photos are from the official Tonner site.

I have kept my eye on the Deanna Denton line, but since she was a larger size than most 16" vinyl dolls and couldn't easily share clothes, I have avoided her. "Luncheon Date," a new 16" size, could change all that. Rooted hair, applied eyelashes, and a very cool retro outfit - nicely done!









Next up is an outfit for Scarlett O'Hara from the 1939 film "Gone With the Wind." This one has never been done. There are other outfits that fans have been clamoring for, but I can understand why Tonner chose this one. It is simple and most likely an easier one to keep the costs down on. Scarlett wears this in the scene where she tries to get Ashley to join her in the lumber mill business in Atlanta. The doll is simply called "Scarlett."





According to the description, they have replicated the hair ornament ("bronze hair decoration"), but none of the photos show the back of her hairdo, so no idea how well it matches the one from the movie. For comparison's sake, here are a few screen captures:



Looks like the fabrics and design are spot-on. There have been some grumblings about how long the dress is, but the only way to know that would be to see the wardrobe test shots, as the entire dress is never actually seen on-screen.



The hair clip in back seems to be of a plastic/tortoise shell type of material in the movie, whereas the description from Tonner calls it "brass." Will have to wait until photos of the back are actually released.



The hairstyle is similar, but slightly off; nothing to really get upset about, especially for how wonderful the facial painting is. Tonner has come a LOOOOONG way in improving their capture of Vivien Leigh's likeness.





This next one baffles me; there have already been a slew of Glinda dolls from "The Wizard of Oz" released, and even one that did a great job of capturing Billie Burke. Not sure why it's being released again, other than perhaps there is a huge demand for it.



There are a few new Marilyn releases too. I am VERY excited about this one, called "In A Dream" from the movie "How To Marry A Millionaire."



Marilyn wears this outfit during a dream sequence. The face paint on this doll looks better than previous ones, and I also like that they have upgraded the doll to have applied eyelashes.









I don't know what happened with this one called "Lois Laurel"; she looks even less like Marilyn than the previous releases. This doll is supposed to be portraying Marilyn in the movie "Monkey Business."





The last Marilyn of the bunch is an outfit only, representing the film "Niagara."









There are two dolls without photos (so far, pending license approval) that I am very curious to see. One is a depiction of Ralphie from the movie "A Christmas Story" and the other is a 22" version of the bridal Scarlett O'Hara. I haven't been a fan of the 22" versions as the facial sculpt bears no resemblance to Vivien Leigh, but on this one, the description states "new Vivien Leigh portrait sculpt."

Can't wait to see what these gals (and guy) look like once they're released!

See more doll photos on my doll web pages.

Marilyn, Scarlett, and Dorothy

Robert Tonner's recently announced Fall line has a whopping number of 6 new Marilyn Monroe doll outfits, 2 of which include a Marilyn doll. First up is Marilyn as Pola Debevoise from "How To Marry A Millionaire."

I still can't say I'm crazy about the face sculpt; there's something off about it, mainly around the mouth area. Still, the number of outfits and the fact that many of them have never been available in 16" size will be a huge enticement to many collectors.



3 of the new releases are from "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," with my favorite being "I am Lorelei Lee" (outfit only):





"I Just Adore Conversation" outfit only (previously released in a less accurately colored pink version by the Franklin Mint):





16" Diamonds outfit and doll:







From "Love Nest" comes a never before released outfit, "Roberta Moves In":



And finally, a classic outfit from the movie "Niagara":



Adding a mini record like the one from the movie that Marilyn carries would have been a nice touch to add, but unfortunately, no go on that.



There is one new release in the Scarlett O'Hara "Gone With The Wind" line, featuring the outfit only seen in silhouette in the final shot of the movie, called "My Tara":





I was disappointed that photos of the James Dean doll by Tonner were still not available; I am curious to see how accurate the sculpt on this one will be. Over at Ashton Drake, they have announced the upcoming release of a Scarlett O'Hara doll as well. Labeled as a "fashion doll," it would appear that it's not articulated. There will be others in the collection, but no announcement if that will be other characters or other outfits. Scarlett, Belle Of The Barbecue Fashion Doll, priced at $129.99, appears to be a nice sculpt of Vivien Leigh, but AD has a habit of heavily retouching their photos; so much in fact that the final product rarely matches the pre-release photos.



They also have a Dorothy "Wizard of Oz" doll, too. Dorothy, Over The Rainbow Fashion Doll, $129.99

This one doesn't appear to be articulated either, and it looks as if the socks are painted on. The material for these dolls isn't listed, so it's hard to tell if it's porcelain, vinyl, or resin.



I also find it surprising that both dolls clearly resemble the actresses that they play, yet the website mentions no copyright/licensing information for either Vivien Leigh or Judy Garland.

See more Marilyn Monroe doll photos on my Marilyn Monroe doll web page.