Gene Marshall: Tiers of Joy

This recent acquisition has won me over. Tiers of Joy is the perfect example of the wonderful attention to detail that Mel Odom & Ashton Drake lavished on Gene Marshall. This doll came with a miniature scrapbook page, an outfit, fan, headdress, jewelry, corset, pantaloons...the list goes on. And besides quantity, this poseable gal also has quality. If you can, GET HER! From the Story Card for this circa 1885 design:

“Oh Katie—look at this…”

Gene made her way through the neatly stacked boxes in her parents’ attic in their Cos Cob home, being careful not to bump her head on the low beams. Her mother was holding the lid of a box in one hand, the fingers of her other hand pressed to her lips.



Gene looked into the box and gave a little cry. Tiers and tiers of fabric were cascading from the box her mother held. “Oh, my! Is this the dress that Grandma wore in the portrait that’s in the den?”

“Yes, Katie. And it’s in beautiful shape. You know, you’re about the same size as Grandma was. Would you like to take it back to California with you? Maybe you would wear it to a party or to a premiere—I know your grandma would have gotten such joy seeing you in it…”



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Gene Marshall: Rags to Riches

Michele Tibbetts is the creative force behind this incredibly detailed concoction from the Turn of the Century...the 20th Century, that is! Photo #1 shows Gene ready to sing a number at Disneyland’s Golden Horseshoe Saloon. I attempted to put Gene at Knott’s Berry Farm in the Ghost Town Saloon, but it seemed a little TOO authentic and ratty for this upscale ensemble. From the Story Card:

1948’s “She’d Rather Dance” gave audiences a special treat: two Gene Marshalls for the price of one!

In the film, Gene plays the irreverent daughter of one of Boston’s oldest and most influential families who shocks society by accepting a role in a Broadway show.

Nervous and shunned by her stodgy family the night before the Boston opening, the girl (played by Gene) sadly turns to her grandmother for comfort. The grandmother (also played by Gene, using some of the most sophisticated techniques available in Hollywood) quietly closes the parlor door, sits the girl down and says, “Now, child, I am about to let a family skeleton rattle its bones one more time…” With that, she hands the girl her cane and does a spirited catwalk!

The girl gasps, “Grandmama! What are you doing?”



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Gene Loves Hats

Besides a plethora of clothes, Gene also has a love for hats, as you can see from these 4 images posted today. Ashton-Drake released a number of hat and purse sets; the ones you see here were designed by Michele Tibbetts. I give her thumbs up on the scale, as they all look natural and fit our gal Gene perfectly. To show the hats off to their best advantage, Gene is wearing her little black dress.







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