Crème de Cassis

Released in 1998, Crème de Cassis is a circa 1953 design created by the Timothy Alberts. Now that Gene is pretty much finito, it has been fun going back and re-discovering the outfits that I purchased long ago but haven't had a chance to photograph yet. The gaudy bracelet is actually the necklace from another outfit, but I thought a little extra sparkle would be okay for Gene. "A Touch of Hospitality" is the doll modeling for you today.

Journalists loved to interview Miss Gene Marshall. Unlike so many world-renowned Hollywood stars, she was charming, unpretentious, and refreshingly modest about her meteoric rise to fame. Her highly intelligent conversation was peppered with wit and acute insights into world events. And as she turned her glorious blue eyes on them with flattering attention, even the most jaded columnist melted.

Gene unveiled:





In his memoirs, a society columnist recalled a memorable interview he had with Gene in August of '53, sipping crème de cassis cocktails at the famous Hemingway Bar of the Ritz Hotel in the heart of Paris. He remembered their absorbing conversation—current fashions, American artists and writers in Paris, and the recent, bitter end of the Korean War. He remembered her dress—an en vogue ensemble with a certain je ne sais quoi. This was a time when haute couture reveled in a tiny waist, voluptuous curves, perfectly matched accessories, and yards of rustling, luxurious fabric hemmed twelve inches above the ankle—in celebration of the end of wartime clothing restrictions.



But most of all, he remembered the incredible glory of Gene's eyes. They mesmerized him—luminous, shimmering eyes the color of fresh spring gentians, fringed with long, sweeping lashes, enticing him with an utterly feminine mystique behind a wispy veil of black lace. Sensuous, alluring, and fascinating, his interview with Gene Marshall was a treasured, never-to-be-forgotten chapter in his life.



You may kiss Gene's hand now.



See more Gene Marshall & Friends doll photos at my regular website.

Ready for El Morocco, Pt. 2

Timothy Alberts is the designer of this circa 1955 outfit, released in 1996. Not sure what took me so long to photograph it, as again, it is one of my faves. It screams vintage, and I love the rich purple color of the dress. Once again, Derby Dreams Gene has the honors of modeling today.



From the story card:

Taking a break from your hectic film schedule, it's wonderful to go back East to visit family and friends in New York City. But it's not so easy to go out for a relaxing night on the town as it used to be! Now your fans are everywhere, photographers are your constant shadow, and what you do, who you see, and what you wear…makes the papers and the fan magazines within hours!

Still, Gene tries to be as low-key as possible when she travels home. She likes to stay with her parents in the house she grew up in, where she can relax and just be herself. But to commemorate her father’s fiftieth birthday celebration, she decides to treat the family to an evening of dinner and dancing at El Morocco, one of New York's most glittering nightclubs, well-known for its celebrity clientele.

For this special evening, Gene selects one of her most unique, chic cocktail dresses in a rich shade of plum taffeta. The form-fitting sheath has jet buttons, a full overskirt of black tulle, and a velvet bow at the waist…very fashion-forward details for the era! With this dress Gene wears a smart feathered hat with a face veil and carries a matching clutch bag. Two rhinestone scatter pins and a rhinestone and amethyst bracelet add tasteful glitter to a truly memorable ensemble. And Gene’s parents enjoy it all, taking her stardom in stride.









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Forget Me Not

Forget Me Not was a 1998 release featuring a circa 1954 set of "unmentionables" (clasp hand in front of mouth in shock right now!). Expertly designed by Timothy Alberts, this ensemble gives Gene owners the opportunity to show her off in a more racy light. Since I was doing a shoot of Gene brides, I brought this set out for the first time and added the garter from "To Have and To Hold" to show what Gene might have looked like while getting ready for her wedding.

From the Story Card:

Even Hollywood movie stars have days when nothing goes right and "glamorous" is the last word they would use to describe themselves!



Gene hurries into her dressing room to change into the next costume for the publicity photoshoot, her famous blue eyes still dazzled from the flashing bulbs and Klieg lights. "Only five minutes to change, Dottie!" she says to her happy white terrier, stopping to give her a fond pat. Gene steps out of her gown, sighing with relief as she adjusts the too-low bodice of her exquisite longline bra with its French lace of forget-me-not blue. All during the last shoot she worried about revealing more than anyone had intended!



Does the next gown require the white crinoline or the silky full slip? Gene reaches for the photo schedule and snap! There goes a garter! As she fixes that, her fingernail snags and runs the seamed nylons! Gene huffs a wayward curl off her forehead in exasperation, smoothes on another pair, slips into a pair of fluffy mules...and loses a pearl earring! The wardrobe mistress pops her head in. "Miss Marshall, we're ready…oh dear me, troubles, honey?"



"I'm a mess," Gene says with a charmingly wry grin as she searches the carpet for her earring.

The woman laughs. "Dear, no matter how messy you feel, even in your dainties you still look like a lady that no one could ever forget!"

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 at my regular website.

Gene Marshall: Daughter of the Nile

The 1956 movie "The Ten Commandments" is a classic Hollywood film of excess and historical inaccuracy; despite that, it's a heckuvalotta' fun! Cecil B. DeMille produced this Biblical epic that starred Charlton Heston and Anne Baxter. Baxter's character, Nefretiri, is obviously the inspiration for Gene Marshall's Daughter of the Nile ensemble designed by Timothy Alberts, circa 1952. From the story card:

Determined to entice back audiences lured from movie houses by Hollywood's greatest rival, television, Monolithic Studios poured millions of dollars and an all-star cast of thousands into a stupdendous historical epic called "Daughter of the Nile.” In the female lead they naturally cast their number one box office draw, Gene Marshall. It proved to be a smart move. “Daughter” attracted vast hordes of people back to the theatres, becoming one of Monolithic’s greatest successes.



Gene’s talent and exotic, raven-haired beauty stood out among all the stars packed into this picture, filmed on location in Luxor, Egypt. The filming conditions were primitive. People wilted under the unrelenting sun and hot lights. Make-up crews frantically hid sunburns under melting pancake base.



To see more Gene Marshall & Friends photos, visit my regular website.

Gene: Midnight Romance

Timothy Alberts designed this circa 1954 vision of blue that looks like something Cinderella might wear when she’s trying to capture the heart of her prince. Posed in front of Beverly Hills for the first photo, I realized after I snapped the shot that I left her necklace off. Something to redo at another time! From the storycard:

Hollywood is the American mecca for gifted artists to come together and create the special magic that enchants our hearts for all time.

Gene first met Johnny Harmon at a premiere party. Gene had slipped away for a breath of air when she heard an exquisite melody drifting form the music room. Enthralled by the haunting refrain, she peeked in and saw a slender, sandy-haired man alone in the room playing the piano, his face enrapt with artistic joy. Gene listened for awhile, then, unable to resist, began to hum the melody. It was as if the song had been waiting for Gene’s rich, seductive soprano voice to make it complete. They played and sang the night away…and a deep, abiding friendship was born.



To see more Beverly Hills photos, visit my regular website.

To see more Gene Marshall photos, visit my regular website.

Forget-Me-Not

It’s 1954, and Gene is doing a publicity shoot. As you can see from the photos, even dolls can have a little va-va-voom. This Mel Alberts outfit from 1998 is really rare for a doll; a complete set of vintage lingerie that spares none of the details. The attention to detail on this set really is amazing. How many other doll lines could get away with selling an outfit that is merely an undergarment? From the storycard:

Gene hurries into her dressing room to change into the next costume for the publicity photo shoot, her famous blue eyes still dazzled from the flashing bulbs and Klieg lights. ‘Only five minutes to change, Dottie!’ she says to her happy white terrier, stooping to give her a fond pat. Gene steps out of her gown, sighing with relief as she adjusts the too-low bodice of her exqisite longline bra with its French lace of forget-me-not blue. All during the last shoot she worried about revealing more than anyone had intended!

Somehow Gene overcomes a bad case of the fumbles as she gets dressed for the next scene. In this outfit though, it’s easy to forgive her clumsiness!

To see more Gene Marshall photos, visit my regular website.

Ready for El Morocco

It was well-designed retro outfits like this one that sold me on Gene. This particular one, entitled El Morocco, was created for an evening in 1955 when Gene does her first TV interview from her parents’ home. Afterwards, she goes to El Morocco, the chic nightclub, to celebrate her father Edward's 50th birthday. Released in 1996 and retired in May 2000, the El Morocco ensemble was designed by Timothy Alberts and ranks among the top of my fave Gene outfits. And yes, there really was an El Morocco nightclub. The New York City hotspot opened in 1931 and was known for its zebra-striped banquettes that could be seen regularly in the celebrity photos shot at the club. From the storycard:

Taking a break from your hectic film schedule, it’s wonderful to go back East to visit family and friends in New York City. But it’s not easy to go out for a relaxing night on the town as it used to be! Now, your fans are everywhere, photographers are your constant shadow, and what you do, who you see, what you wear…makes the papers and the fan magazines within hours!

And Britney and Lindsay think they have it bad. To see more Gene Marshall photos, visit my regular website.