Shirley Temple: Bright Eyes

Although the name of the movie, "Bright Eyes" (1934), isn't necessarily familiar to most, hardly a person is unaware of the hit song that Shirley Temple sang from it: "On The Goodship Lollipop." Even without the song, this movie still holds up today, with a slight edge and some adult themes that are not present in most Temple films from the 30s. In this sequence with her bratty counterpart, Jane Withers, Shirley wears an oversize dress as the two children take their dolls out for a stroll.



The Danbury Mint released this outfit twice; once with what I call the "E.T." sculpt, and then again in a limited edition version that had a mohair wig. My 75th Anniversary Shirley is modeling the outfit, which also came with a miniature version of the doll that Shirley had in the movie as well as an oversized handbag.







See more Shirley Temple doll photos at my regular website.

Doris & Rock: Pillow Talk

Doris Day & Rock Hudson are one of the most beloved screen teams of yesteryear. The 1959 classic "Pillow Talk" is still a fresh and enjoyable romantic comedy romp. Mattel chose to honor the duo with this recently released doll set.



The positives? The Rock Sculpt is incredible; for a 12" figure, they sure did capture his face. Doris' outfit and jewelry are extremely faithful recreations of the ensemble she wore in the movie, shown in the first photo which is of the scene that Mattel followed for this set.



The negatives: c'mon Mattel; what is the deal with your doll bodies? They have released yet another static set with virtually NO poseability. The costumes are sewed tightly onto the doll bodies to give the illusion of perfect tailoring. If you want to remove them from the box to photograph and pose them, you are screwed.



I am sure this is a pricepoint decision, just as it must have been to eliminate Doris' white fur stole. Speaking of Doris...the sculpt is ok, but just doesn't quite capture the fresh-faced innocence of the real Doris Day, which is surprising when seeing how accurate Rock's sculpt is.





Overall, it's fantastic that Rock & Doris were honored by Mattel; just a little disappointing that Mattel couldn't have taken a few extra steps (for which I am sure collectors would have shelled out a few extra bucks) to make this a higher quality release.



See more Gene Marshall & friends photos at my regular website.

Happy 4th of July!

This 1999 fashion (circa 1944) was designed by Dolly Cipolla. What better outfit to showcase for July 4th? First up are two publicity stills shot by Steven Mays, followed by a few of my own creations.



From the story card:

Scarcely a week had gone by after D-Day when Gene and her fellow USO Camp Tour entertainers found themselves on a transport boat cutting across the choppy waves of the English Channel to Normandy. The “Soldiers in Greasepaint” were coming over to the new front lines, to fight their battles for morale, spirit, and patriotism.



During their first show on Normandy land, Gene could see a new hope dawning in the faces of the soldiers she met. The tide of war was turning in the Allies’ favor at long last, and a fresh, new spirit was budding in everyone's heart. Gene and the famous comedian USO host decided then and there that she would perform her patriotic new number for the finale, hoping it would spark morale to a bright new flame.



Gene stepped out from the wings with the energy of a sizzling firecracker, high-kicking and belting out a rousing song for America, the flag, and the Fourth of July. Gene poured her entire heart and soul to that crowd. She sparkled and dazzled in the sunlight, her smile radiant, her every move vibrant and bold. Thousands of booted feet started to stomp the beat, thousands of hands clapped with wild enthusiasm. A fresh, brisk breeze blew from the west, and set the American flag to waving proudly over their heads. An electrifying feeling swept through the audience…an overwhelming, tingling sensation of joy, optimism, and exuberance that drove them wild. By the end, every soldier was on his feet, arms in the air, cheering like crazy for the Red, White, and Blue!







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.

Grace Kelly & Jet Set Chic

Grace Kelly is seeing a resurgence in the doll world, thanks to Mattel. Recently, they have released her in the 12" format wearing a costume from "To Catch a Thief," and they have also announced future Grace dolls as well.



The upcoming Bridal Grace from Mattel:



And her trousseau:





Based on the photos, I still prefer the Franklin Mint sculpt. If only her eyes hadn't been painted as if she were a deer in the headlights! I have done my best to fix that with photoshop for this particular shoot, as I haven't been brave enough (yet) to fix it permanently with my paint brush.

My FM Grace featured in this post is modeling Jet Set Chic, a Madame Alexander outfit created for her Grace Kelly doll. As you can see, Alex bears very little resemblance to the actress:



Jet Set Chic is loosely based on the outfit Grace wore in this photo of her with President Kennedy & Jackie:



Talk about smoldering looks; damn!



Back to Madame Alexander's outfit. It is very well-made, but definitely a bit snug on the FM Grace. The shoes are not a great fit for FM Grace, nor is the hat, which I had to use glue dots to get to stay on. Even for Alex though, the feathered hat is much too small compared to what Princess Grace actually wore.









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.

Golden Gate Glamour: Barcelona

To showcase Barcelona, one of the other spectacular ensembles from Sandra Stillwell's Golden Gate Glamour Convention, I decided to use Rita Hayworth, a special F.A.O. Schwartz doll. Even though she is not fully articulated, she is still one of my faves. But enough about Rita...let's check out this beautiful piece of couture!



Rita definitely looks better with the jacket unbuttoned!





And even better without the jacket altogether; now she's looking more like Gilda! Please note the change of earrings; Sandra provided two sets of earrings with this ensemble. So many choices! And the pocketbook...love the black lace around the matching green fabric. Gorgeous!









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 at my regular website.

Golden Gate Glamour: Paris of the West

Sandra Stillwell is AWFUL...for my bank account. Her recent Golden Gate Glamour convention provided a number of new outfits for our old gal Gene (and her pals). Anyone who knows Sandra already is aware of the high level of quality that is the hallmark of her conventions and ensembles, and this one was no different. Although I couldn't attend, believe me...I was watching her blog daily for photo updates! I was fortunate enough to snag two outfits (most were sold immediately), one of which is shown here. Based on a design by Lilli Ann (see photo #1), Paris of the West is modeled by Rich Girl Madra Lord.



You can tell it's a Sandra Stillwell ensemble; perfect fit, well-tailored, and SOOOO fashionable.



















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 at my regular website.