Pretty Woman

In 2003, The Robert Tonner Doll Company released two outfits for their Sydney Chase doll based on iconic outfits that Julia Roberts wore in the hit movie, "Pretty Woman." The first one shown here is known as Polo Match, and was worn in the movie when Vivian (Roberts) accompanied (Richard Gere) to a Polo Match.

The next outfit, known as "Night at the Opera" was worn when Vivian was jetted to San Francisco to see her first opera. Here's Trent, showing her the ruby necklace that he rented just for this special occasion.



Oh, how they sparkle!



Cocoa Crisp Gene loves her necklace; she may have a difficult time returning it to the jeweler!



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 Robert Tonner doll photos on my Tonner doll web pages.

Rising From The Ashes

Gene is back, and this time, JAMIEshow has got her! The limited edition of 150, titled "Phoenix," sold out quickly; those (like me) who took time to consider the $550 purchase had that decision made for them.



Pros: I LOVE the new resin body. The shading, the quality of the material, and the articulation.



Cons: The face paint just seems a bit bland to me; not sure how to put it into words, but it seems to be lacking the stylistic art deco quality that AD and IT's dolls had. Granted, the IT dolls used more shading, but those Genes still seemed to have a bit more personality. I am also not crazy about the high forehead, which is (most likely) because of the wig caps. Still, a good hairstyle could cover that up with no problem.



So how about you? Are you as excited as I am to know that Gene has risen from the ashes?

FOLLOW-UP: Kudos to George from Jamieshow, who quickly answered my questions despite having just flown back from IDEX. He assured me that the forehead is not any higher than the other Genes, and he also answered my questions about staining:

Yellowing is not an issue like Vinyl, staining is possible but simply washes off with a little soap and water, since resin is not porous like Vinyl it will not penetrate the skin.


I have to admit I am now sorry that I didn't act quicker in attempting to acquire one of these beauties. The photos that the new owners have posted on some of the boards are just beautiful.

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

Diane Wagner's "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"

The Marilyn Monroe movie "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" is one of those movies that I consider sheer perfection. I cannot think of a single moment that should be changed. The chemistry between Jane Russell and Monroe is fantabulous, and the supporting cast is no less brilliant. This leopard-trimmed outfit that Monroe wears as she enters the cruise ship is one of my very favorite costumes that she wears in the film. Designed by Travilla, it fits her like a glove and shows off every sensuous curve of her body.



Recently, Diane Wagner did her take on this outfit and I snatched it up. It sure looks beautiful on "Fit For A Queen" Gene Marshall.



I did my best to match the jewelry Monroe wore, but at some point in the future will probably do another photo shoot with pieces that come closer. The "diamond" brooch is from the All About Eve trunk set.



The outfit was barely out of the carton before I was photographing it - I like it that much!





Many thanks to Diane for bringing this outfit to life; she hit another home run as far as I'm concerned!

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Gene is Heartless!

Tim Kennedy's circa 1952 design called "Heartless" was released in 2000 for Madra Lord. I decided to allow Cocoa Crisp Gene Marshall do the honors of modeling it for you. My favorite part of this outfit is the miniature olive that comes with it!

From the story card:

The lead in "Somewhere Summer" seemed like the perfect part for Madra Lord (at least in Madra’s opinion): a young Career Girl who overcomes the machinations of a ruthless Older Woman and wins the day and The Guy.

So when her agent called and told her that Ruben Lilienthal had personally picked her for Somewhere Summer, she dashed to the local Elizabeth Alden for the full treatment. A week later, she arrived at the studio to sign her contract—for the role of the Older Woman.



“What!” she shouted at her agent on the phone. “What was in your mind when you told R.L. I’d do this? The ‘Older Woman’? For this I spent a week at the salon?”

“The stretch will do you good, sweetheart,”cooed Benny, finally getting a word in edgewise. “It’s on location. It’s a high profile picture. And it’s in your contract.”

“All right,” sighed Madra. “But whoever is playing the little ingenue is in for the ride of her life. Who is it?”

“You couldn’t guess?” said Benny, with a slight quaver.



“It’s Gene Marshall, isn’t it?” Benny’s silence confirmed her suspicions. “Well, at least it’s someone I can dish with—and who knows how to take what I dish out.”

Off Madra went to start filming. No one knew how to play a heartless woman with so much heart that audiences actually felt a little sorry when the character got her come-uppance. And when she showed up in the film wearing a smart pea-green and polka dot outfit in one last desperate attempt to hang on to the hero, audiences gasped—maybe she would win out after all. But in losing The Guy, the Older Woman won something else—the audiences’ hearts.



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

Gene Marshall: Sparkling Seduction

Released in 1997, this circa 1948 outfit was designed by Shelley Rinker, a Young Designers of America winner. The doll modeling this faux fur-trimmed outfit is 2001's Lovely In Lace.

From the story card:

One benefit of being a leading Hollywood actress is being able to choose the parts you want to play...and finding characters that bring out aspects of your personality that may not be so obvious to your fans.

So it is that Gene looked forward to her leading role in the film Sparkling Seduction. This is a detective story with a different point of view, because it's Gene, and not some male star in a rumpled trench coat, who is playing the detective!



The plot has many twists, turns, and surprises. At the beginning of the film, Gene is hired by the suspicious wife of a Hollywood studio mogul to investigate his alleged infidelities. But it soon becomes clear that the man is innocent...and targeted for murder! What's more, Gene finds herself falling in love with him as she tries to unravel the murder plot. In one climactic (and memorably romantic!) scene, Gene, keeping a midnight rendezvous, sweeps into the room wearing this magnificent gown and fur-trimmed cape. Her form-fitting sheath sparkles with applied pailettes and cascades into a furled hemline...no film "gumshoe" was ever this glamorous...and the public just loves Gene's portrayal!



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.

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.

Back to the Sawmill

One of Vivien Leigh's most beautiful "Gone With The Wind" outfits can be seen (albeit briefly) in the scene where she is sharing a nostalgic moment with Ashley. The Tonner doll company did a fantastic job of capturing this outfit with their "Don't Look Back" Scarlett O'Hara 16" vinyl doll.



Today, she is one of the most rare and highly sought after Tonner Scarlett dolls, typically fetching $300 or more. Being a stickler for screen accurate outfits, I switched the Tonner hat, jewelry, and umbrella out for the Franklin Mint's versions.





Here are Vivien Leigh as Scarlett and Leslie Howard as Ashley, sharing a platonic embrace, reminiscing about the old days in the south before the war destroyed their world.



Trent Osborn does a nice job of standing in for Leslie Howard, don't you think?



See more "Gone With The Wind" doll photos on my GWTW doll web page.