Hollywood Dolls

A classic beauty for this week's Picture of the Week Award is a repainted Scarlett "Return to Tara" doll from the Tonner Doll Co. Her hair has been restyled and the gown is a OOAK creation by Alana Bennett of dollfashionsbyalana.com. The photographer/repainter is Boots Villavecer from the Philippines.


When I find a candidate for the Picture of the Week I always send several questions for the artist to answer. Boots was very generous with his time and response so I am going to paste his response here.

The first few hours of 2010 daytime. I am awake at 7:15 a.m., alone typing this post in the living room. The sky is blurred from the revelry of fireworks as I think of days to come. Life plans are important, I've realized a bit later in the game -- but not too late. If you live, you still have that chance. One plan is to learn something new everyday, a new enriching experience. Go back to exercise -- seriously and create the results, practice new creativity, see old things in a new light and be at peace -- with everyone, everything, most importantly, yourself.

One novel that I will always uphold as one of the most un-droppable reads is Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca. Released in 1938 (nearly the period that Gone with the Wind was released), and enchanting readers all over. The title of the story points to a wealthy man's wife who mysteriously dies in a boat accident. But the lead of the story is girl described as plain and lacking in confidence. She is an assistant to a wealthy dowager, and while vacationing in the Riviera, her whole world changes. What seems to be whirlwind courtship brings her be the next wife of Maximilian de Winter. The reader is somehow made to believe that it would be a marriage that changes the course of her life. But upon reaching the Manderlay, mansion of her wealthy husband, she only realizes that she will live forever under the shadow of the beautiful, charming and alluring deceased wife -- Rebecca.


Her antagonists range from the lingering mementos of the dead wife to one strong member of the household who believes Rebecca is irreplaceable. Mrs. Danvers -- the mansion's keeper and head of household may as well be the living haunt of Manderlay. Schemes, and subtle verbal assaults are made by her to make this new wife feel her lack vis-a-vis the dead wife. There is even a point where Mrs. Danvers encourages the new wife to end her sorrow -- go ahead, jump out the window, it's going to be easy, it will be fast. A turning point is where the young wife is made to wear a gown to celebrate the reawakening of Manderlay, encouraged by Mrs. Danvers -- only to realize that this would be one of the biggest mistakes she'll ever make as the new wife of Max de Winter.

Rebecca was made into a film. Lawrence Olivier was to play Max de Winter; and it was produced by David Selznick. It isn't surprising that the young Vivien Leigh -- fresh from her success as Scarlett -- would audition for the part. I have attached a link to that rare screentest here. Copy paste to your internet browser.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxTEDtkXxxM


Unfortunately, Ms. Leigh, despite her ability to bring Scarlett to life, was not the choice. She was deemed "beautiful" (a contrast to the lead's plain description) and fresh from GWTW, she had not the time to prepare for the role. But she so wanted to play next to her beau, Lawrence. Selznick was said to have explained it to her via mail: that the choice of the lead is just as crucial a manner similar to the choice Scarlett. And it was meticulousness that made Scarlett a success. In effect trying to make her understand and justify the choice not being her. Why if the new wife looked like Vivien, I think the dead Rebecca would have to be even more beautiful.

Perplexing though is the choice which Selznick had for the role: Joan Fontaine -- sister of Olivia de Havilland (a rival of sisters which I think is strange too). For Joan was not really plain (my opinon). Well judge for yourself. Watch the film. The novel is slow with its descriptive narrative, it picks up towards the middle. Not a Grisham novel in pace, but something you'd like to read, curled up on a cold day beside a window. It has to be read slowly. I think the novel was much better than the book -- as is the case most of the time.

SO WHAT HAS THIS GOT TO DO WITH DOLLS?

Well, let's just say I wish Tonner would do gowns from Hollywood films or heroines from novels: Jane Eyre, Rebecca, Little Women, Sabrina. It would be fun to see those characters interpreted in doll form. Heathcliff and Cathy, Mr. Rochester and Jane Eyre, etc. etc. It would be a good effort to revive interest in the classics.

Just some last few shots before the city resumes its noise. Lent has ended after 4 days of silence, no traffic, and no people walking around.

Here is the Tonner Scarlett which I repainted again. I realized that I've been using diluted acrylic and not retouching it with a last layer of 1:1 acrylic to water. Read in www.squidoo.com a very helpful hint about diluting the acrylic. Funny that you get bits and pieces about repainting different sources. For the Tara Prayer Dress doll, I chose to have her lips lighter -- pinkish. After all Scarlett was seventeen when she wore this. The eyes here are the hardest --as always. 4 layers of colors from dark green, lime, white and black and (OH!!!) those tiny dots in the eyes to make them look like they capture light. I'm still learning. I yet have to perfect contouring and shading. I wish I lived in the US to access more Tonner dolls. Each one I secure costs almost P8,000 that's because the Philippine Peso is 48 to 1 dollar. Crazy I know. That's I try to save up for each and every one of them -- and just drool over the rest I can't. = ) C'est la Vie!!!

I'm yearning for those Twilight dolls, that Portieres doll is calling too; and not far behind is the "Don't Look Back" doll = ) But priorities, priorities. They have to wait. And I'll have to break back to earn extra for them. That explains why this blog just has repeated dresses and a few dolls.

Well, Happy Easter to those who stumble upon this blog. Have a little "prayer and hope" in your heart and soul always!

I had Alana Bennett do me another gown for the Tonner Scarlett. With all the costumes going around, I thought I might as well do something unique for the doll.

The dress is a pale blue and white 2-piece day dress or so (I am not sure). A friend sent me some pictures of Edwardian/Victorian gowns. I thought of combining designs to make the gown. I am not sure where she got the pictures. They must be from www. vintagetextile.com Anyhow, here are the pictures and the photo that Alana sent me of the gown -- which I couldn't stop turning into another portrait. She did wonderful embroidery by hand on this gown. So what you see here are derivatives from original pieces. The blue and white ensemble has been revised via photoshop to have lace on its sleeves. I also added a bustle to it. Alana said the bustle was detachable if I so choose to have the dress without it.

Can't wait to have it. In this life, we live for little joys. In Alana, I find more joy to fill up my little joys!

Photos coming soon (when the dress arrives)

When Tonner Doll Company released their Scarlett, it was to much of the dismay of Scarlett doll collectors that the doll-heroine did not look much like the actress despite the press releases claiming: "in the likeness of Vivien Leigh" (there is a disclaimer though in the end that says: intended likeness). 

The first time I saw a Gone With The Wind book, was when I was first year high school. It was being read by my bookworm elder sister. Admittedly I was not attracted to either its title nor its cover. Having no idea of the American Civil War and only being familiar with artwork reminiscent of the Louis L'Amour western novels my grandfather read extensively (and repeatedly), I assumed it was some sort of John Wayne type or a cowboy novel. So I really didn't even consider graduating from my regular Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew novels to a 1040 page novel (or 900 plus, depending on the printing). My only knowledge then of GWTW was its song: Tara's Theme which my mother would always request me to play on the piano. 

Here are more of my GWTW doll collections: hair restyled, face repainted in the likeness of Vivien Leigh.