Hollywood Dolls

Since the lost Portrait doll has not been recovered,  I've been scanning photos of people who've managed to get one.  I've been dreaming of that head and its cascade of curls that fall on the doll's shoulders. What to do? Vent it all out by creating a portrait with a photoshopped hairstyle placed on an existing doll. This is one of my favorite gowns created by Alana Bennett. I've been planning on asking her to do another gown for Scarlett. When doing research however, I am stumped by the beautiful creations seen online. Charles Worth gowns are worth looking into. Then there are the Anna Karenina gowns worn by Vivien Leigh. One must be really careful, every dollar is a large chunk on my pesos. Well, here's a portrait that I call "Lost Portrait", an expression of longing for that lost doll. Have a nice weekend everyone!

I was imagining the hoopla that must have happened when Vivien got the most coveted role in Hollywood and thought of creating this faux cover of a Hollywood magazine during that time.

This is a "wish sculpt" an imagined sculpt if Tonner were to create a Vivien Leigh sculpt to replace the Tonner Scarlett sculpt they currently have. Slender face. plump upper lip, higher arch, green-eyed, and a hairstyle that's close to the Portrait Scarlett they currently have. Via photoshop, here are the before and after photos.

BEFORE (Current Tonner Scarlett Sculpt)

AFTER  The "wish sculpt"  Retouched via photoshop

This is perhaps -- and still in my opinion -- the most perfect cut done of the Walter Plunkett's iconic drapery dress.  I had waited for good price for this. The original price was around $200 plus -- almost the price to pay for the taxes on Tara. And no wait in vain it was. Changes? I trimmed the tassels on the curtain cords, trimmed the tassles on the hat, curbed those feathers with band (hidden) and exchanged the  earbobs with Mattel's Drapery doll earbobs. This doll is a repaint of Tonner's  "Return to Tara".  I yet have to find the time to do more repainting (moving jobs) and my eyesight has not been too good.

"In the great tradition of Civil War Romance" -- is the supposedly tagline to Raintree County. Herein, the young  and beautiful Elizabeth Taylor plays a Southern Belle, Susannah Drake. The 1957 film that also stars Montgomery Clift and Eva Marie Saint was, in my opinion, no Gone with the Wind. But heck! GWTW started the Civil War Romance in ways that no other civil war romance could probably achieve after it.  And of course, there is the iconic Scarlett O' Hara.

This gown is one of the dresses worn by Susannah in the film. It has a pale pink bodice adorned with lacey type of collar (also on the sleeves). If the mood and tone of this gown is familiar it is only because it too was designed by Walter Plunkett -- who made those iconic dresses from GWTW.

I was able to augment the name of the blog: Scarlett Reverie. Soultalk777 seemed vague and not sharp on majority of the content here. Reverie? I believe it's appropriate to how a Scarlett doll makes me personally feel, and the portraits that I envision her to be in, also the possibilities of what the doll could be. Shamelessly,  I post pictures which capture those possibilities. A blue gown could turn green and ringlets could multipy on her head. Long after the dolls will have tarnished or I may be old to even see well how to repaint, these portraits live on. They may not be the best in repaints, nor in portraiture, but I certainly hope they can inspire those who stumble on this blog. A doll is just a doll until it brings out imagination. That's my opinion. Personally, shelves are nice places for them to be in, and boxes nice for them to keep, but the true joy of a doll is seeing it come to life in ones creativity: be it OOAK gowns, repainting, photography, etc.

As we wait for the release of  Franklin Mint or Tonner's new collection. And me, personally waiting for the new Scarlett doll outfits, I see great possibilities in the "power of play".

Saturday morning, 1:22 a.m. It's a weekend and one thing to look forward to aside from a lot of "me" time is the release of Tonner's new Scarlett outfit (only I hope) called "Dressed up Like Racehorses"
Thanks to Dale Ohl of Lonestar dolls (check his site out) and to Nikki who enlightened the Scarlett Vinyl Yahoo Group of what to expect. So, before retiring for the night and pardonne moi for retiring so late. It is a weekend after all, I decided to do one more portrait of Tonner's "Return to Tara" doll. She wears the Franklin Mint's very rare blue portrait gown, photoshop-ed to have a new deep red color. If one spent a lot of time waiting for this outfit and finally paying a reasonable price (than what is usually auctioned off in ebay), it pays to explore the possibilities of this gown. The draping of the gown wonderful and drapes in scale. The material is very soft velvet that flows easily with every pose.

Happy collecting. The journey begins in 2010. But for now, good night everyone!

For a doll collector, a new year means new dolls to look forward to -- with great trepidation and excitement. For one, it will mean a chunk of ones' budget going to the new collection. Second, the thrill and ooh's and ahh's upon seeing new ideas, new creativity. For me, it means a new Scarlett. God knows only a few of the GWTW dresses have been done so the journey is still long and hopefully easy on the pocket (dresses and dolls separate, please Mr. Tonner).  There are rumors of a new Basic Scarlett. A new factory paint? New hair color? New hairstyle? Part of the excitement is being in the dark. In a few weeks time, we will all be led out of darkness -- the internet will be ablaze with press releases of these dolls,  forums will be adding pages with the discussion on what collectors like, don't like, and savings will be withdrawn. I don't want to be overwhelmed but I know I will, after all dolls are our escape,  our meditation our little joys that make the everyday headlines bearable. So, Mr. Tonner what's next?

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.

Kissing 2009 goodbye in 2 hours 45 minutes, so I thought of doing portraitures of Scarlett ("Travelling with Mother...") in Tonner's "Kissing Ashley Goodbye".  Among the dresses in which Vivien Leigh's beauty was highly complemented, the Christmas dress in which she desperately tries to hold on to every second with her illusion is in my opinion one of the best. Why? The innocent girlish sweetness of the dress is at variance with the turbulent mature passion of a woman that demands for love. "Demand" being the operative word in Vivien Leigh's crafting of Scarlett -- whereas other aspirants exhibited "begging for love", Vivien Leigh's interpretation was unique and faithful to the characterization of Mitchell. "At variance" for while Scarlett displayed porcelain-like fragility of beauty and decorum as admonished by Ellen 'O Hara and Mammy, inwardly, she was endowed with the Irish-determination and gumption that stood out in the war-torn South.
I have posted pictures of the Franklin Mint version of this dress ("How Could He Resist") which is more faithful in color, length and accessories to the film. The Tonner version fails in the cameo (which was originally all black, and which I repainted to reveal that cute cameo silhouette).
The boots of this doll is red, whereas the Franklin Mint version uses red pumps. The Tonner version has a overly voluminous skirt. One has to iron the pleats (lukewarm) to tame the large skirt. I wonder how those women moved in small houses with such large skirts.
As the new year ends, we kiss it goodbye: holding on to its lessons, and letting go of its sad moments. And while we hold everything in memory - be they sweet or bittersweet, we must remember to persevere...like Scarlett, we will, after the wars in our lives are over -- we will.

Looking back, in a previous post, I said I would try not to look back (consider purchasing) Tonner's "Don't Look Back". Reason being, I didn't find it really too much of an authentic Civil War Costume. Well, here I am eating my words. And Dave (of Daveland did challenge me if I could live up to my decision). I didn't Dave! That's what happens when you see lots of photos of this doll and how beautiful the outfit seems to "really" be on it.  Beyond that I hesitated because of the price. What the heck! Money comes back but the immense joy of holding, posing, photographing and repainting a doll like Scarlett is priceless! Sounds like the MasterCard ad, right? Well whoever made that ad surely got it right.

The doll has been repainted and I think this is one which I really pressured myself by getting the first stroke right. I hope I did. I haven't shaded the doll yet. There are times when you just have to stop. What I like about her? The dress drapes beautifully. I love beautifully draped dresses on dolls as they make the dress look more in proportion. The hat which was a big issue by one post in Prego (vis-a-vis the Franklin Mint version) was actually negligible (unless of course, you've actually seen the Mint version which I conclude from photos of it to be more in synch with the film).

The doll's hair has long curls at the back which I managed to set aside to be more faithful to the scene. Although shown briefly, the scene doesn't do justice. And eating my words further, I must say: It is a must buy for any GWTW doll fan to have this.  Perhaps like Ashley, how could I not be smitten by Tonner Scarlett's charm in this ensemble.
This is the last, I hope post of Tonner Scarletts for this year (unless the price of the drapery dress of Tonner goes down on sale). Well, here she is, me eating my words, and finally feasting on another: the joy of looking back...and now looking forward to 2010 for another joyful GWTW doll collecting. I hope Tonner or Franklin Mint will be more gentle with their pricing -- that among others is part of my simple Christmas wish list.

When Tonner released the first publicity pictures of this Walter Plunkett "lost costume", not many were smitten.  "Travelling with Mother to Savannah" may have been done for that part wherein the newly-widowed Scarlett (who manages to make people believe that her mourning state of emotions were meant for her dead husband, Charles Hamilton) visits her Aunt Eulalie and Aunt Pauline (Ellen's sisters) in Savannah. One may think that being a wealthy Robilliard may have merited this dress for a visit. But then again, personally, I find the dress inappropriate to the look of the Civil War, and to the age of Scarlett who was then in her teens. I find this costume too adult for the young Scarlett, and too ostentatious. If ever this was made at a time of mourning for Scarlett, it would have been inappropriate by Ellen O' Hara.  Black and no frills was the fashion for mourning women that time, no more, no less.

So why did I buy it?

I guess it was a tribute to Plunkett who I believe made the most wonderful costumes in Hollywood at that time. I guess I was also curious about how the dress was made, what the material was, and somehow -- regardless if the doll was Scarlett or not, the dress does make an impression -- although a bit too loud and edgy. Also, she was on sale and when not in control the "click to buy" button is the last thing you should really look at.  Lastly, when depression happens they say, stay away from things that can create an impulse.

That said, I still am loving this costume for what it is. The ivy design at the bottom is too large and would have been more elegant if done in an understated elegance sort of way. The doll you see is the Tonner Business Mill doll sans bangs, tucked under the hat.

The doll has an overlay cape -- very Victorian with fringes all around. It is cut in a diamond shape and reaches the back of the doll's full skirt.  Underneath is a full skirt separate from the top. Nope, there is no blouse on on top save for a fully fitted cream bodice attached to the cape. The bodice  which has beautiful studs as buttons is attached to the cape and has sleeves. The sleeves are adorned  with ruffles at the ends and a band of black at the cuffs.  Thus there are two pieces: skirt and cape with attached bodice. The cape is made of soft silky material which easily moves, the fringes give it weight. The real doll is dressed in stockings. The ensemble is completed with a hat accented with soft,  red feathers the color of which is similar to those in "Welcoming Guests with Melanie" gown. The real doll has a braided hair at the back similar to the Tonner Business doll without bangs (but at the moment  has not been repainted). That doll would have been perfect with the Christmas with Ashley dress. It also comes with black pumps -- black versions of the white ones for "Don't Look Back".

Above some photos I managed to take fast before the battery dies. So what's next for Tonner GWTW lost costumes: I am hoping they do the dress supposedly of the  "last take" and never-before-seen scene.
Do I love her? Well, might as well be happy with the decisions you make in life. After all, they aren't anybody else's but yours. = ) Happy doll collecting everyone. There seems to be no remedy for a fever as Scarlett fever.