Hollywood Dolls

Close-up of the cameo and the lace collar

I took photos of its details and I hope you will appreciate again the painstaking and amazing attention to detail that went into this doll. This is the equity of Franklin Mint -- "down to the last detail".

Earring close-up

Close up of the print detail on the dress

Close-up of face. Many have critiqued the eye paint which makes the doll have a "glaring" look. I am not actually much bothered by it as it is consistent with the paint style. However, since it is a concern, I tried doing a little photoshop to see how far it can go. This next photo is a photoshopped version of the doll's eyes, albeit with effects it somehow gives you how it could have looked with an extra dark green painted on them.

Fixed eyes

"She is the girl in the shadows, the woman who forfeits opportunities of new love with her obsession for a man whose heart that doesn't truly belong to her. And while she bids her beloved and his wife goodnight, she clings to the curtains, half in the light, half in the shadows. She watches him move up the staircase with his wife. It need not be said. As their door closes on her, a night of  ardent passion follows. For to whom does a soldier  give that but to the woman he longs for and leaves behind to face war. And for whom does his commitment lie but to her who he may not see again -- his wife.  And she? She waits for the next morning to have that chance to see him again. This is her addiction. This is the delusion that feeds her fire. And it feeds her too with the harshest truth that the next morning may be her last glimpse of the man she believes she loves.  Any trickle of affection from him would be enough to keep her going for even a lifetime of waiting. When the sun rises, before he leaves for war again, she would wait for him to rise from his wife's bedside, just like a dog waiting at the meal table for any morsel of food. Even a morsel would suffice." 

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!

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