Scarlett - The Madame Alexander Doll
By Rod Low
The 1950s have often been called the golden age of American dolls, Madame Alexander and was certainly at the forefront in the production of beautiful dolls. Madame Alexander, or Beatrice Alexander Behrman, founded her company in 1923. Made in exquisitely tissue during the early days it was a success with collectible dolls. Most of them are fictional characters such as Alice in Wonderland, Little Women and characters in novels by Charles Dickens.
After reading "Gone With The Wind", a magnificent book by Margaret Mitchell, she requested and received permission from the MGM to make a Scarlett O'Hara doll. This is done before the book is brought to the screen, and it is incredible how Madame Alexander Scarlett O'Hara doll corresponded to the actress Vivien Leigh, as it will eventually. With nearly 80 years of history, Madame Alexander's dolls grew into a vibrant fabric blend of colors and fabrics reminiscent of the ante bellum era of plastic.
Winner of the prestigious Fashion Academy Gold Medal for excellence in costume in 1951, 1952, 1953 and 1954, Madame Alexander dolls are synonymous with quality, beauty and class. The broad success of Scarlett O'Hara dolls, Madame Alexander has yet to produce the most beautiful dolls based on the film. Made to last and hundreds of coats and dresses in various prints and trim detail (mostly dolls Scarlett wore either a straw hat or a bonnet of cloth), Scarlett O'Hara dolls have certainly evolved from an adaptation of the book to a range of products which can not by itself.
The "Gone With The Wind" collection date from the early days, when the film was released until now. You can now find a doll for almost every character in the film! Closely done with great attention to detail and creativity, these dolls are a lot of collection and a must-have for all "Gone With The Wind" collectors.
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