No, the esteemed Beatrice Alexander isn’t turning 90—the company’s founder passed away in 1990, at age 95. If she were still alive today, she’d be looking at 118 candles on her birthday cake.

]]> raz@jonespublishing.com (Stephanie Finnegan) In the Spotlight Wed, 08 May 2013 19:13:35 +0000 http://dollsmagazine.com/articles/in-the-spotlight/664-perfectly-perky-shirley-temple-turns-85-and-her-dolls-continue-to-delight-collectors.html http://dollsmagazine.com/articles/in-the-spotlight/664-perfectly-perky-shirley-temple-turns-85-and-her-dolls-continue-to-delight-collectors.html One of the benefits of working in the doll world is the fact that I got to rub shoulders with some really sweet, really good-natured famous folk. Many of the women and men I had the chance to meet in person or chat with over the phone would be defined as America’s sweethearts. From Margaret O’Brien to Marie Osmond, Annette Funicello to Marla Maples Trump, all of these ladies were polite, courteous, and cheerful when it came to talking about their affinity and affection for dolls—dolls of their own likenesses and dolls that they owned as children on movie and TV soundstages or in junior beauty pageant competitions.]]> raz@jonespublishing.com (Stephanie Finnegan) In the Spotlight Tue, 23 Apr 2013 21:09:53 +0000 http://dollsmagazine.com/articles/in-the-spotlight/663-frankly-speaking-anne-franks-words-inspire-doll-artists-and-give-strength-in-these-crazy-times.html http://dollsmagazine.com/articles/in-the-spotlight/663-frankly-speaking-anne-franks-words-inspire-doll-artists-and-give-strength-in-these-crazy-times.html On April 15, 2013, terrorism reared its ugly head once more. Like all other Americans—and, really, TV viewers from around the globe—I watched in horror and amazement as reports of the Boston bombing consumed the airwaves. As a person who was in New York City, working, on 9/11, I immediately felt a flashback to those surreal hours when I, along with my fellow New Yorkers, were stranded in the streets of Manhattan for many, many hours as police and first responders shut the city down, and stopped all points of entry and exit. It was a horrendous day—which spawned a month of constant (fake) bomb threats being called into my employer, Random House. The whole work force learned to drop everything and take to the stairwells to exit the building. This was the new reality—it was the new normal. Terrorist threats became as common a part of my life as my morning coffee and muffin were.
]]> raz@jonespublishing.com (Stephanie Finnegan) In the Spotlight Wed, 17 Apr 2013 19:28:06 +0000 http://dollsmagazine.com/articles/in-the-spotlight/661-the-cats-meow-zelda-ascott-the-great-gatsby-and-fashion-fads-are-part-of-doll-culture.html http://dollsmagazine.com/articles/in-the-spotlight/661-the-cats-meow-zelda-ascott-the-great-gatsby-and-fashion-fads-are-part-of-doll-culture.html The other day I was watching a DVD and a trailer for “The Great Gatsby” exploded on my TV screen. Now, I’m a real devotee of F. Scott Fitzgerald. I have visited his college of choice, Princeton University—he dropped out in 1917—and have gotten real shivers down my spine knowing that I might be treading in his footsteps. Yes, to borrow a phrase from Noël Coward, “I’m mad about the boy.”
]]> raz@jonespublishing.com (Stephanie Finnegan) In the Spotlight Tue, 09 Apr 2013 19:28:59 +0000 http://dollsmagazine.com/articles/in-the-spotlight/660-spring-awakening-bunnies-baskets-babies-and-divinely-inspired-dollsincluding-the-popedefine-easter.html http://dollsmagazine.com/articles/in-the-spotlight/660-spring-awakening-bunnies-baskets-babies-and-divinely-inspired-dollsincluding-the-popedefine-easter.html I imagine it’s a sign of the times that even the Easter Bunny has grown more health-conscious. The altruistic rabbit isn’t as fretful and haranguing as New York’s Mayor Bloomberg, but there is definitely an emphasis on “goods” rather than “goodies” this holiday season.

I’d be shampooing her hair, and her tiny, little, breathy voice would ask, “Mommy, give me some big numbers to add. My brain wants to work!” And I’d roll out all variations of “pluses” and some “minuses” too. (Jane insisted that the washing and massaging of her scalp made her brain come alive, and it wanted to be exercised as well.)
]]> raz@jonespublishing.com (Stephanie Finnegan) In the Spotlight Mon, 11 Feb 2013 15:25:13 +0000 http://dollsmagazine.com/articles/in-the-spotlight/653-guys-and-dolls-a-manly-man-gets-in-touch-with-his-chatty-cathy-side.html http://dollsmagazine.com/articles/in-the-spotlight/653-guys-and-dolls-a-manly-man-gets-in-touch-with-his-chatty-cathy-side.html Like many other Americans—and actually citizens the world over—I took part in the annual ritual of Super Bowl watching and snacking. Since I didn’t have a preference for either team, and wasn’t really all that interested in the outcome, I spent a lot of time refreshing drinks and microwaving nachos.
    In between plays, I schmoozed and gossiped. Okay, I admit it—I even talked and chatted during the game. Because of my magpie status, I was asked a few times to stay in the kitchen, which is what I ended up doing.
]]> raz@jonespublishing.com (Stephanie Finnegan) In the Spotlight Tue, 05 Feb 2013 17:22:32 +0000 http://dollsmagazine.com/articles/in-the-spotlight/652-on-the-qt-django-unchained-dolls-have-gone-underground-and-are-netting-record-prices.html http://dollsmagazine.com/articles/in-the-spotlight/652-on-the-qt-django-unchained-dolls-have-gone-underground-and-are-netting-record-prices.html Director/producer/screenwriter Quentin Tarantino is turning 50 years old in March, but he doesn’t show any signs of mellowing or chilling out with age. Nope, instead the self-proclaimed “film geek” is stirring up controversy and stealing headlines with his latest film, “Django Unchained.” In case you’ve been snoozing for the past month, “Django Unchained,” or “DU,” is Tarantino’s blending of a spaghetti-western with a black-exploitation-movie vibe. It’s supposedly paying homage to the Sergio Leone European-existential epics that made Clint Eastwood a superstar as the “Man with No Name.” Tarantino is a bona fide expert in cult films, classic Hollywood, and movies that have made a difference in the social climate. He really knows his stuff, so he must have known somewhere in his subconscious that “DU” was running the risk of shaking up the status quo.