April, 2006, Updated July 1, 2006 with new information and photos from the Deutsche Kinemathek - Marlene Dietrich Collection, Berlin
A Lenci Dolls Collector article--for
Lenci doll collectors
Celebrity Favorites:
Marlene's Mascots
Patricia Hayes
For The Lenci Doll Collector
Many of
the early Lenci dolls were character
dolls, and mascots, aimed at an adult
market. Of high quality and expensive,
they were sought after, and were often
given as gifts for special occasions.
Marlene
Dietrich's early film career was gaining
momentum during the time when Lenci
dolls were reaching the height of their
popularity in the 1920's.
Josef von Sternberg, director of The Blue Angel ,
gave Marlene Dietrich a 15" African toddler type,
felt Lenci doll,
wearing a tribal style outfit of grass
skirt, beaded necklace, and earrings, as
a good luck talisman. It became a
favorite possession. It
sat on her dressing table, whenever she
was on set, and it even appeared with
her in several of her early movies, such
as The Blue Angel , Morocco, Dishonored (1931),
and others. according to Marlene's
daughter, Maria Riva, he was " always
the first to be unpacked in any dressing
room - and always the last to be
repacked." (Marlene Dietrich Photographs:and Memories, (2001)). Continued below...
1.
Marlene Dietrich and her Lenci
dolls,
In the biography Marlene Dietrich
written by her daughter Maria Riva ( pp. 71-73), a scene is
described where Marlene is frantically
searching for her "Savage" (Lenci doll) before
leaving to go to work. The doll
was missing from it's usual spot because
her husband had been repairing the
doll's grass skirt. Marlene did
not leave home until she found her good
luck mascot.
The model number of a doll from the same Lenci series is identified in Sabine Reinelt's book "Lenci Dolls" as Model 112. An indentical doll (Image 6) was auctioned by Theriault's on 1/8/2005. The auction catalog listing provided the following discription:
"Italian Black Cloth Character By Lenci
15" (38 cm.) Chubby toddler style doll of black felt, swivel head with rounded facial modeling and plump cheeks, white felt eyes with black shoe button centers, red nostrils, painted mouth, grey tightly fleeced hair, five piece body with plump belly, spread fingers, curled toes... Lenci, circa 1935. Value Points: the very rare Lenci model is well-preserved, with original wooden alligator earrings, wooden beads with elephant dangles, grass skirt with felt ribbons." (Theriault's)
2. Marlene Dietrich's original Lenci 112 series doll as seen today in the Marlene Dietrich Collection, Berlin.
(Photo: Deutsche Kinemathek - Marlene Dietrich Collection Berlin,)
3. Marlene Dietrich's original Lenci doll in the Marlene Dietrich Collection, Berlin. (Photo: Deutsche Kinemathek - Marlene Dietrich Collection Berlin,
The
second Lenci doll (Image 3), listed in the 1931 Lenci catalog as model E 39, was also a gift
from Von Sternberg, given to Marlene for the movie Dishonored (1931), to keep her other doll company, according to the biography Marlene Dietrich by Maria Riva. An
all felt Chinese child doll, wearing a
straw "Coolie" hat and carrying a
lantern, it became a favorite too. Both dolls
appeared in her early movies. They came
with her on her journey to America, and
they were to stay in her possession
throughout her life.
4. Lenci 1931 Catalog picture, Model E39 (Right),
5. Lenci model E39 Face detail
6. Lenci dolls, Series 112,
The doll seen in the photo with Marlene is the same model
as the doll on the right. (Photo: Theraiults Cherries Jubilee Catalog 1/05)
7. Lenci doll with original lantern (missing hat)( Photo:
Bertioia)
An article from the newsletter archive
of the Berlin film institute refers to
Marlene's lenci dolls:
"The
African doll
belonged to Marlene before 1929. If you read
our Newsletters you know that Marlene used it
already in "I kiss your hand, Madame". The
Chinese puppet was probably produced by
Lenci Dolls, an Italian factory, and it also
belonged to Marlene before she came to
America. She makes a short remark about "my
little Chinese" in an article in which she
describes her feelings while traveling to
America the first time. The article is called
"?berfahrt" and was first printed in a German
trade journal called "Reichsfilmblatt" on May
17th 1930" - Judith Mayne, http://marlenedietrich.org, Newsletter 33: November 2, 2001, [PDF]
Thanks to Peter Riva, and the staff of the Deutsche Kinemathek - Marlene Dietrich Collection Berlin, I have had the privilege of identifying two additional Lenci dolls in the Marlene Dietrich collection, a second 112 series doll (Image 8), the companion model to the doll seen in the movies, and a Lenci boy doll (Image 9) in what appears to be a Breton outfit, he was listed as 'Jules' a 17.5" 300/H model, in the 1926 Lenci catalog.
8. A second longer haired Lenci 112 series doll, also found in the Marlene Dietrich Collection. (Photo: Deutsche Kinemathek - Marlene Dietrich Collection Berlin
9. Lenci model "Jules" in the Marlene Dietrich Collection, Berlin. (Photo: Deutsche Kinemathek - Marlene Dietrich Collection Berlin)
10 & 11 Marlene Dietrich's Lenci dolls in scenes from Morocco (1930)
12. Marlene Dietrich's Lenci doll in a scene from The Blue Angel (1930).
(Photo: Deutsche Kinemathek Filmmuseum - Berlin)
13. Still from Ich k?sse Ihre Hand, Madame (I kiss your hand, Madame) (Prod.1928)
14. Early Lenci 112 dolls in 1920 Playthings ad (R & L ). (Photo: Playthings 1920)
15. Lenci 112 series doll, early 1920's, mint condition with original Lenci tag. (Photo: Rosita Siccardi)
16. Marlene Dietrich Screen test for The Blue Angel (Source: youtube.com):
?2006 The Lenci Doll Collector.
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