Doll Eyes 11-17-77

Transcript (Download)

What does that mean? Well, that's the name of the company who originally made her.

It was a series of companies who joined together.

And she's got pouty lips.

Yes, and she was called Pouty.

And she's got glass eyes.

And you blew that eye? And then she said, oh, bloomers and everything.

And this is one of your favorites.

That is my favorite doll.

I can understand why.

Oh, and everything moves, huh? Yes.

Ooh, you can hear the...

She's a ball -jointed doll.

Arms and legs are both ball -jointed.

Oh, so the hands, huh? Just like the old -fashioned dolls.

Oh, and they squeak.

And what do we have here? This is a mold, her head mold.

Oh, this is for this doll? Yes.

Okay, and you can actually see what she looks like in a doll.

Okay, now what are we going to do with it? We're going to put it together and put a band on it and hold it tight.

We're going to stand it up.

We're going to pour it and slip.

We pour it clear up to the top.

And we leave it sit.

You don't have to worry about bubbles or anything? No.

It shouldn't be unless you pour it too fast sometimes.

I put the knife in sometimes to break up the air bubble.

So there's no bubbles.

And you leave that set now until it gets about a quarter of an inch thick.

How long would that be? Just a few.

So that actually all you get is like a skim around the inside.

That's how it gets the hole in the middle.

And then I pour it out.

What are we going to do now? We're going to pour it out.

That's part of it.

It's like you're in a...

You pour it slow because if you pour it too fast there'll be a vacuum formed and the whole thing will collapse.

And then you turn it upside down.

And all you want is what's left, like a residue.

Then when it stops dripping and you don't...

Actually nothing does pour after a certain point.

Then you set it down.

And then you take your mold knife Oh, it's already that thick.

clean that off.

And now you have to leave that set.

And you take off the band.

And then you wait a little while and then you have to leave it until this will release on its own.

If you take it off too soon, it'll split.

Okay, well let's just walk behind.

Just turn off the camera.

The tools that you do.

This is forceful.

But there's no transition to this part.

No, not until after it's fired.

Is that what has to happen? Then it would...

After it's fired, then you clean off the seams first.

And then you sand them down.

We have special sanding tools.

Pads that we use.

And then you get it all sanded.

You're looking at Helen's old dolls.

These are her dolls from her own childhood.

Part of her collection.

The glass eyes have so much more sparkle to them.

What did you do last night, Helen? Yes, you didn't get all nice.

What did you do last night? What? Okay.

Identifier

F.2012-03-2093

Date Of Production

November 17 1977

Abstract

Newsreel outtakes of dollmaker Helen, who demonstrates her craft to a WLS-TV reporter (possibly Karen Agnew) inside her doll shop.

Description

Dollmaker Helen describes a doll's features from ball and joint sockets to its glass eyes. She demonstrates how to prepare a porcelain head mold, and then displays some dolls from her own childhood collection. The film ends with footage of ornaments hanging from a Christmas tree while a wind-up musical box plays.

Run Time

0:09:07

Format

16mm

Extent

350 feet

Color

Color

Sound

Mag Stripe

Reel/Tape Number

1/1

Has Been Digitized?

Yes

Language Of Materials

English

Element

Trims and Outs

Genre

Journalism

Form

Newsreels
Outtakes

Subject

Creativity
Processes and techniques
Toys
Christmas

Related Collections

SUBSERIES IV: Labor & Industry

Related Places

North America ➜ United States ➜ Illinois ➜ Chicago

Distributor

WLS-TV

Main Credits

Koza, Frank (is filmmaker)

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