Hundreds of Dolls
The hundreds of dolls collected by Ms. Withers over the years, as well the ones given to her by admiring fans, will be sold at the auction. Ms. Withers will attend the auction to make sure her beloved dolls receive a fitting send-off and a proper new home. If you are a younger collector, you might not know that Ms. Withers starred in 36 films as a child in the 1930s and early 1940s, and her collection is reflection of those times.
Celebrity Dolls Especially Shine
The auction will especially delight collectors of Celebrity Dolls as well as general collectors of mid-20th Century dolls, since the childhood doll collection of Jane Withers is a mirror of the 1930's popular culture. Dolls representing child film stars, from Jane herself to Shirley Temple, Sonja Henie, and Deanna Durbin are included in this collection as well as radio star dolls, such as The Lone Ranger and his sidekick Tonto. Additionally, there are dolls of celebrity children of the times, including Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, and the Dionne Quintuplets. There are dolls from comic strips--Nancy, Sluggo, Little Orphan Annie-- and dolls from story books, including Raggedy Ann and Andy, and Scarlett O'Hara. Early dolls inspired by Walt Disney including Snow White, Pinocchio, and Ella Cinders add a magical touch. The collection includes Charlie McCarthy--along with an original trunk owned by Edgar Bergen and given to Jane by him. Classic childhood dolls of the 1930's--the tomboy Patsy, her boyfriend Skippy, and dolls in military uniforms marking the end of an innocent era are also included.
Jane, the Tomboy Rascal--Who Loved Dolls
Billed as a tomboy rascal with a wide-eyed "who, me?" expression, the child film star Jane Withers starred in 36 Hollywood films in the decade from 1934-1943, including Ginger, The Farmer Takes a Wife, and Always in Trouble. Second only to Shirley Temple in childhood stardom, Jane was the yin to Shirley's yang. Jane sported short, dark, bobbed hair, contrasting with Shirley's curly golden locks; and her natural, spunky wit served to balance Shirley's saccharine sweetness. Nowhere was this contrast so evident than in the 1934 film Bright Eyes, in which Jane was cast opposite Shirley. This on-screen rivalry led to what is considered by most film buffs as the onset of Jane's remarkable child celebrity fame. The most popular gifts received by the young Jane during the 1930's were dolls. In a show of affection, Jane received gifts from enthusiastic fans worldwide, including a teddy bear from President Roosevelt and a letter from the young English Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, thanking her for the pleasure she gave them-treasures she still has in her possession. Along with the gift dolls, Jane was an inveterate collector from an early age. She recalls that each new season, Bullock's Wilshire, the prestigious Los Angeles department store, would open its doors to her for a private selection of the newest dolls. Jane's system of selection was simple: "I took them all!" she says. And, she kept them all-hundred and hundreds of them.
Auction Catalog To Include Photos and Stories about Jane's Illustrious Hollywood Career
Now, as Jane seeks to downsize and simplify her lifestyle, the dolls will be sold by Theriault's auction house, www.theriaults.com on August 1, 2004 just prior to the UFDC doll convention in Kansas City, Missouri. The Theriault's commemorative auction catalog for the Jane Withers doll collection includes vintage studio photographs of the child star holding her dolls and numerous childhood anecdotes, as told by Jane Withers. For example, there was the day that Walt Disney called to say he was coming by to take 10-year old Jane for a ride. They headed south in his pick-up truck to Orange County, at that time just an expanse of orange groves for as far as the eye could see. Disney told Jane of his dream to build a vast "amusement world" that would bring together people from all over the continent. Jane recalls that she was delighted at the idea and exclaimed, "How wonderful! It is a small world, after all." Inspired by her words and her love of dolls, Walt Disney eventually introduced one of the most popular Disneyland sites, "It's a Small World," featuring dolls from all over the world.
