Celebrity dolls: Franklin Mint Gone With the Wind collection

 

In 1986, the film Gone With the Wind was closing in on its 50th anniversary, and to commemorate this epic milestone of an epic film, Franklin Mint released porcelain dolls that have been sculpted to look like the stars that made these characters famous on screen. All of the main characters were available for collectors: Scarlett, Rhett, Melanie, Ashley, Aunt Pitty, Mrs. O'Hara, Belle Watling, Bonnie Blue, Prissy and Mammy. Of these characters, I own the four protagonists.


There were 10 Scarletts created for the series, but I have the Scarlett in White Ruffles doll. This is Scarlett O'Hara in her White Ruffle Prayer Dress from the opening scene of the movie. Scarlett wears delicate red bows in her hair. When I purchased her, she came with her own stand and a second dress - the green BBQ at Twelve Oaks dress and hat which you see her wearing here.

Next to Scarlett stands Melanie Wilkes as portrayed by Olivia de Havilland. She is dressed in the pale blue silk gown she wore to Scarlett's wedding to Charles.

Rhett Butler wears the attire he wore when he first laid eyes on Scarlett at the Twelve Oaks Plantation BBQ. He wears a tailored navy blue frock coat and grey trousers with a waistcoat. Rhett stands taller than Scarlett and Melanie. He is 22 inches tall.

Ashley Wilkes looks dashing in his Confederate uniform. He wears the yellow sash favour that Scarlett made for him and gave to him at Tara. He also stands 22 inches tall.

All of these Franklin Mint dolls have porcelain heads, arms and hands, and feet. They have soft cloth stuffed bodies with armatures that make them somewhat posable. They all have their own stands made specifically for that doll and come with a numbered Certificate of Authenticity. Their face sculptures are remarkable and resemble closely the actors that portrayed them on screen: Vivian Leigh, Olivia de Havilland, Clark Gable, and Leslie Howard.

If you're a Gone With the Wind fan or just have a fascination for the period of the United States' Civil War, then you might want to collect these beautiful dolls. Dolls can fetch from $100 and up, depending on their number, rarity, condition, and whether or not they have been removed from their box.