Theda Bara’s enigmatic figure is well known to many classic film buffs — and thousands more who’ve become fans upon learning of the original vamp. Her works, great and small, exist only in the memories of the few who were lucky enough to see them, with most of us learning of her from old publications, copies of review clippings, mentions in movie lore, and/or faded photographs. Her image continues to be reprinted even today for fans, most of whom likely never fell in love with her on the screen — this because no known prints or copies of her films exist for us to watch.

Many of the old films, like Theda’s, were purposely destroyed — either for recycling of the precious celluloid, or thrown out as too old-fashioned as the talkies came in. Even more recently, as I’ve said before, films were tossed due to storage issues. But even those films not destroyed on purpose are becoming lost to us.

Each year more old films — from those great classic films we’ve heard of to little known documentaries and film shorts we’ve never heard of — are deteriorating faster than archives can preserve them. No one knows the exact number of films lost, or the rate at which they continue to be lost, but it is estimated that only about 20% of the silent features have survived.

What little remains of these films, be it vintage movie picture magazines, original photos, ephemera and (dare to dream!) film props, all becomes hideously expensive. What’s a poor collector who’s in love with say, Theda, yet who cannot compete with richy-rich collectors to do? And even if the National Film Preservation Foundation (NFPF) manages to save films, what of the other stories of the making of these films? What of the film stars and directors themselves?

Whether you are able to afford (or lucky enough to stumble into) some of the gems of classic film collecting — or not — there’s a publication which preserves the legends and lore of classic film.

Classic Images began in June, 1962 as The 8mm Collector. But as the technology and the collecting habits of classic film buffs grew, founding editor Samuel Rubin changed the name to Classic Images to reflect these realities and adapt to those changes. What the publication is now is a monthly magazine, published on newsprint, devoted to all things classic film.

Now when I, and new editor Bob King, say ‘classic film’ we don’t just mean silent films, or the highbrow movies that film connoisseurs crave. Oh, no. Along with H.G. Wells and Charlie Chaplin you’ll find articles on Boris Karloff and Rin Tin Tin too. Nearly any flick made from the start of film through 1960 or so is fair game.

Yes, there are biographical articles. Yes, there is movie history. Yes, there are photos. What would be the point of the publication without them? But these are no ordinary articles; these are delicious meals for those who hunger for more film knowledge.

Writers for Classic Images have included Leonard Maltin, Max Pierce, Herb Fagen, and, my favorite, Eve Golden.

There’s also coverage of events that the average person may not know about, which if aren’t already the lifeblood of film fans they will be upon discovery of them. Classic Images not only alerts you to such events as Cinecon, Capitolfest, and the Hollywood Poster Auction, but gives them review and editorial coverage as well. Ditto news and notes on the latest DVD releases of classic films as well as biographies and other books of interest to film fans. Sadly, obituaries are a necessary part of the publication.

Nearly everything you could demand of a classic film publication is present in Classic Images. For me, the only thing missing are nice glossy pages. I’m a sucker for sexy magazines like that. But it’s a small petty thing to ask for when each issue is so voluptuous as it is. (Still, I remain small, petty — and hopeful that one day it will be a sexy glossy magazine.)

As you can imagine, past issues of the publication are themeselves becoming collectible. The website does sell past copies as well as photocopies of past articles, and eBay has a few from time to time; but most who get copies keep theirs. And why not? It’s lovingly created and feeds the souls of those of us who only wish we could have seen these films, made our own scrapbooks of these stars, back in their heyday. And it gives collectors great ideas for more to covet… Ads and classifieds included.

The quality of the authors and the passion of the editor makes this publication worthy of researchers as well as collectors. I presume this is why Classic Images has an online subscription archive service. (However, I was disappointed with it as it only goes back two years; a better bet is to buy back issues or copies of articles, as necessary.)

For those of us who feel born-too-late, or who just can’t help but fall in love with a dame, a bloke, or a story from the early days of film, we can thoroughly enjoy a subscription to Classic Images. It would make an excellent gift for those on your holiday gift list who are movie buffs and/or fans of the Golden Age — of any vintage — of Hollywood. And don’t forget the collectors of pop culture; they’ll dig it too. (Amazon also offers subscriptions to Classic Images, providing an easy way to put it on your wishlist.)

Bonus: If you’re in the US and you’ve never subscribed before, the publishers will give you a free copy!

But honestly, you don’t need a complimentary review copy. Just take my word for it: Classic Images is a must have.

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Not just any ordinary doll, but a glamorous 15.5 inch doll with all the allure of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Her name is Gene Marshall.

The Gene Marshall Collection is inspired by the classic movie stars of the ’30’s,’40s, and ’50s. Gene herself has a backstory which covers her discovery and Hollywood transformation, as well as a continuing saga of each movie she starred in as well as her own personal life. Each Gene doll, every ensemble, piece of furniture or other accessory comes with its own booklet that gives you another part of Gene’s story. Each booklet not only continues the saga of Gene, but reminds classic film fans of past icons and films… Here’s a tribute to Monroe, there a reminder of Tierney, and another of Crawford or Bergman…

Each doll wears stunning recreations of the clothes and accessories of this fabulous bygone era. Outfits have luscious fabrics, are lavishingly hand beading. The dresses are fully lined and the sheer stockings have seams running up the backs. These details all add to the collection’s nostalgic appeal.

As collectors - men and women alike — we ate up the nostalgia, her beauty, and the ongoing romantic storyline. This includes the additions of other character dolls, such as her rival Madra Lord, African-American singer Violet Waters, and leading man Trent Osborn. The collection grows, but it always remains focused on the details of the dolls, garments and storyline.

Who delivered such a captivating concoction?

She was created by renowned artist and erotically charged illustrator Mel Odom. Yes, a former artist for Playboy, Viva and Blueboy in the 70’s and 80’screated this doll of the 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and New Look 60’s.

Gene’s sex appeal cannot be denied, but the true magic lies in Odom’s imagination to create a sense of time, a feeling of Hollywood Glamour based on the personality of an actress. We flocked to Gene as if she was truly a celebrity we could reach out and touch. Not since Barbie has a doll had such a history or inspired such buyer passions.

When Odom began with Gene, he was swimming upstream to convince the doll world there was room for Gene. In 1995 when Gene debuted at Toy Fair, with just three dressed dolls and nine costumes, nobody much thought she’d be around the next year. Luckily, Ashton-Drake saw the potential. Before Gene, the traditional method in Ashton Drake’s doll selling was to generate a fast turnover of high quality yet reasonably priced limited-edition baby and children-type dolls. Until Mel Odom and Gene there was never any one signature fashion doll. But 10 years later, she’s changed the course of fashion doll history and the adult collectors doll market.

Gene has spawned a large-sized collectible doll market. Even Barbie, as popular as she was/is, had not started such a frenzy in the minds of collecting adults — but Babs has benefitted by the renewed interest collectors have in fashion dolls. Gene remains the longest-reigning large-sized collectible fashion doll.

Gene is not just a doll, or even just a collectible. She’s a phenomenon.

Combining the collector’s passion for glamour with romantic notions, we bought the dolls, joined the fan clubs, bought more dolls — and the accessories, attended conventions, created fan pages online, and drove the secondary market prices up.

Spurred on by Mel’s philosophy that Gene was not to sit unloved in a box for a greater ’someday’ payoff (he’s repeatedly bemoaned those who buy her and keep her in a box — as a star, she’s to be admired!), we did more than just display and adore her. We not only took her out of the box, we redressed her and created little vignettes of our own, posing her with her props and furthering the stories, even making our own.

Next, we let our fantasies take hold and took complete ownership of her.

We collectors began our own cottage artisan activities. Inspired by Gene’s world and fashions, not to mention a larger size which makes sewing easier, we made our own outfits and jewelry. We changed her hair (everything from wigs to perms, coloring it, and rerooting it (eyelashes too!). We even repainted her face.

Suddenly we felt empowered to create costumes as wonderful as Edith Head, turn out more glamorous stars than MGM, and even create our own Gene Gossip. Even our own artisan makeovers of Gene were selling like crazy, for hundreds of dollars, at online auctions at at conventions.

Our crafty ways and lust for vintage fashion was not unnoticed. Vogue Patterns introduced Gene-sized couture fashion patterns in 1999, and the patterns were at least then their number one and number two best sellers. Even Ashton Drake fueled us on with their Young Designers of America Competition, giving winners opportunities to sign contracts with Ashton-Drake and to receive royalty payments on their designs for outfits that were released as part of the Gene line.

All this creativity put an additional crimp in finding original Gene dolls and outfits. (This will have an especially large impact on limited editions as the years pass by.) But most of us did not concern ourselves, as we were enjoying Gene and her world wholeheartedly. Since then, this custom creation has spawned a similar custom craze with other fashion dolls and their collectors.

In November, 2005, admist months of swirling rumors of a change, at the 10th Anniversary Gene Doll Convention in Stamford, Connecticut, Don Vaccarello, Vice President of Ashton-Drake Galleries announced that The Ashton-Drake Galleries would no longer produce new Gene dolls, nor outfits, beginning in 2006. Many of us applauded what we hoped would be even more control and imaginative releases of The Gene Marshall Collection. After all, he did give birth to her and has carefully tried to preserve the integrity of Gene’s story. But we are still waiting to see…

In Summer 2006, we have seen no new releases of Gene. We do know that Mel’s own studio, Star Blue Studios, has contracted with Jason Wu for the manufacturing and distributing of the new Gene. The new Gene website, GeneMarshallDoll.com, and this interview with Mel Odom offer a little insight into our beloved Gene. Apparently only 6 dolls will be released this year, and only 25 Gene dealers have been accepted worldwide, and photos are few. Here are the few I’ve seen:

I eagerly await more news and the presentation of the dolls and the stories themselves.

Photos © Jason Wu, LLC and Star Blue Studios Inc.