This is Straight leg Allan, the first Allan, in his original outfit. |
Allan was introduced as Ken's best friend and Midge's boyfriend in 1964. (That was the same year Skipper was introduced, so Allan is also turning 50 this year.)
And he's got the bags under his eyes to prove it. |
I don't know how Ken or Allan ever got into the military with these flat feet. |
He has the same 'manly physique' (Ahem.) as Ken.(The doll, that is.Not my husband. He's a bit, uh, beefier...) |
Skipper rides with you in Allan's new roadster.It's a two seater, so I guess it's just 'You' and Skipper. Allan's walking. |
Poor Allan doesn't even get his picture on the box. |
Allan was named after Allan Segal, the husband of Barbie originator Ruth Handler's daughter Barbara. So, in real life, Allan married Barbie. Allan's last name is Sherwood. He is the only Ken friend to be given a last name.
In his second year Allan was produced as a bend leg doll, in a short red jacket to match bend leg Ken's Blue one, and blue swim trunks.
He was also discontinued the same year. In spite of his short run, straight leg Allan is fairly plentiful and can be had for a reasonable price. Bend leg Allan is harder to find and more expensive.
Allan's of this era all had red hair and brown eyes, (making he and Skooter the ONLY brown eyed members of the Barbie crowd until Francie came along in 1966.
I bet Allan got the same comment I often used to get: "Your eyes are the same colour as your hair." I always hated that. |
Allan resurfaced in 1991, with a new head mold and the spelling of his name curiously changed to 'Alan', as part of the Wedding Day Midge and Alan Gift Set, making him the only guy in the Barbie world to ever get married.(With Midge, of course, the only married woman.) He still had brown eyes and reddish brown hair.
Vintage Allan has molded wavy red hair. |
After that Allan, or as he was now called, Alan, disappeared again for another 11 years, until the Happy Family line of dolls. This time around he had another head mold, and the red hair was a thing of the past, as were the brown eyes.
Just the other day I was in Meijer and noticed that Alan has been introduced into the line of Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse dolls. (And, I suppose, into the animated series.) He's a brunette with very dark hair this time.
Join me again tomorrow for another 'boy'.
And when you said "Alan" was part of the "Life in the Dreamhouse" doll line, you were talking about Ryan, the twin of Raquelle, were you not?
ReplyDeleteI think that one of my Hapoy Family Alan dolls has olive eyes...
Am I? I thought I saw an Alan doll from the series, and saw that he was on the show. You may know better than I do. From the Wiki fandom page it looks as if he's considered a figment of Midges imagination! I suppose that's so the show can have her character free to date, etc. Olive eyes? That sounds kind of scary!
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