Doll-A-Day 2023 #51: Linda Williams

   Today's doll is Linda Williams.

The doll is very simple, only jointed at the neck, shoulders and hips. 

  I've had this post written ahead for ages, but couldn't locate my Linda Williams doll. I photographed this doll at the doll show today. She's not mine, but she is in better shape than mine, so, you're good.

  Linda stands about 14" tall. She has rooted hair and inset eyes with 'real' lashes, and molded and painted teeth.

This doll is wearing her original dress.

Linda is based on the character Linda Williams, from The Danny Thomas Show, (originally called "Make Room for Daddy"), which ran from 1953 to 1964. It starred Danny Thomas, perhaps best known these days as the father of actress Marlo Thomas and the founder of Saint Jude's Children's Hospital.        'Linda' was the stepdaughter of the Danny Thomas character, and first appeared in the fourth season of the show. In that season she was played by Lelani Sorenson.

The doll was advertised in 1960 catalogs and  available through a promotion on Post Toasties Corn Flakes cereal boxes. For $2.00 and two box tops from the cereal, you could have your own Linda Williams doll.

This ad, from the back of the Post Toasties cereal box shows Lelani Sorenson, and a doll that looks like her. I don't think this version of the doll was ever made. It looks like the doll's face is actually a drawing of Sorenson, and not a real doll. Notice the ad mentions the doll's 'big blue eyes'. It doesn't look like Lelani Sorenson had blue eyes, and the actress who replaced her as Linda Williams certainly doesn't. 

   The doll came with a fashion booklet that showed outfits that could be ordered for your Linda Williams doll.

1960 catalog.

  The dolls came in a few sizes, including the 14" doll by PMA (Plastic Molded Arts), and 20", and 30" dolls by The Natural Doll Company. The 30" doll was a walker.

  After the first season with the character, Linda was played by child actress Angela Cartwright.

The dolls came in several sizes. Neither of these dolls Angela Cartwright is posing with look like the dolls actually sold as the Linda Williams doll.

That's the right one. Although I don't think the big one had the same face.

I don't think the doll actually looks like either girl who played Linda Williams.

  I'm not sure if the PMA doll was also 'a natural doll'.

    Angela went on to greater fame, and screen immortality when she played Birgitta, one of the daughters of Captain Von Trapp in "The Sound of Music".

Angela front and center.

She's also well known as Penny Robinson, on the original "Lost in Space" TV series, which ran from 1965 to 1968.

Angela, far left.

  Her sister, Veronica Cartwright is also an actress, whose two most famous roles are as the child lead in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds", and the wife of The Cigarette Smoking Man, on The X-Files.

Veronica on the left, Angela on the right. Why are those candelabrum so small?!

    During the run of the show there were a lot of products made in connection with the Linda Williams character and Angela Cartwright.

Here is Angela posing with just some of them.

   These days Angela Cartwright is a photographer and artist, with a studio in Los Angeles.

  Several other dolls were made from the same mold as the Linda Williams doll, including Dolly Ann, Pippi Longstocking, and a Sunbeam Bread advertising doll. The Sunbeam doll was made by EEGEE, so I'm not sure who owned the mold. This Sunbeam doll is close, but not the same sculpt as Linda Williams.

This picture is borrowed from the internet, and I will be glad to remove it if asked.

   

  There also was a doll called Kissin Kuzzins Dazee Mae, who was 'A Beautiful Virga doll made by Beehler Arts of Amityville, New York', who looked very like the Linda Williams doll.
Tomorrow we'll see another doll.