The First Barbie Commercial 1959

Aired during the Mickey Mouse Club.

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Paul

June 23, 2024 at 10:13 am

The 1959 Barbie looks like Anne Francis of that era. Check out this picture of her when she was auditioning for Forbidden Planet:

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTqoA9QP5lUTFS4UjgTT-QWV5MLRQ5s1b3nQz5nNZinY5CwLyf9
Ray

June 23, 2024 at 6:39 pm

Barbie was based on a prostitute character:

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/john-walsh-barbie-was-based-on-a-cartoon-prostitute-whod-do-anything-for-money-1331669.html
Edlin

June 24, 2024 at 3:35 am

If you read this article it was actually created for the daughter of Ruth Handler. Ruth Handler being the creator of Barbie and her daughter’s name was Barbara thus Barbie.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/04/29/national/main507472.shtml
Sarah

June 27, 2024 at 2:34 pm

Now I know what that Kate Middleton wedding dress reminded me of
Ruth Fanshaw

August 5, 2024 at 6:17 pm

I find it interesting that the original Barbie wasn’t QUITE such a caricature of a woman as she became later. The head isn’t so tiny, nor the figure so exaggerated. Not quite.

Also, she doesn’t seem to have been exclusively Master Race platinum blonde in those days…