Dolly for Sue
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| Dolly for Sue | |
|---|---|
| Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer character | |
 | |
| First appearance | Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) |
| Last appearance | Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (video game) (2010) |
| Created by | Arthur Rankin Jr. Romeo Muller |
| Voiced by | Corinne Conley (presumably,[1] 1964) Kathleen Barr (2001) |
| Information | |
| Full name | Dolly for Sue |
| Species | Rag doll |
| Occupation | Toy |
| Home | Island of Misfit Toys (formerly) |
Search Dolly for Sue on Amazon.
Dolly for Sue, better known as just Dolly, is a fictional character that first appears in the 1964 stop motion Christmas TV special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. She was one of the many inhabitants of the Island of Misfit Toys, a sanctuary for unwanted toys. Dolly is presumed to be originally voiced by Corinne Conley, and created by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Romeo Muller.
In the 1964 film, Dolly is a saddened rag doll who dreams of having a child of her own. Suffering from abandonment issues, she remains optimistic of the future and believes Rudolph will keep his promise and inform Santa of the Island of Misfit Toys. In the Canadian sequel, her role is minor. She is kidnapped by the Toy Taker, who believes her and others to be unsafe from children.
Character creation[edit]
Dolly for Sue was created to be an inhabitant of the Island of Misfit Toys that Rudolph and his friends mistakenly come across during the climax of the 1964 film. Not much was known about her or her reason for being on the island until the producer revealed more information about the character decades later.
Dolly was created to represent mental illness, depression, and attachment issues, although this information would not be revealed for another four decades. Many fans and viewers alike pondered what could be the reason behind Dolly living among misfits, seeming that she appeared to be just an ordinary doll. The question was finally answered in 2007 during an interview when the special's producer, Arthur Rankin Jr., stated that her problem was, in fact, psychological - a form of depression caused from being rejected and abandoned by her former owner (presumably Sue). It was because of her abandonment that caused her to have low self-esteem. The creators wanted to shed light on real-life problems through the Island of Misfit Toys inhabitants, and didn't want all of their problems to be a physical one, which is why Dolly's reason for being on the island stunned viewers because they based her reason for being there on her physical appearance.[2][3][4]
Appearance[edit]
Dolly is a peach-skinned colored doll that wears a pink and white patterned dress with a white collar and red shoes. She also has red hair tied in pigtails using red ribbons. She has a red mouth and black eyes. She looks a lot like Mary Ann Summers from Gilligan’s Island.
History[edit]
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964 film)[edit]
Dolly makes her first appearance in the holiday 1964 TV special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Rudolph and his friends first meet her during the musical note "The Most Wonderful Day of the Year." Each of the toys take turns explaining the Island of Misfit Toys and why some of them are there, and Dolly first appears saying the line "the kind that will even say 'How do you do?'"
In the original 1964 film, Rudolph did not keep his promise to King Moonracer to tell Santa Claus about the island, therefore leaving the toys deserted and abandoned. Several viewers, especially children, were "disappointed" and "heartbroken" of the ending because Rudolph broke his promise to the king and all the toys of the island. Several fans demanded that the ending was changed, as it felt unsatisfying and distasteful. The team eventually began creating an alternate scene that better fit the film, and even an additional scene where Rudolph whispers to Santa about the island when he returns to the North Pole.[5][6][7] In the new closing scene, Charlie, Dolly, and the Misfit Elephant are sitting in front of a campfire in the snow, awaiting for Santa to come and pick them up. The toys begin to lose hope in Rudolph's promise, as the Elephant suggests they've "been forgotten again." Dolly assures the toys that Rudolph made his promise, but eventually becomes saddened when she starts to believe they will not come and find them. Charlie then notices something twinkling in the sky, and notices it is Santa, and the three realize Rudolph didn't break his promise. The toys of the island jump in Santa's toy sack and take off, each of the toys jumping out through the end credits, most holding on to umbrellas.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys[edit]
Dolly appears in the 2001 Canadian film Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys, and is voiced by Kathleen Barr. She is one of the many toys stolen by the Toy Taker, who is in disbelief as she begins to miss her owner. The Toy Taker, however, makes sure all the toys are happy and assures them all, especially Dolly, that their owners don't fully care for them, and will eventually grow tired of them, and possibly even throw them away.
In other media[edit]
Dolly appeared in The Simpsons 2003 episode "'Tis the Fifteenth Season," where Homer Simpson sees a fictional stop motion television special titled The Year Santa Got Lost, in which the doll and other Misfit Toys are seen listening to a story told by a mailman. The episode was a parody of Rankin/Bass stop-motion Christmas specials. She appears as a cameo character alongside Charlie-in-the-Box, Misfit Elephant, the Train with Square Wheels, Gun That Shoots Jelly, and the Plane That Can't Fly.
Dolly has also been part of several Hallmark holiday collectibles and ornaments for many years. She is also available in plush toys and action figures.
Character debate[edit]
Many have questioned Dolly’s reason for being on the Island of Misfit Toys for decades. Before the answer was revealed, many believed it to be because the doll was missing a nose.[8] Although this could have been a reason behind her abandonment, a lot of rag dolls during the 1960s didn’t have noses. Others suggested it was most likely because Dolly didn’t have much to do, suggested by her first line in the 1964 film being "the kind that will even say 'How do you do?'" A lot of dolls manufactured in the 1950s and 1960s appeared to have pull-string voice boxes, so some speculated her reason for being abandoned was because she simply didn’t have this function, as hinted in her character lines.
Some others believed Dolly was only created because the rest of the toys on the island were “boys,” so they created a “girl” toy because there were no other girl toy puppets to use.[4] Arthur Rankin Jr. later revealed that the reason she stands out from all the other misfit toys is because she was a last-minute addition to the cast.[2]
In the original 1964 film, Dolly did not have much to do and there was not a lot of evidence to prove what could be wrong with her. It wasn’t until the ending of the film was fixed, re-filmed, and re-aired that the theory of Dolly for being on the island could be proven. In the end, she sits by a campfire with Charlie and the Misfit Elephant and when she starts to lose hope, she begins to cry, hinting at the fact she might have abandonment issues.
Arthur Rankin Jr. finally began to confirm what was wrong with Dolly and why she lived on the Island of Misfit Toys. He slightly hinted her problem on Archive of American Television in 2005, but seemingly as a joke. In 2007 during a chat on Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, Rankin elaborated on his earlier point about Dolly and began to state that she had a psychological problem - a form of depression because she was abandoned by her owner.[2]
References[edit]
- ↑ https://open.spotify.com/episode/71GqNOWz240Scrj8oSqKbh?si=Ld3P386tTleO1XEvVCopww&dl_branch=1&nd=1
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "The Dolly in 'Rudolph' Is Actually on the Island of Misfit Toys for a Heartbreaking Reason". Distractify. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
- ↑ Ferris, Amanda (December 11, 2013). "10 Things You Didn't Know About 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer'". TheFW. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Hummel III, Joe (2019-12-01). "What Was Wrong With Rudolph's Dolly For Sue?". Pop Culture Madness Network News. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
- ↑ "The original ending to 'Rudolph' was a bummer". KMGH. 2016-12-01. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
- ↑ "Was the Original Ending to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Changed Due to Viewer Complaints?". Entertainment Legends Revealed!. 2013-12-25. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
- ↑ Wright, Catherine (2020-12-28). "The 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' Movie Changed Its Ending After Viewers Complained". Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
- ↑ "Mystery In 'Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer' Has Been Solved". WPLW-FM. 2018-12-03. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
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