Name: Talking Julia
Made by and When: Mattel, 1969-1972
Material: Vinyl with bendable legs
Marks: ©1967 / MATTEL, INC / U.S. & FOREIGN / PATS. PEND. / HONG KONG
Height: 11-1/2 inches
Hair, Eyes, Mouth: The doll’s original black rooted hair with a left side part has oxidized to red. The brown-painted eyes have upper eyelashes. The closed mouth has dark pink lip color.
Clothes: The gold and silver color block, metallic glitter, knit jumpsuit has a fabric belt with a gold buckle. Clear Pilgrim-style shoes have glitter molded into the plastic.
Other: Introduced in 1969, Talking Julia is modeled after the role played by Diahann Carroll in the TV sitcom Julia, the first American TV show to feature an African American in a non-stereotypical leading role. This doll uses the Christie head sculpt. A doll stand was included. This pull-string talker said various phrases, one of which was, “Hi! My name is Julia.” A rarer version with a deeper complexion was made with hair that did not oxidize. See the second gallery photo sourced from Reddit.com. Twist ‘n Turn Julia, wearing a two-piece nurse uniform, was also released in 1969. See the third gallery photo.
Marks and clothing description reference: Fashion Doll Guide/Talking Julia.
As seen in a Julia doll ad, Twist ‘n Turn Julia, dressed in a two-piece nurse uniform, was also released in 1969.
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Thankyou for this webpage. Talking Julia was my first ever full sized Barbie. I had a smaller Skipper as a child, but simply adored my talking Julia. At one point she stopped talking and her legs dropped off. As a teen I can remember using masking tape to hold her together and that is how she remains to this day. Physically she is a bit of a mess, but she is my childhood doll and will always hold a special place in my heart. I guess she is the reason I love most black dolls today. My girls hair has oxidised to a beautiful red and she still has her original gold and silver jumpsuit and gorgeous shoes. One day i plan to get a Nurse Julia, I believe they even made a repro of her, but my mute Talking Julia will always be my special doll.
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You’re welcome! Thank you for visiting. I hope you will return soon and share this site with others.
We appreciate the personal story about your childhood Talking Julia and the special place in your heart the doll continues to hold. Dolls are magical like that. Continue to enjoy her.
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