Name: Saucy Walker Look-a-likes
Made by and When: Unknown maker, circa 1950s
Material: Hard plastic
Marks: Unmarked
Height: 22 inches each
Hair, Eyes, Mouth: The doll in green has a black mohair wig styled in two side braids with bangs. The doll in light blue has a replaced short black straight human-hair wig underneath the bonnet. Both have non-flirty brown sleep eyes (left—dark brown eye color; right—amber eye color; both have attached upper eyelashes and painted lower eyelashes). Both have open mouths with felt tongues. The doll in green has two upper teeth and dark red lip color. The doll in light blue has pink lips, no teeth.
Clothes: The professionally-made green and white dress of the doll on the left could be original. The green and white check bow on the bodice matches the green and white check bow pinned behind the doll’s bangs. The dress is worn with white nylon panties, yellowed rayon socks, and white vinyl Mary-Jane-style shoes marked FAIRYLAND TOY PROD./NO. 5/MADE IN U.S.A.
The light blue dotted Swiss dress worn by the doll on the right is infant size. It is worn with an infant’s bonnet, white ruffled panties, white cotton socks, and replaced white patent-leather shoes.
Other: In the United States, Saucy Walker dolls were first made by Ideal Toy Corporation from 1951-1957 in a variety of sizes including 22 inches. A rare Black 14-inch version by Ideal has been documented by the online Doll Reference site. To compete with Ideal, other American doll companies created Black and White look-a-like Saucy Walker dolls that had some of the same features as Ideal’s version. (The original Saucy Walker is a head-turning walker with pin-jointed hips; when the legs are moved the head moves from side to side. Some had ma-ma criers and flirty eyes.) Honey Bunch by Miller Company is one known Black Saucy Walker look-a-like (see an example of Honey Bunch at the link below the Gallery).
These two dolls have stomach grills. The doll in light blue has a working ma-ma crier. Both are pin jointed and have slightly bent legs at the knees. These dolls are not of the same quality as Ideal’s; however, the one on the left is of better quality than the one on the right.
During the 1950s, Saucy Walker dolls and look-a-likes by various makers were also made in the United Kingdom.
Gallery
References:
1956 Honey Bunch by Miller Company
Ideal Dolls 1950s – Doll Reference
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