Mollye’s Dolls 1929-1970s USA

Marysia (Mollye) Goldman founded the Mollye International Doll Company in 1929 (have also seen the company name as: Molly’es Doll Outfitters, Inc., Mollye Creations). 

Early Mollye dolls are made of cloth, originally they used neighborhood women who sewed from their homes to make the dolls, later Mollye opened a factory that employed as many as 500 people.  Mollye also designed costumes for other doll companies; Cameo, Effanbee, Horsman and Ideal (Shirley Temple doll clothes).

Mollye purchased quality composition, hard plastic and vinyl dolls from various manufactures and then dressed them in original clothing and sold them under her own name, Mollye Dolls.  Thus, many of the composition and hard plastic dolls are unmarked but had a hangtag, later vinyl dolls are marked on the head Mollye.

From 1935-1938 Mollyes Doll Outfitters, Inc., produced the Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy cloth dolls (several conflicting stories about this, bottom line is they were sued in 1938 to stop producing the Raggedy dolls by Johnny Gruelle), in 1937 Mollyes created the Hollywood Cinema Fashion Doll series of stars and famous persons, they also made a group of composition dolls in the 1940s based on the Thief of Bagdad movie and are considered some of this companies finest work.

Antique to Vintage Mollyes Dolls Identified

1940s Mollyes Mari a Swiss Lass cloth doll, 15″

1930s+ Mollyes Character Dolls,  15, 18 or 24″ tall, stuffed cloth body, yarn hair, mask type face, with big round, side glancing painted eyes and mouth, dressed, doll is unmarked doll with a hangtag. Mollyes Mari a Swiss Lass doll, 15″ tall, all cloth doll, mask type face, blonde yarn braids hair, painted right glancing eyes, closed mouth, has a Mollye cloth label sewn on dolls leg and hangtag.

1940 Thief of Bagdad movie Sabu, Princess still

1940s Mollyes Thief of Bagdad Movie Dolls;  The Thief (Sabu) 15″ tall, all composition, Sultan (Miles Malleson) 19″ tall all composition, Princess (June DuPrez) 14″ tall all composition or 18″ tall cloth doll, Maid in Waiting, 14″ tall, all composition, Prince Ahmad (John Justin) 23″ tall, cloth doll. Left to right; John Justin, June DuPrez and Sabu, The Thief of Bagdad Movie 1940

Fourteen dolls total including a Sultan and other characters based on Alexander Korda’s movie by this same name.  See author Patricia R. Smith, Modern Collector’s Dolls book, fourth series, page 201 for a black and white group photo.

1950s Mollyes Lone Ranger doll 28″

1950s Mollyes Lone Ranger doll, 28″ tall, companion to Tonto, hard plastic head, sleep eyes, real upper lashes, painted lower lashes, molded lightly painted hair, open mouth with two upper teeth, magic skin latex stuffed body, dressed in light blue long sleeve shirt with gold braid, matching neck scarf imprinted with: The Lone Ranger (picture of him with his horse Silver), Hi-Ho Silver © TRL, Inc., brown pants, vinyl belt with gun in holster, brown vinyl boots, black face mask, brown felt cowboy hat.  Doll is marked 28 or unmarked.

Hangtag and box read: Created my Mollye.  The box was originally imprinted with “Cowboy Joe” which was scratched thru and then imprinted with The Lone Ranger. There are also Mollyes girl dolls called Rangerettes.

1950s Mollyes Tonto doll 28″

1950s Mollyes Tonto doll, 28″ tall, Lone Ranger’s companion, hard plastic head, sleep eyes, real upper lashes, painted lower lashes, molded lightly painted hair, open mouth, magic skin latex stuffed body, dressed in light brown suede like cloth two piece shirt & pants, applied vinyl fringe and two appliqué’ faces with Tonto’s name on upper shirt front, vinyl belt, and headband, also imprinted with Tonto’s name.  Doll is unmarked.  There are also girl dolls called Tonta. Hangtag and box read: Created my Mollye.

1950s Mollyes Mama doll 21″ mold 450

ca. 1950s Mollyes Mama doll, 21″ tall, hard plastic head with molded hair, painted eyebrows, blue sleep eyes, painted lower lashes, open mouth, cloth body with magic skin limbs, Mama voice box, doll mark 450.

1960s Mollyes Perky Gail doll 12″

1960s Mollyes Perky doll, 8, 12 & 15″ tall, vinyl head (Effanbee’s Fluffy doll mold), jointed plastic body, rooted short hair, sleep eyes, freckles sprinkled across her nose, closed mouth, doll mark Molly`E, Molly-`es or unmarked. 

Effanbee appears to be the originator of the Fluffy type doll mold and their doll is marked Effanbee, other doll makers who sold Fluffy doll molds include; Allied-Grand a doll called Bonnie who is marked AE,  Mary Hoyer named and sold this doll as Margie (no freckles), Kellogg’s doll is named Linda Lou, used as a mail in premium Advertising doll, is unmarked, Earle Pullan sold this doll name unknown, marked Pullan, Sayco named her Cute Carol (with freckles), mark unknown and Valentine used this doll mold for the 13-15″ tall, Perfect Patient doll who is unmarked, are some of the doll makers that we have found. 

Additional Mollyes Dolls not shown

1930s+ Mollyes International Children’s Doll series, 13, 15, or 27″ tall, stuffed cloth body, mohair wig, with mask type painted face, wears a regional costume, unmarked doll with a hangtag.

1935-1938 Mollyes Raggedy Ann or Raggedy Andy dolls, 17-22″ tall, stuffed cloth bodies allow doll to sit, legs are multi-colored striped material, dark auburn yarn hair, painted face with large black eyes and triangle nose outlined in black, was the first to print a heart on the dolls chest.

1935-1938 Mollyes Baby Ann or Baby Andy dolls, 14″ tall, stuffed cloth body, usually stamped on the chest; Raggedy Ann and Andy Dolls, manufactured by Mollye Doll Outfitters.

ca. 1938+ Mollyes Baby, Girls or Toddler dolls, 14, 15, 18 and 21″ tall, all composition jointed dolls, if marked will be the manufacture of the doll.          

1937 Mollyes Hollywood Cinema Fashion Dolls; June Allison, June Deprey (special commision dressed one of a kind Bru doll), Joan Crawford, Olivia DE Haviland, Irene Dunne, Douglas Fairbanks Sr., Ginger Rogers, Betty Grable, Jeanette McDonald (a unmarked Horsman Sweetheart doll), Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret Rose plus others, all composition jointed dolls, probably all unmarked.

ca. 1939+ Mollyes Teenage or Lady dolls, 15, 18, 21 or 27″ tall, 1939 Pamela Bride doll, 27″ all composition jointed, doll unmarked.

ca. 1950s+ Mollyes Teenage or Lady dolls, 14, 17, 23, or 27′ tall, all hard plastic, wigged, sleep eyes, closed mouth, jointed at neck, shoulders and hip, unmarked dolls with a hangtag.

ca. 1950s+ Mollyes Baby, Child or Mama dolls, hard plastic with cloth stuffed bodies (one of which is the doll mold 450 shown above) or all hard plastic

ca. 1960s+ Mollyes Baby doll or Child dolls, 9, 12, or 16″ tall, all vinyl, sleep eyes, closed mouth, jointed at neck, shoulders and hip, doll mark Mollye or unmarked.

Mollyes Darling Little Women, 8 or 12″ tall, all vinyl dolls. Doll mold 210 Mollyes dressed this doll, many other doll makers also sold the dolls