The Lonely Doll
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The Lonely Doll is a children's book by photographer and author Dare Wright. Dare was born in Canada, but was raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She moved to New York City in her twenties.
It tells the story of a doll named Edith, who lives by herself until two teddy bears, called Mr. Bear and Little Bear, appear in her life. One day, Mr. Bear goes out for a walk leaving the two alone in the house; He returns to find they have rummaged in a closet for dress-up clothing, smeared themselves with makeup, and written "Mr. Bear is just a silly old thing" in lipstick on the mirror. Mr Bear proceeds to discipline both Little Bear and Edith, leaving Edith to worry that he will take Little Bear and leave. Mr. Bear assures her that he will never, ever, leave her.
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[edit] Psychological aspects
Some people believe that The Lonely Doll is a reflection on Dare Wright's life. Edith, the main character of many of her books, looks a great deal like Dare herself, with a blonde pony tail and golden hoop earrings. As in Dare's own childhood, the doll in the story spends much of her time alone and longs for friends.
Edith was named after Dare's mother, Edie Stevenson Wright, a portrait artist.
[edit] Photography
The photography for The Lonely Doll is said to be innovative, haunting and unique. It is entirely shot in black & white.
The toys are arranged with simple poses within detailed settings.
[edit] Toys
The doll is a felt Lenci Doll from the 1920s which belonged to Dare as a child. She sewed Edith's outfits for the books and changed her eye color to blue, resembling the author's looks.
Mr. Bear was manufactured by Schuco, and Little Bear was a special edition Steiff "Jackie Bear." Both were purchased in the 1950's with the help of Dare's brother, Blaine Wright.
[edit] Influence
The book was widely read throughout the 1960s, and is now being enjoyed by its third generation of readers.
[edit] Adaptations
Director Julian Schnabel (Before Night Falls, 2000; Basquiat, 1996) is currently working on a biopic of Dare entitled "The Lonely Doll." IMDB lists the completion date as 2009.
