American Character Doll Company
| Founded | 1919 |
|---|---|
| Founders | Jacob Brock, Max Brock, Ed Schaefaer |
| Defunct | 1968 |
| Fate | Bankruptcy |
| Successor | Ideal Toy Company |
| Headquarters | , United States |
Key people | Secretary: Eva Brock, Bookkeeper: Herbert Brock, Engineer: Harvey Schaefaer |
| Products | dolls |
The American Character Doll Company was a U.S.-based toy manufacturer recognized for producing dolls such as "Tiny Tears," "Tressy," "Butterball Doll," "Sweet Sue," and "Toodles." Established in 1919, it reached its highest market penetration during the mid-1900s by distributing millions of dolls through department stores and mail-order catalogs like Sears and Montgomery Ward. It was the pioneer in the United States to mass-produce dolls made from rubber. The company ultimately filed for bankruptcy in 1968, with its assets being purchased by the Ideal Toy Company.
Corporate history
Founded in 1919 by brothers Jacob and Max Brock alongside Ed Schaefaer, the business incorporated numerous members of the Brock family into significant leadership positions. Operating under the trade names "Aceedeecee" and "ACDC," its initial manufacturing facility was located in Brooklyn, complemented by a retail outlet in New York City by the late 1920s. By the late 1930s, production had relocated to a 130,000-square-foot factory in Easthampton, Massachusetts.
In 1937, the Federal Trade Commission barred the company from making misleading claims about the superiority of its patented "paratex" hard rubber over competing composition dolls, including those produced by Ideal Toy Company. In 1951, American Character partnered with Ideal Toy Company and Alexander Doll Company to establish the United States-Israeli Toy and Plastic Corporation, broadening their international reach by manufacturing toy components both in Israel and the United States.
Beginning in 1954, the company demonstrated commitment to industry advancement by funding a $2,000 annual fellowship at Teachers College, Columbia University. That same year, American Character secured a patent for a doll with innovative features such as breathing, crying tears, drinking from a bottle, blowing bubbles, and even smoking.
By 1967, the company faced significant financial difficulties with unsecured liabilities totaling approximately $1.4 million. Following negotiations to settle debts and a reduction in operations, American Character Dolls filed for bankruptcy in 1968. Its molds and intellectual properties were acquired by competitors including Mattel and Ideal Toy Company, signaling the end of its commercial activities.
Product history
American Character's dolls were distinguished by their quality construction and detailed costumes. Early offerings consisted of composition dolls such as the "Petite" series of mother and character figures introduced in 1923, which remained popular through the 1930s.
In 1928, the company launched Puggy and Sally dolls inspired by Grace Drayton's Campbell Kids cartoon characters.
Celebrity-themed dolls were part of their lineup starting with the "Lucky Aviation Kid," a Charles Lindbergh figure released in 1927. The 1930s saw the introduction of the "Carol Ann Beery" doll followed by an autographed Kathryn Grayson doll in the late 1940s. The firm transitioned from composition materials to its proprietary "Paratex" substance during the mid-1930s.
Among notable celebrity dolls from the 1950s were Alice In Wonderland (1952), "Annie Oakley" (1954), "Eloise," along with several I Love Lucy themed dolls (1952), including the highly popular 14-inch vinyl baby doll "Little Ricky" that produced real tears.
The company's flagship doll was Tiny Tears, introduced in 1950 and manufactured until American Character ceased operations. This baby doll released tears when its abdomen was pressed after water insertion and gained widespread recognition through television commercials featuring Patty Duke on programs like Ding Dong School.
Other successful lines included "Sweet Sue" (1951), a plastic pre-teen doll available in multiple sizes; "Sweet Sue Sophisticate" fashion dolls launched in 1957; and the versatile "Toodles" doll introduced in 1955, which expanded into variants such as "Toodles Toddler," "Teeny Toodles," and "Tommy Toodles." The "Toni" fashion doll (1958), promoted by Gillette for their Toni hair care products, maintained popularity into the following decade.
In 1963, American Character unveiled Tressy, a fashion doll featuring an adjustable hair length mechanism patented by Jesse and Diana Dean. Positioned as a competitor to Mattel's Barbie, Tressy was produced not only domestically but also under license agreements with Regal Toy Company in Canada, Palitoy in the United Kingdom, and Societe Bella in France. The related "Cricket" doll debuted in 1964 as Tressy's cousin.
During the early 1960s, focus shifted toward talking dolls such as "Little Miss Echo," "Baby Babbles," and "Baby Says." Celebrity dolls were limited to characters from Bonanza (1966), specifically representing the Cartwright family.
The company's final significant product lines included "Whimsies" (1960–1961), featuring uniquely named figures like Bashful Bride and Zero the Hero; along with smaller dolls called "Tiny Whimsies" (1966) bearing names such as Lites Out and I'm Yours. These varied collections aimed to appeal to diverse segments within an expanding doll market.
1920s
- Baby Petite/Teenie Weenie (1925) — Baby doll measuring 11" to 15", also referred to as "Bye-Lo" or "Tynie Baby"
- Bottletot (1926) — 14" infant doll, promoted under names such as "Happy Tot," "Marvel Tot," and "Toddle Tot"
- Campbell Kids (1928–1929) — 12" dolls created by Grace Drayton, offered as "Sally" and "Puggy"
- Lucky Aviation Kid (1927) — 14" doll modeled after Charles Lindbergh
- Mama / Petite (1922–1930s) — Mother and character dolls ranging from 12" to 24"; also called "Wonder Baby"
1930s
- Smiling Sally (1930s) — Available in sizes of 12", 15", and 16"
- Sally Joy (1930s) — Doll sized between 18" and 24"
- Carol Ann Beery (1935) — Offered in 13½" or 16" sizes
- Sally Jane (1936-1938) — Shirley Temple-inspired doll in multiple sizes, crafted from "Paratex"
1940s
- Little Love (1942-1947) — A 15" or 18" doll resembling Bye-Lo Baby
- Pre Sweet Sue (1947) — Doll measuring 17-18"; later issued as an autographed Kathryn Grayson celebrity doll
1950s
- Alice In Wonderland (1952) — An 18" doll styled similarly to Sweet Sue, dressed in themed costumes
- Annie Oakley (1954) — Ranging from 15" to 25", this doll was fashioned after Sweet Sue with western attire and accessories
- Baby Sue (1957) — Hard plastic doll available in 17" or 23"
- Betsy McCall (1957-1959) — Hard plastic dolls spanning from 8" to 36"; also marketed as Sandy McCall, Betsy's cousin
- Chuckles (1952-1961) — Vinyl dolls sized between 18" and 22"
- Eloise (1958-1959) — A 21" cloth doll inspired by Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight’s children's books
- Life Size Sweet Sue (1955-1956) — Dolls measuring 24" and 31"
- I Love Lucy Baby (1952–1956) — Baby doll later renamed "Little Ricky"
- I Love Lucy Lucille Ball (1952) — Cloth doll standing at 28", featuring a painted face and dressed in her signature outfit
- I Love Lucy Ricky Ricardo (1953–1955) — Vinyl doll with molded hair and sleep eyes, available in various costumes
- Jimmy John (1954) — An 18" "magic skin" cooing doll activated by pressing the tummy
- Sweet Sue (1951-1961) — Plastic pre-teen dolls available in multiple sizes up to 31"
- Sweet Sue Sophisticate (1957) — Fashion dolls offered in either 14" or 20"
- Teeny Toodles (1959-1960) — Eleven-inch vinyl dolls with five-jointed parts
- Tiny Tears (1950–1968) — "Crying" baby dolls ranging from approximately 11½" to 20"
- Tommy Toodles (1959-1960) — Marketed as Toodles' brother, sized between 22" and 23"
- Toni (1958–1960s) — Fashion doll created for Gillette’s Toni hair products; also known by names such as "Cha Cha" or "High Society"
- Toodles (1955-1960s) — Multi-jointed plastic dolls ranging from 19" to 30"
- Toodles Toddler (1955-1959) — Vinyl multi-jointed toddler dolls up to 24", also called "Toodles The Action Doll"
1960s
- Baby Babbles (1963) — A foam-covered voice box doll measuring 23", capable of speaking phrases
- Baby Says (1963) — Battery-powered talking doll standing at 17", featuring eleven phrases
- Butterball (1961) — Soft vinyl Magi-form doll available in sizes of either 19" or 23"
- Cartwright Family (1966) — Eight-inch celebrity dolls from Bonanza: Ben, Hoss, Little Joe, Adam
- Chuckles (1961) — Large-sized girl doll
- Cricket (1964) — Fashion doll with hair that grows; known as Tressy’s "cousin," also called "Toots"
- Little Miss Echo (1962-1964) — Thirty-inch hard plastic talking doll with a battery-operated tape recorder
- Mary Makeup (1964) — Friend of Tressy without the hair-growing feature
- Mini-Whimsies (1966) — Small molded vinyl dolls measuring between six and seven-and-a-half inches; successors to Whimsies
- Popi (1963) — An eleven-inch pop-apart fashion doll equipped with three wigs and a cut-and-drape dress
- Pouty Penny (1966) — Baby dolls sized at thirteen, twenty, or twenty-two inches; also sold under the name "Freckles"
- Pre-Teen (1963) — Fourteen-inch grow-hair vinyl doll with a tummy button; discontinued after one year in favor of Tressy
- Sally Says (1963-1965) — Vinyl toddler dolls measuring eighteen to nineteen inches with battery-operated speech
- Snip n' Tuck (1966) — Popi mannequin doll accompanied by fabric and accessories designed for creating no-sew clothing
- Suzie the Snoozie (1960) — Twenty-two-inch sleeping doll
- Teenie Tiny Tears (1964) — Twelve-inch version of Tiny Tears
- Tiny Whimsies (1966)
- Toodle-Loo (1961) — Fully jointed magic foam vinyl doll sized between seventeen and eighteen inches
- Tressy (1963–1967) — Fashion doll featuring growing hair; variants include "Magic Makeup Tressy" and "Black Magic Makeup Tressy"
- Whimsies (1960–1961)