Disney Anastasia

Disney Anastasia 

Disney Anastasia 

The Anastasia full-length animated film was  Loosely - very loosely - based on the 1918 tragic murder of the Russian Royal Family, it tells the story of a young girl who might, or might not, be Anastasia, the princess rumoured to have escaped the massacre.

As with the Disney dolls, the manufacturer (in this case Galoob) managed to achieve incredible likenesses to the characters featured in the film - most notably the czar, as well as Anastasia herself.

The basic, 12-inch Anastasia doll - or Anya as she is first known in the film - is dressed in a beige, long- sleeved dress made from a soft cotton material. The dress is trimmed at collar and cuffs with sage green,

Disney Anastasia 

and a matching buttoned placket decorates the bodice. A brown, gold-buckled belt encircles her waist, her stockings are thick and black, and she wears a pair of brown ankle boots. The dress is cut jaggedly at the hem as she was a poor young lady, and around her neck hangs a 'gold' medallion (a clue to her birth.)

Anastasia has large blue eyes, smiling mouth and dark auburn hair piled in a bun. This doll can also be found in a larger box labelled Together in Paris Anya', identically dressed to the basic Anastasia (Anya), but included in the box is a blue peaked-cap, a purple scarf, a 'gold' locket for child and Pooka, the little grey dog which subsequently became her companion.

One of the prettiest Anastasia dolls is 'Skating Princess' Dressed in a turquoise nylon and chiffon short skating costume, with white chiffon puff sleeves dotted with silver stars, this model proved very popular with small girls. She wears sheer, white nylon tights, white ice-skating boots, white fur muff and a white fur headband decorated with an iridescent trim. Another pretty doll is 'Dream Waltz'.

Disney Anastasia 

This time, Anastasia is dressed in a beautiful full- ' skirted, glitter-scattered lemon ballgown with iridescent sleeves and a shiny turquoise sash. Her hair is fastened with a matching bow, and she has mi a pearl necklace and earrings. She comes complete ./ with a cassette featuring two songs from the movie X and if you place her on her own turquoise stand, she twirls and dances.

'Paris Elegance' features Anastasia in a slim, midnight-blue, strapless evening gown scattered _ with pink and blue glitter. She wears a crystal necklace, earrings and hair ornament, an . impressive white fur stole, and carries a small pair JA of opera glasses. Also included in the box are a larger pair of opera glasses which show eight u scenes from the film. In 'Fantasy in Paris' Anastasia is dressed in a silky royal blue strapless gown with a long matching stole, white gloves, crystal necklace and hair decoration. All these dolls are beautifully made with masses of detail, and are certainly well worth collecting.

Anastasia's boyfriend, Dimitri, was also produced in doll form. He is a handsome, brown-haired, brown-eyed young man, obtainable either in Together in Paris Dimitri', wearing black trousers, wnite long-sleeved knitted shirt, beige short-sleeved overshirt, and moss-green suede-look waistcoat, or in 'Paris Romance Dimitri' in which he is very smartly dressed in grey trousers and a formal black tail jacket, white shirt, bow tie and carnation. Together in Paris Dimitri' also contains a brown bag and a model of the gold and turquoise music box featured in the film. Dimitri is included in a duo set, too, described later.

'Key to the Past" is a stunning set of dolls, because not only does it feature Anastasia, it also contains the Empress Marie, a masterpiece of characterisation. Marie is dressed in a spectacular, iridescent purple satin full-skirted gown with a plain mid- purple central panel. The bodice is deep purple and mid-purple, and the long flowing sleeves are soft lilac satin. She wears a wide blue sash across her bodice, a blue necklace and tiara. Anastasia is practically the same model as 'Fantasy in Paris', with just slight differences to her jewellery.

Also included is a 'gold' music box.

Disney Anastasia 

The impressive Czar Nicholas II doll would be just at home in a collection of royal commemoratives; he so yellow braid stripe, white cotton-twill jacket trimmed with fringed gold epaulettes and gold cuffs, gold buttons and black belt, the Czar has a blue sash across his chest,fastened with gold studs and braids. His shoes are black.

The Czar's face has moulded brown hair, pointed beard and moustache, thick eyebrows and large brown eyes, and is a superb portrait-type doll.

Further dolls in this exceptional collection include a mail order offer doll, 'Loving Memories', which consists of Anastasia in a pink satin outfit with a gold trim, gold hair bow and a hairbrush, and a duo set, 'Always and Forever', containing both Anastasia and Dimitri. In this set Anastasia is dressed in a peach satin off-the-shoulder ballgown with an iridescent white front panel, trimmed with wide gold braid.

Her ultra-long sleeves are of iridescent gold chiffon.

Anastasia's headdress is iridescent, too, and she wears a blue sash across her bodice, a blue 'sapphire' around her neck, and a ring on her finger. Dimitri, dressed in casual clothes, has a brown suit, dark green waistcoat, grey shirt and brown tie. The tiny plastic buttons on his suit and waistcoat are perfectly in scale, and the pocket flaps are carefully sewn - this is a magnificent set.

Various costumes for Anastasia were also available. Packaged in regal purple boxes labelled Fashion Elegance, they included 'Sweet Dreams' - light blue pyjamas with white collar and cuffs and a lace-trimmed blue pillow, 'Evening Elegance' - mauve satin dress with long iridescent sleeves, and 'By The Sea' - a white sailor-style dress with pale blue stripes on the collar, a wide blue sash, blue hair ribbon and blue shoes. In addition there was a white carriage with blue wheels and upholstery, trimmed with gold, which could seat Anastasia and Dimitri in style. This came complete with a beige horse with a cream mane and tail.

Disney Anastasia 

Other items which would fit in well with an Anastasia collection would be a plush Pooka the floppy-eared puppy, such as the one imported by Equity Marketing which moves its ears when its tummy is squeezed, and Bartok the white bat who can be found both as a

hand puppet. 







Many Anastasia items have been issued as premiums or fast food freebies, including a super little promotional train set, decorated with Russian snow! Various other items which could complement a collection include blow-moulded vinyl dolls of Anastasia and Pooka obtainable from Woolworths, and 11-inch high moulded plastic figures made by Applause.