JACKIE ROBINSON ackie Robinson is legendary for breaking the color line and becoming the first African American baseball player to play in Major League Baseball. His ten-year career with the Brooklyn Dodgers started in 1947 and he was so popular during this time that Hollywood decided to tell his story. Top director Alfred E. Green told the story of Jackie's struggles with bigotry and Jackie himself headed the impressive cast which included a young Ruby Dee in one of her first films and veteran character actress Louise Beavers. Produced by Eagle-Lion, the company which had been formed just after World War II to make lower budget independent films, the movie represents a major shift in film making which started after World War II in which stories of integration could be told. Though the budget was not lavish, the advertising campaign for the film was, and it included the merchandising of the elaborate Jackie Robinson doll. He was created in 1949 by the Allied-Grand Doll Merchandising Company Inc. of Brooklyn New York (business address of 200 Fifth Avenue, New York City). The doll premiered at the annual toy fair in New York City. He came in several presentation boxes. This was one of the very first dolls to be made by Allied Grand, who went on to manufacture hard plastic fashion dolls. Jackie is one of the very last commercial dolls to be made of composition. He is 13-inches tall and came in both his baseball jersey and his warmup suit. He featured a baseball cap, a wrist tag in the shape of a baseball glove and an autographed wooden bat. 56 Spring 2021