Well, it should be memory plural; because this is about my personal memories of Diahann Carroll. Diahann Carroll was a Big Deal in the late 1960's. Her sit-com Julia premiered in 1968, and though I was only three years-old at the time, I remember what a Big Deal it really was.
My sister is a year older than me, more or less, so when Julia hit the airwaves, she was four. The show ran until March of 1971, so she was like 5, 6, 7ish during its run. So she was old enough to want a "Julia" doll. And want it she did! The show had quite a bit of merchandising at the time. Paper dolls, coloring books, Colorforms (look it up Gen Zers...or is it Gen Alpha now? I'm Gen X myself and I can't wait for the day some punk says to me: "Okay Xer"!); and there was even a lunch box. But the ne plus ultra of the merch, was the doll. There were two. One was Julia in her nursing outfit and the other was "Talking Julia," who was dressed to the nines in a gold and silver lame jump-suit.
The Julia doll was from Mattel Toys; so that meant Barbie's clothes would fit her (and Barbie could borrow Julia's jump-suit; you know for cocktails with Ken; or glamourous sky-diving!). I vividly remember the arrival of Julia in our home. It was Kate's birthday (early September) and my Dad, who had been out of town (probably at Camp LeJeune) arrived that evening with the doll. I don't recall if he just showed up with it or if my sister had specifically requested a Julia doll (I think the latter is the case) but when that paper came off, the excitement was palpable! I was probably more entranced by the doll than my sister was. I remember staring in awe at Julia as she glimmered in her metallic fabric on the other side of the plastic. And, drum-roll please...She TALKED!
Honestly though, I don't remember what it was that she said. Actually, I don't recall her talking at all; but that is definitely the doll. Maybe there was a non-talking version that came in the jump-suit.
So, I did a little research. The only version in the lame jump-suit (that's "lah-may"! I don't know how to put accents on this blog; and we all know there was nothing "lame" about Miss Carroll!) was the talking version. I found some recordings of what the doll said, in Miss Carroll's voice. Things along the lines of "Nursing is great fun!" and "What should I wear on my show?" and "Hi, my name is Julia!" and "Do you want to be an actress?" That last one rang a very distant bell and I remembered the voice. I always thought my sister should be an actress. She was quite dramatic (in a good way). I still think she should. Also, my answer to Julia's acting query was "yes." I mean, in wanting to act. I've played a woman on stage; and it's a bitch!
When I think back on this, a few things kind of amaze me. My parents both grew up in Charlestown, Massachusetts. It's really a neighborhood of Boston proper. It's where the Bunker Hill monument is:
Honestly though, I don't remember what it was that she said. Actually, I don't recall her talking at all; but that is definitely the doll. Maybe there was a non-talking version that came in the jump-suit.
So, I did a little research. The only version in the lame jump-suit (that's "lah-may"! I don't know how to put accents on this blog; and we all know there was nothing "lame" about Miss Carroll!) was the talking version. I found some recordings of what the doll said, in Miss Carroll's voice. Things along the lines of "Nursing is great fun!" and "What should I wear on my show?" and "Hi, my name is Julia!" and "Do you want to be an actress?" That last one rang a very distant bell and I remembered the voice. I always thought my sister should be an actress. She was quite dramatic (in a good way). I still think she should. Also, my answer to Julia's acting query was "yes." I mean, in wanting to act. I've played a woman on stage; and it's a bitch!
When I think back on this, a few things kind of amaze me. My parents both grew up in Charlestown, Massachusetts. It's really a neighborhood of Boston proper. It's where the Bunker Hill monument is:
Incidentally, those town-houses and apartments are now worth millions of dollars. They were decidedly not when my parents gamboled on these streets. Charlestown was predominantly working class Irish at least into the 70's. You may recall the "forced busing" era in Boston in the 70's. One of the hot-spots of "anti-busing" was Charlestown. To say Charlestown was racially intolerant would be decidedly underplaying it. To be blunt, the Boston Irish were pretty much racists. This is the background my parents were raised in. And yet, here they were in the late 60's, purchasing a Black fashion doll for their five-year-old daughter. And I also received for my fifth birthday, no questions asked, a Ken doll. Charlestown wasn't exactly a bastion for alternative lifestyles, either. Were my parents progressive? Maybe. Maybe not. What my parents were, was kind.
I often wonder about the procuring of the doll by my father. Like, did he go into the PX at Camp LeJeune in North Carolina (not exactly a bastion of racial equality in 1968) and go to the toy department and find the Julia doll? Was he confronted with both versions of the doll (the second in her nursing outfit) and had to choose? And if he did, why did he choose the one that he did? Because she could talk? Because he liked her jumpsuit? Or did he grab the first one he saw that said "Julia"? Or, did he ask the sales-clerk to help him find the doll? And if that was the case, what did he or she think? Here was this good looking, macho white man in fatigues asking for a Black 11 inch fashion doll.
I often wonder about the procuring of the doll by my father. Like, did he go into the PX at Camp LeJeune in North Carolina (not exactly a bastion of racial equality in 1968) and go to the toy department and find the Julia doll? Was he confronted with both versions of the doll (the second in her nursing outfit) and had to choose? And if he did, why did he choose the one that he did? Because she could talk? Because he liked her jumpsuit? Or did he grab the first one he saw that said "Julia"? Or, did he ask the sales-clerk to help him find the doll? And if that was the case, what did he or she think? Here was this good looking, macho white man in fatigues asking for a Black 11 inch fashion doll.
My dad was (is) quite the character. He's an Aries; which means it's all about him. I'll be writing about him in another blog, complete with pictures. He was like a movie star, with the looks and personality to match. He was a macho Marine; but he was also into like, musical theater. He loved "Geraldine," Flip Wilson's female alter-ego.
Looking back on this clip; it's rather amazing at how truly transgressive Flip Wilson was. He's not just doing drag, he's playing a woman. But he's also playing a man, playing a woman so that he can unapologetically flirt with another man. Also a Sagittarius! My dad would actually do imitations of Geraldine. I sometimes wonder if my dad is a gay man trapped in a straight man's body. My dad would've eagerly sat down to watch Diahann Carroll on a TV special (remember in the 70's when they were always airing "Specials"?). Like maybe this for instance:
Why is she dressed 20's style and singing a late 60's show-tune? Who knows...it was the 70's man!
You know, when I think back on my Dad who grew up in an atmosphere of total bigotry and was in the Marine Corps with a lot of rough guys; I can't recall him ever having an unkind word for any other race or creed or anyone in any minority. My mom had her moments. Her section of Charlestown was a little tougher than my dad's. Back in the days of R & B and disco, when one of those songs would come on in the car on the radio; she sometimes said some unkind comments about the musical stylings. From the backseat, we kids would berate her. "Mom," we'd cry, "that's racist!!!" Remember this was the 70's; like where did me and my siblings get our tolerant views? "Mom, that's so racist!" Don't misunderstand me. My mom is one of the sweetest, most loving people you'd ever meet. Her comments about the music were merely conditioning. One day, after our cries of racism, my mother turned off the radio and regarded us in the rear-view mirror. "Maybe I am a racist..." she said quietly. She never made those comments again.
As important and ground-breaking a show as Julia was, it wasn't really a "kids" show; despite the toys and the lunch boxes and the paper-dolls. I recall it being rather somber, and for a child, frankly kind of boring. It's never really gone into re-runs with any kind of regularity. It never became beloved. That doesn't mean it wasn't good or important. Perhaps it was trying too hard to be important. Its caution sapped the fun factor. Or maybe not. I'm relying on my six-year-old memory. I haven't seen the show since its original run.
Diahann didn't pop up again in my life (besides the occasional "Special") until she turned up on Dynasty in 1984. At the time, she was doing a lot of pre-publicity on shows like Entertainment Tonight; where she proclaimed, directly into the camera: "I'm going to be the first black bitch on television!" At the time, TV was obsessed with "bitches." Female characters who were white, wealthy, entitled, scheming and ruthless. "The women you love to hate!" the media proclaimed.
Now, if Diahann had meant that she was going to be something more along the lines of a bad-ass-black-bitch; she'd already been beaten to the punch by Teresa Graves as Christie Love on Get Christie Love!
You know, when I think back on my Dad who grew up in an atmosphere of total bigotry and was in the Marine Corps with a lot of rough guys; I can't recall him ever having an unkind word for any other race or creed or anyone in any minority. My mom had her moments. Her section of Charlestown was a little tougher than my dad's. Back in the days of R & B and disco, when one of those songs would come on in the car on the radio; she sometimes said some unkind comments about the musical stylings. From the backseat, we kids would berate her. "Mom," we'd cry, "that's racist!!!" Remember this was the 70's; like where did me and my siblings get our tolerant views? "Mom, that's so racist!" Don't misunderstand me. My mom is one of the sweetest, most loving people you'd ever meet. Her comments about the music were merely conditioning. One day, after our cries of racism, my mother turned off the radio and regarded us in the rear-view mirror. "Maybe I am a racist..." she said quietly. She never made those comments again.
As important and ground-breaking a show as Julia was, it wasn't really a "kids" show; despite the toys and the lunch boxes and the paper-dolls. I recall it being rather somber, and for a child, frankly kind of boring. It's never really gone into re-runs with any kind of regularity. It never became beloved. That doesn't mean it wasn't good or important. Perhaps it was trying too hard to be important. Its caution sapped the fun factor. Or maybe not. I'm relying on my six-year-old memory. I haven't seen the show since its original run.
Diahann didn't pop up again in my life (besides the occasional "Special") until she turned up on Dynasty in 1984. At the time, she was doing a lot of pre-publicity on shows like Entertainment Tonight; where she proclaimed, directly into the camera: "I'm going to be the first black bitch on television!" At the time, TV was obsessed with "bitches." Female characters who were white, wealthy, entitled, scheming and ruthless. "The women you love to hate!" the media proclaimed.
Now, if Diahann had meant that she was going to be something more along the lines of a bad-ass-black-bitch; she'd already been beaten to the punch by Teresa Graves as Christie Love on Get Christie Love!
In any event, it was a decidedly un-Julia like thing to say.
When she did turn up on Dynasty as Dominique Deveraux, she was more, I'd say, calculating than "bitchy." And she played it straight; as opposed to Joan Collins who camped it up as far as she could. "Playing it straight," was for me, kind of boring. I was losing interest in the show by the time she came on. Here's her Big Entrance:
When she did turn up on Dynasty as Dominique Deveraux, she was more, I'd say, calculating than "bitchy." And she played it straight; as opposed to Joan Collins who camped it up as far as she could. "Playing it straight," was for me, kind of boring. I was losing interest in the show by the time she came on. Here's her Big Entrance:
But, as far as being the first Prime Time Soap Opera Bitch who was Black; she claims the title.
Here's to Miss Diahann Carroll. Cool as a cucumber.
Glamourous Groundbreaker.
And I so wish I had that doll.
Here she is talking about how she got involved with Dynasty:
Here's to Miss Diahann Carroll. Cool as a cucumber.
Glamourous Groundbreaker.
And I so wish I had that doll.
Here she is talking about how she got involved with Dynasty:
Ciao...for now.
CFR 2/18/22
CFR 2/18/22