Baby Small Talk and Drowsy's Appearances on Julia

Baby Small Talk (1968) and Drowsy (head is marked 1964) by Mattel

After actress Diahann Carroll passed away in 2019, I discovered that the Aspire TV network airs several back-to-back episodes of Julia on Monday through Saturday mornings.  Ms. Carroll played the lead role as Julia Baker, a widow raising her son, Corey Baker, played by Marc Copage who was only 5 when the show first aired.

I have been recording the show and to date have 80 episodes.  A total of 86 episodes aired during the show's three seasons which ran from September 17, 1968, to March 23, 1971.

Mattel's Baby Small Talk was featured in two episodes and Drowsy, a pull-string talker, has been seen in three.

The following still photos were captured while the episodes in which the dolls appear were aired.  I took more than one photo in an attempt to get good angles of the dolls.

Eleanor (Demetra Ann McHenry) arrives at Julia's apartment holding Drowsy in Season 1, Episode 29.

Season 1, Episode 29, "The Doctor's Dilemma." Drowsy and Baby Small Talk both appear in this episode. Julia's former mother's helper, Carol, played by Allison Mills, has eloped leaving Julia without a mother's helper/babysitter for Corey. Carol's mother, played by Virginia Capers, takes Carol's place as mother's helper for Julia and Corey and brings along her younger daughter, Eleanor, who is around Corey's age (played by Demetra Ann McHenry). Mrs. Deering also brings a host of other Black children with her because she feels Corey needs Black friends. Eleanor holds Drowsy and another child has Baby Small Talk. Three additional photos from this episode are next.

Corey rejects role play that includes playing with a girl and her doll and is being reprimanded by his new mother's helper, Mrs. Deering.

These are the several children Mrs. Deering (Virginia Capers) brought to Julia's apartment because she felt Corey didn't have Black friends. Julia, upon arrival home from work, admonishes Mrs. Deering for assuming Corey didn't have other friends besides his white neighbor, Earl J. Waggedorn. (The little girl in the light blue dress holds Baby Small Talk.)

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S2 E4 "Two's a Family, Three's a Crowd."  Corey thinks he's getting a new sibling, a brother but finds out it's a girl.

Season 2, Episode 4, "Two's a Family, Three's a Crowd."  Julia agrees to keep a little girl for the weekend whose single father is thinking about putting her up for adoption.   Dr. Chegley (Lloyd Nolan) brings the girl, Claudia, to Julia's apartment.  Later, the father shows up with the girl's doll (Drowsy) and her pillow.  In this scene, the father arrives holding Drowsy and a pillow.  Claudia lets her dad know how much fun she's been having and tells her dad that Corey has strong muscles.  Corey flexes his muscles and asked the man if he wants to feel them.  The dad was played by Ford Lile.  Claudia was played by Kristi Taylor.

During the same scene of  S2 E4 "Two's a Family, Three's a Crowd," Claudia's dad and Julia go to the kitchen to get dad a drink of water where Drowsy and the pillow are placed on a counter.

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S3, E7, Julia comes home from work to prepare to go to the community center where she works one night a week.  She forgot she had promised Steve to type some papers for him.

Julia invites Steve and Kim (and Drowsy) up to her apartment.

Season 3, Episode 7, "Magna Cum Lover."  Julia and her boyfriend, Steve  Bruce, (Fred Williamson) and his daughter Kim Bruce (Stephanie James) are seen on the stairs that lead to Julia's apartment.  Kim holds Drowsy.  Little Miss James can be seen in a Getty Images photo with her television dad, Fred Williamson here.  The photo was taken during the filming of "Magna Cum Lover."

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"Kim" holds Baby Small Talk (S3, E17)

Season 3, Episode 17 "Cool Hand Bruce."  Steve Bruce and Julia have a date.  He brings Kim who will be cared for by Roberta, Corey's sitter. Kim holds Baby Small Talk as she enters Julia's apartment.

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Baby Small Talk, Mattel 1968

About Baby Small Talk
Baby Small Talk, is a 10-1/2-inch pull-string talker by Mattel that was available from 1968-1969. The doll has a vinyl head, arms and legs, and a rigid plastic body.

Closeup of Baby Small Talk

Baby Small Talk's rooted hair is brown as are her painted eyes. The mouth is open to expose two upper and two lower teeth. She wears her original aqua and white polka dot dress with daisy appliqués, white panties, and a pink hair ribbon. Baby Small Talk says eight different “baby-talk” phrases. Seven of these are:

"I love you."
"Kiss baby."
"I’m sleepy."
"Go bye-bye."
"Nite-Nite."
"Play Patty Cake."
"Baby Sleepy."

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Drowsy by Mattel has 1964 copyright year on the head.

About Drowsy
Drowsy is a 15-inch pull-string talker. The white version was introduced in 1964 by Mattel and had vinyl hands.  My version has a vinyl head and brown cloth hands.  Her stuffed cloth body, arms, legs, and feet are covered with her sewn-on pink and white polka dot flannel romper which has white eyelet trim at the sleeves and collar.  The collar is not attached to the romper. Drowsy's hands are brown cloth.

Closeup of Drowsy

This sleepy doll has rooted dark brown hair and painted brown drowsy eyes. My doll can only giggle now.  Some of Drowsy's original phrases are:

"Mommy, I'm sleepy."
"I want another drink of water."
"I want to stay up."
"Mommy, come pick me up."
"I go sleep now, night-night."
"Mommy loves baby."
"Close your eyes, mommy."

Drowsy was sculpted by renowned doll artist, Martha Armstrong-Hand, who also sculpted, Baby Beans, Baby Love 'N Touch, Rose Bud, and the Steffie (Barbie) face mold, just to name a few.

Neither Baby Small Talk nor Drowsy talked on the Julia episodes.  The dolls were used as companions for the two little actresses who starred in the above-mentioned episodes.

If you are a Julia show enthusiast, like me, and you've seen other dolls on episodes not mentioned here, please let me know and I'll add the information to this post.

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Related Links
Diahann Carroll and Julia Dolls
Diahann Carroll as Julia Paper Dolls
Childhood Dolls From the Past

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Diahann Carroll and Julia Dolls

One of my Julia dolls side glances at an image of a doll that looks like her in the October 1969 issue of Ebony magazine.

I have had plans for years to write a blog post about Mattel's Julia dolls that represent the role Diahann Carrol played from 1968 to 1971 in the prime time sit-com, Julia.  Julia was the first American TV show that featured an African American in a nonstereotypical leading role.  Time had not presented itself for me to write the post until now when I felt compelled to take the time to do so.

The Julia show first aired on September 17, 1968.  I was 13 and enjoyed watching the weekly shows from the first to the last, which aired on March 23, 1971.  Julia Baker was a widowed nurse and mother of a young son, whose name was Corey Baker (played by Marc Copage).  The back story was that her husband died serving in the Vietnam war.  Julia was a nurse at a California clinic. Her adorable 5-year-old, matchmaker son, Corey, was determined to find a new husband for Julia and daddy for himself. Other cast members were matchmakers for the lovely Julia as well. As a result, she had several boyfriends and/or undesired suitors. 

At the time of this post, the entire three-year series aired on the cable network, Aspire, Monday through Saturday mornings in back-to-back episodes.

The lovely Ms. Carroll poses with the first two versions of the Julia doll, Talking Julia on the left and nurse Julia, a Twist 'n' Turn doll on the right.  The Julia doll, which is not a true portrait of Ms. Carroll, uses the original Christie head sculpt.  This photo is also from the October 1969 issue of Ebony magazine.

Because of the popularity of the show, Mattel debuted two Julia dolls in 1969.  One doll represents Ms. Carroll as Nurse Julia Baker.  The other, Talking Julia, is dressed in evening wear.  Ms. Carroll introduced the dolls in the October 1969 issue of Ebony magazine in the article, "Diahann Carroll Presents the Julia Dolls."  I purchased a copy of the magazine several years ago after my initial plan to write an in-depth article on the Julia dolls and extra boxed fashions.  As indicated above, that never happened.  Photos, scans, and/or snips from the 1969 Ebony article follow:

The above text is the actual article from the October 1969 issue of Ebony.  The rest of the article consists of images and captions as illustrated next.

Twist 'n' Turn Julia is held by little Miss Annette Johnson.

Seen with several Julia doll heads are Ms. Jean Berger (left) and Ms. Mellie Phillips (right).

This is a slightly larger photo of Ms. Phillips, now deceased, whom I believe was African American.

Several Julia dolls in nurse uniforms and other glamorous fashions are seen here with Ms. Charlotte Johnson (former fashion designer director at Mattel) and Ms. LaRue Diniakos.

Ms. Johnson and Carol Spencer (noted former Mattel designer) are seen in this photo with additional Julia dolls.  The magazine caption for these photos (minus the larger photo of Ms. Phillips) is captured below.

The Ebony article ends with this image of original Twist 'N' Turn Julia.

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Some of Julia's extra fashions are shown here, L-R Ruffles 'N Swirls, Leather-Weather, Burr-Furr, Pink Fantasy, and Candelight Capers.  These photos were scanned from the booklet that came with my Live-Action Christie.

Julia dolls from my collection are shown next.

Julia 1970-1971, second issue, wears a one-piece nurse uniform and hat.  The doll's hair color was originally black; it has now oxidized to red.

Talking Julia was made from 1969-1971.  Her original black hair has oxidized as well.  She is mute.  One of the phrases the doll spoke was, "Hi, my name is Julia!"

The 50th Anniversary Julia doll wears a replica of the original two-piece nurse uniform.  This doll was released in 2009.

The text on the back of the reproduction doll's box reads:  Julia debuted in September of 1968, changing television history forever!  The landmark sit-com introduced us to Julia Baker, an African American widow and her young son, Corey.  Living in Los Angeles, Julia worked as a nurse beside the grouchy, but still lovable, Dr. Morton Chegley.  Played magnificently by Diahann Carroll, Julia challenged stereotypes and changed perceptions.  Warm, spirited and determined, Julia became a star who is fondly remembered even today!  Revisit the memories with this wonderful reproduction of the original Julia doll from 1969!  This beautiful doll, based on the TV character played by Diahann Carroll, is housed in a striking package inspired by the original design.

One of the side panels of the 50th-anniversary doll's box describes the doll has "Bendable legs and Twist 'n' Turn waist, Diahann Carroll as Julia.  New TV Star!" An image of the doll dressed fashionably is below the text.

Born Carol Diahann Johnson on July 17, 1935, Ms. Carroll died today, October 4, 2019, at the age of 84.  She exuded grace, intelligence, and beauty and will be sorely missed.  I enjoyed her in Julia and in every other role she portrayed, but Claudine remains my all-time favorite Diahann Carroll role (and the soundtrack is great).  Her role in The Five Heart Beats was a small one, but I loved her in that, too.

Related Links
Julia Paper Dolls
Identifying Julia Dolls and Clothes
Julia Dolls

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There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
__________
Thank you for following, commenting, and sharing using the share button below.

Check out what I am selling here. 
Check out my eBay listings here.
Please follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black.
Donate here to support this blog. Thank you!