1949 Little Women paper doll w/original card case, signed Janet Leigh. Meg doll

1949’s Little Women Dolls which proved the most popular of the Hallmark series, are also the most difficult to find today. That’s because, unlike the other Hallmark sets, the four Little Women dolls have significant appeal as cross-collectibles. Interest in them extends beyond paper doll collectors to those whose passion is movie memorabilia. Released to coincide with the 1949 MGM movie based on Louisa May Alcott’s enduring novel, each 6” x 5” Little Women doll is costumed to resemble a specific character in the film: Jo (June Allyson); Meg (Janet Leigh); Amy (Elizabeth Taylor); and Beth (Margaret O’Brien).

On-the-set sketches of the performers by artist Smith added to the authenticity of the dolls’ “look” (and proved a good publicity ploy for both MGM and Hallmark.) While the facial features of the finished products look more or less like every other Viv Hallmark doll—twinkling eyes, rosy cheeks, and perky rosebud lips—the carefully-realized costumes accurately reflect their movie co