Chatty Cathy is a pull-string "talking"

doll A doll is a physical model, model typically of a human or humanoid character, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have also been used in traditional religious rituals throughout the world. Traditional dolls made of materials such as clay and ...

originally created by Ruth and

Elliot Handler Isadore Elliot Handler (April 9, 1916 – July 21, 2011) was an American inventor, business magnate, and the co-founder of Mattel. With his wife, Ruth Handler, he developed some of the biggest-selling toys in American history, including Bar ...

and manufactured by the

Mattel Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational corporation, multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company headquartered in El Segundo, California. Founded in Los Angeles by Harold Matson and the husband-and-wife duo of Ruth Handler, ...

toy company from 1959 to 1965. The doll was first released in stores and appeared in television commercials beginning in 1960, with a suggested retail price of $18.00, though usually priced under $10.00 in catalog advertisements. Chatty Cathy was on the market for six years and was the second most popular doll of the 1960s after

Barbie Barbie is a fashion doll created by American businesswoman Ruth Handler, manufactured by American toy and entertainment company Mattel and introduced on March 9, 1959. The toy was based on the German Bild Lilli doll, Bild Lilli doll which Hand ...

(also made by Mattel). After the success of Chatty Cathy, Mattel introduced "Chatty Baby" in 1962 and "Tiny Chatty Baby", "Tiny Chatty Brother", and " Charmin' Chatty" in 1963. The last doll to have the word "chatty" in its name in the 1960s was "Singin' Chatty" in 1965. Mattel trademarked the name "chatty" in the 1960s, and the boxes for Mattel talking dolls such as Drowsy, Baby Cheryl, and Tatters each had the tag-line "A Chatty Doll by Mattel".

Physical look

, Chatty Cathy was a fanciful depiction of a human, in this case a five-year-old Caucasian girl. Originally, Chatty Cathy had

blonde Blond () or blonde (), also referred to as fair hair, is a human hair color characterized by low levels of eumelanin, the dark pigment. The resultant visible hue depends on various factors, but always has some yellowish color. The color can be ...

hair in a short bobbed style and blue eyes.

Brunette Brown hair, also referred to as brunette (when female), is the second-most common human hair color, after black hair. It varies from light brown to dark hair. It is characterized by higher levels of the dark pigment eumelanin and lower level ...

and auburn-haired versions of the doll were introduced in 1962 and 1963, respectively. An

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

version of the doll with a brown skin tone was also produced in 1962-63. In 1963, Chatty Cathy's hair was re-styled into what Mattel called "long twin ponytails". Mattel catalogs stated that Chatty Cathy and all the other Chatty dolls had the go-to-sleep, "lifelike decal eyes".

Voice

Although its mouth did not move (it was designed with lips slightly parted), the Chatty Cathy doll "spoke" one of eleven phrases at

random In common usage, randomness is the apparent or actual lack of definite pattern or predictability in information. A random sequence of events, symbols or steps often has no order and does not follow an intelligible pattern or combination. ...

when the "chatty ring" protruding from its upper back was pulled. The ring was attached to a string connected to a simple

phonograph A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound. The sound vibration Waveform, waveforms are recorded as correspond ...

record inside the cavity behind the doll's

abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the gut, belly, tummy, midriff, tucky, or stomach) is the front part of the torso between the thorax (chest) and pelvis in humans and in other vertebrates. The area occupied by the abdomen is called the abdominal ...

. The record was driven by a metal coil wound by pulling the toy's string. The voice unit was designed by Jack Ryan, Mattel's head of research and development. When it arrived on the market in 1960, the doll played eleven phrases, including "I love you", "I hurt myself!" and "Please take me with you". In 1963, seven more were added to the doll's repertoire, including "Let's play school" and "May I have a cookie?", for a total of 18 phrases. Cartoon voice actress

June Foray June Foray (born June Lucille Forer; September 18, 1917 – July 26, 2017) was an American Voice acting, voice actress and radio personality, best known as the voice of such animation, animated characters as Rocky the Flying Squirrel, Natasha F ...

, known for the voice of Rocket "Rocky" J. Squirrel in the '' Rocky & Bullwinkle'' cartoon series and other well-known cartoon characters from the 1940s to the mid-2000s, recorded the phrases for the 1960s version of Chatty Cathy.

Clothing

In 1960, two outfits were available for the Chatty Cathy doll. One was a blue

dress A dress (also known as a frock or a gown) is a one-piece outer garment that is worn on the torso, hangs down over the legs, and is primarily worn by women or girls. Dresses often consist of a bodice attached to a skirt. Dress shapes, silh ...

with a white eyelet overblouse,

panties Panties are women's form-fitting underpants. Typical components include an elastic waistband, a crotch panel to cover the genitalia (usually lined with absorbent material such as cotton), and a pair of leg openings that, like the waistband, ...

crinoline A crinoline is a stiff or structured petticoat designed to hold out a skirt, popular at various times since the mid-19th century. Originally, crinoline described a stiff fabric made of horsehair ("crin") and cotton or linen which was used to ...

, blue

shoes A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot. Though the human foot can adapt to varied terrains and climate conditions, it is vulnerable, and shoes provide protection. Form was originally tied to function, but ...

and white

sock A sock is a piece of clothing worn on the feet and often covering the ankle or some part of the Calf (leg), calf. Some types of shoes or boots are typically worn over socks. In ancient times, socks were made from leather or matted animal hair. ...

s; the other was a red velvet headband, red sunsuit with a red pinafore with an overskirt of white

voile (; French for veil) is a soft, sheer fabric, usually made of 99% cotton or cotton blended with linen or polyester. Named for its light weight, the fabric is mostly used in soft furnishing. In tropical climates, ''voile'' is used for window tr ...

, red shoes and white socks. Other accessories included a story and comic book,

shoehorn A shoehorn or shoe horn (sometimes called a shoespooner, shoe spoon, shoe schlipp, or shoe tongue) is a tool with a short handle that flares into a longer spoon-like head meant to be held against the inside back of a snug-fitting shoe so that a ...

, and a paper wrist tag that was also a numbered warranty card. The doll and its accompanying accessories were advertised at less than $20. In 1961, the red Chatty Cathy dress was discontinued, replaced by a pink and white striped dress with a white pinafore called "Pink Peppermint Stick", which was available until 1964. Also in 1961, six extra outfits were made separately available, with names like "Party Dress", "Nursery School Dress", "Sleepytime Pajamas", "Playtime Shorts set", and "Party Coat". The outfits "Sunday Visit Dress" and "Sunny Day Capri Short set" came out in 1963.

Production history

In 1962, Mattel licensed its proprietary voice mechanism and licensed the Chatty Cathy doll to the Dee & Cee Toy Company of Canada. Dee & Cee, known as Mattel Canada by 1964, produced several Canadian versions of the dolls. Though made from the original American molds, there was a notable difference in the Canadian dolls' materials: the vinyl had a slightly glossier look, the doll's eyebrows had a higher/thinner arch on the forehead, and a different type of eye was used. These differences account for the higher prices of some Canadian Chattys among collectors. Some of the doll's phrases were different, reflecting cultural differences between Canada and the United States. These differences also made the doll suitable for export to other English-speaking countries. Dee & Cee's models had the same 11-18 phrases as the American Chatty Cathys. Dee & Cee was rumored to have sold a French-speaking Chatty Cathy, though the doll recording gives her name as "Carola". According to Chatty Cathy reseller Kathy Scott, alterations made to original Canadian Chattys make it difficult to identify which original Canadian Chatty Cathys are original French-speaking "Carola" Chatty dolls, if any. Chatty Cathy, as well as Chatty Baby and Tiny Chatty Baby, were redesigned and reissued by Mattel in 1970. The dolls were completely different in appearance to earlier Chatty dolls.

Maureen McCormick Maureen Denise McCormick (born August 5, 1956) is an American actress, best known for her role as Characters of The Brady Bunch#Marcia Brady, Marcia Brady on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television sitcom ''The Brady Bunch'' (1969–1 ...

, who had appeared in Chatty Cathy television commercials with future '' Brady Bunch'' co-star Eve Plumb in the 1960s, provided the voice of the new Chatty Cathy doll, which was sold for two years. All three new dolls had painted eyes, not the go-to-sleep version. In 1984, Mattel introduced Chatty Patty, which also had a different look from the other Chatty dolls; it too had painted eyes. Mattel Classics released special reproduction editions of Chatty Cathy from 1998 to 2001. These special reproductions were made to resemble the 1960 version of Chatty Cathy with go-to-sleep "lifelike decal eyes", along with the most memorable outfits, cartoon box with a Chatty Cathy story book, wrist tag, and shoehorn all faithfully reproduced. The 1998 models spoke the original eleven 1960s phrases in the original June Foray voice (see above); the special package included a numbered certificate of authenticity, a wrist tag with a picture of Chatty Cathy creators Ruth and Elliot Handler, and a special letter from Ruth Handler. The special reproduction editions were sold exclusively in

JCPenney Penney OpCo LLC , Trade name, doing business as JCPenney (colloquially Penney's and abbreviated JCP) is an American department store chain store, chain with 649 stores across 49 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. It is managed as part of the Catalys ...

stores (later in specialty doll and toy stores) and priced starting at $98.99. The models came in three well-known outfits. One of the three models had brown eyes. All the original 1998 models had blonde bob hairstyles. Mattel also sold a “Holiday” Chatty Cathy in a holiday themed cartoon box with a tree ornament on the wrist and a newly designed holiday dress. The holiday model, the only one from 1998/99 with long curled brown hair and brown “pinwheel” type eyes, plays some original phrases as well as holiday themed ones. All 1998/99 Chatty Cathys sold out immediately, most purchased by avid collectors, re-sellers and fans of the original dolls. In 1965, Mattel licensed its proprietary voice box/mechanism to the Rosebud Doll Company in England, which made a British “Chatty Cathy”, speaking different phrases in a British accent (the doll does not say its name is Cathy). Sold until about 1970, the dolls were made from completely different molds and do not resemble any of the North American Mattel Chatty Cathys. According to Kathy Scott, the British dolls came in three models: sandy blonde with tight short curls, platinum blonde with long straight hair, or long straight brown hair on a stubbier 18 inch model.

In popular culture

The popularity of Chatty Cathy led to many pull-string talking dolls flooding the toy industry. The same basic pull-string talking mechanisms were used in all other Mattel talking dolls and toys of the 1960s and 1970s. These included favorites like talking

Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny is a cartoon character created in the late 1930s at Warner Bros. Cartoons (originally Leon Schlesinger, Leon Schlesinger Productions) and Voice acting, voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his featured roles in the ' ...

Porky Pig Porky Pig is a cartoon character in the Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of cartoons. He was the first character created by the studio to draw audiences based on his celebrity, star power, and the animators created man ...

, Mrs. Beasley, Drowsy,

Herman Munster Herman Munster is a fictional character in the CBS sitcom ''The Munsters'', originally played by Fred Gwynne. The patriarch of the Munster household, Herman is one of Frankenstein’s monsters, created in a lab in Germany in the nineteenth ce ...

, Dr. Seuss characters, and all the See 'n Say toys. When Mattel's Baby First Step ("the world's first walking doll") sold well upon its introduction in 1965, a talking version was released the following year. Other Mattel dolls which "learned to talk" were the Baby Tender Love line (1970), which eventually included Talking Baby Tender Love, and the Baby Beans line (1971), which spawned a Talking Baby Beans. Many dolls from the Barbie line were sold in pull-string talking versions in the late 1960s and early 1970s. " Living Doll", a 1963 episode of ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology series, anthology television series created by Rod Serling in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described ...

'', features a murderous talking doll named "Talky Tina" modeled after Chatty Cathy and voiced by

, the original voice of Chatty Cathy. The doll used to portray Talky Tina was produced by the Vogue Doll Company between 1959 and 1961 and marketed under the name "Brikette". The term "Chatty Cathy" can be used to refer to a particularly talkative person. In the 1987 movie '' Planes, Trains & Automobiles'',

Steve Martin Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American comedian, actor, writer, producer, and musician. Known for Steve Martin filmography, his work in comedy films, television, and #Discography, recording, he has received List of awards a ...

scolds

John Candy John Franklin Candy (October 31, 1950 – March 4, 1994) was a Canadian actor and comedian who is best known for his work in Hollywood (film industry), Hollywood films. Candy first rose to national prominence in the 1970s as a member of the Tor ...

, saying "It's like going on a date with a Chatty Cathy doll. I expect you have a little string on your chest, you know, that I pull out and have to snap back. Except I wouldn't pull it out and snap it back - you would. Agh! Agh! Agh! Agh!" The character Gabby Gabby in the 2019 film ''

Toy Story 4 ''Toy Story 4'' is a 2019 American animated comedy-drama film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It is the fourth installment in Pixar's ''Toy Story'' series and the sequel to ''Toy Story 3'' (2010). It was dire ...

'' was inspired by Chatty Cathy and "Talky Tina", according to director

Josh Cooley Joshua Cooley (born May 23, 1979) is an American filmmaker and storyboard artist. He is best known for directing the animated films ''Toy Story 4'' (2019) and ''Transformers One'' (2024), with the former winning the Academy Award for Best Animat ...

. The "Corey's Remix" episode of ''

That '80s Show ''That '80s Show'' is an American television sitcom set in 1984 that aired from January 23 to May 29, 2002 on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox. Created in the wake of the successful sitcom ''That '70s Show,'' it shared a similar name and even many ...

'' features a scene in which Katie Howard demands that her brother Corey apologize for having cut the string from her Chatty Cathy doll when they were kids, thus making it just plain "Cathy". The ''

How I Met Your Mother ''How I Met Your Mother'' (often abbreviated as ''HIMYM'') is an American sitcom created by Craig Thomas (screenwriter), Craig Thomas and Carter Bays for CBS. The series, which aired from September 19, 2005, to March 31, 2014, follows main char ...

'' episode titled "Spoiler Alert" shows Ted dating a very talkative woman named Cathy. CW’s Arrow's “Lost Souls” episode has Felicity Smoak referring to Oliver Queen/Green Arrow as a “Chatty Cathy” for talking/texting her mother more than she would have liked. The 2007 ''

Robot Chicken ''Robot Chicken'' is an American adult animation, adult stop motion, stop-motion animated sketch comedy television series created by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich for Cartoon Network's nighttime programming block Adult Swim. The twelve-minute ...

'' "Moesha Poppins" episode has a fictional

Michael Moore Michael Francis Moore is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and author. Moore's work frequently addresses various Social issue, social, political, and economic topics. He first became publicly known for his award-winning debut ...

list the fates of several "girl toys" that faded into obscurity, ending with Chatty Cathy, whose tongue is cut out by the mafia after witnessing a mob crime. A

GEICO The Government Employees Insurance Company (GEICO ) is an American vehicle insurance company headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland. In addition to auto insurance, GEICO provides motorcycle, ATV, RV, boat, snowmobile, travel, pet, event, hom ...

commercial from 2007 parodied the Chatty Cathy commercial with the dolls saying phrases about their car insurance rates. In 2007 and 2010,

Hallmark A hallmark is an official Mark (sign), mark or series of marks struck on items made of metal, mostly to certify the content of noble metals—such as platinum, gold, silver and in some nations, palladium. In a more general sense, the term ''Wikti ...

released the Chatty Cathy keepsake ornament.

Other media

Film

A live-action film adaptation produced by

Mattel Films Mattel Films is the film production Division (business), division of Mattel originally formed on October 16, 2013, as Mattel Playground Productions as part of Mattel Global Brands, a unified media structural and strategy unit. On March 31, 20 ...

and Aggregate Films was announced in January 2022.

References

* Kettelkamp, Sean, ''Chatty Cathy and Her Talking Friends'', Schiffer Publishing (1998)

External links

Television campaigns about Chatty CathyIMDb: Ann P. Ryan, the original Chatty Cathy voice
{{Mattel Doll brands 1960s toys Products introduced in 1960