Kiki

Kiki Doll

Kiki Dolls

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Kiki by Ralph A. Freundlich
Name	Kiki Kiki Doll Kiki Dolls

Kiki was a doll line by Ralph Freundlich that made its debut in 1931. The dolls were given the name "Kiki" in honor of Mary Pickford's at the time most popular film, Kiki, which was released in 1931.

In 1932, Fleischer Studios, Inc., Fleischer Art Service, Inc., and the Cameo Doll Company who created the "Betty Boop Cameo Doll" that had made its debut November 14, 1931, filed a copyright lawsuit against Freundlich's company, for manufacturing dolls simulating Max Fleischer's animated character Betty Boop.

During the lawsuit Freundlich argued that the "Fleischer copyright" was invalid in that Helen Kane was the originator of the character.

However Kane around this time was also suing Fleischer in a $250,000 Infringement Lawsuit, during this lawsuit Kane lost and could not prove to be originator of the "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" singing style, model, and or the inspiration behind the Betty Boop character.

Judge Woolsey said in his verdict: "The character which was depicted combined in appearance the childish with the sophisticated, a round baby face with big eyes and a nose like a button framed in a somewhat careful coiffure with a body of which perhaps the most notable characteristics is most self-confident little bust imaginable." Ralph A. and Sol J. Freundlich lost the infringement lawsuit brought by the Fleischer Studios in 1934.

The Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the New York State Supreme Court's ruling that copyright for Betty Boop owned by the Fleischer Studios, Fleischer Art Service, and Joseph I. Kallus had been violated. Freundlich was ordered to pay damages of $5,440 and costs of $15,000 in the suit.

Ralph A. Freundlich, Inc. / Freundlich Novelty Corp. Dolls

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On the box of the Freundlich Trixbe Doll, also known as the Trixie Doll, which the business sold in 1932, it was said that the doll could do a million trix. He offered the unmarked Freundlich Nursing Doll for sale from 1932 to 1934. Dolls of Little Red Riding Hood, Grandma and the Big Bad Wolf, the Three Little Pigs, and Puss 'N Boots were all sold in 1934 by the Freundlich Company. Little Orphan Annie doll and her dog Sandy were sold by the business in 1936. The business offered Uncle Tom Cabin characters Goo Goo Eva and Goo Goo Topsy, Princess Doll, and a Sailor Boy doll that said "U.S. Navy" in 1937. The business sold Dummy Dan and Dummy Don in 1938. The Baby Sandy portrait doll was sold by the firm between 1939 and 1942. The character Baby Sandy is based on young actress Sandra Lea Henville. A Pinocchio doll with the inscription Original Pinocchio as represented by C. Collodi, produced by Ralph A. Freundlich, Inc. 200 Fifth Ave. New York City, was for sale in 1940. A General Douglas MacArthur doll, made to look like the American general who held that position for the United States, was first made public by the business in 1942. His nametag says, "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition, which is the title of a song by Frank Loesser."

Trivia

• Strangely, while the "Kiki" dolls debuted in August 1931, the Betty Boop dolls did not arrive on the scene until November 1931, demonstrating that the Betty Boop Cameo dolls were not released until much later than the "Kiki" dolls.

• Betty was a canine character in 1931; she didn't formally change to a human girl status until 1932. Betty appeared as a human girl in Kitty From Kansas City (1931), which was released on October 31st, and Mask-A-Raid (1931), which was released on November 7th, but both cartoons were released after August. The "Kiki" dolls were released months before Betty had officially transformed from an anthropomorphic canine into a human girl. Freundlich, perhaps not knowing this, was unable to prove any of this in court. His only argument in court was that "Helen Kane" was the originator of the character, a narrative that the Fleischers did not follow or acknowledge.

• The truth is possibly that the Fleischers and Cameo did not want competition. The Betty Boop series had launched officially in 1932 and was a smash hit, and with the new series and spin-off material on radio came a deal to sell Betty Boop dolls. The Fleischer Studios did not like to compete, instead they decided to obliviate the rival company. This contributed to Freundlich being arrested and jailed, going into debt, and the company later became defunct.

• Ralph Freundlich was found guilty of perjury in 1937. When it was later discovered that he had manufactured 1,108 dolls, he claimed that he had only made 676. He received a three-month prison term and a $4,000 fine in 1938.

• From 1923 until 1929, Ralph A. Freundlich was employed by the Jeanette Doll Company. He also founded the Silver Doll & Toy Manufacturing Company, which produced Mama dolls from 1923 to 1924.

• From 1929 to 1934, Ralph A. Freundlich, Inc. ran its business out of New York City. After that, it relocated to Clinton, Massachusetts, where it is most known for its composition novelty dolls.

• Since Freundlich's dolls don't seem to have any markings, identifying them can be difficult. When Freundlich filed for bankruptcy in 1945, operations ceased.

• Uninformed individuals believe that Helen Kane sued, Kane did have her own doll line, but it was not as successful as the Betty Boop dolls. And she certainly did not sue anyone over merchandising. She filed a $250,000 Infringement Lawsuit based on her "persona," the "baby-doll" persona and scat-singing that was well-known to many artists and entertainers. While Kane was suing the Fleischers, the Fleischers were suing Freundlich. The verdict was both Kane and Freundlich lost against the Fleischer Studios in court for the individual lawsuits that took place.

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