Who Was Barbie Doll Creator Ruth Handler, Featured As A Character In New Movie?

The recent Barbie movie has given new relevance to the iconic dolls, originally created by Ruth Handler. Though she is not widely recognized as the mastermind behind the toys, the film featured Handler as a character in the movie, played by actress Rhea Perlman.

Handler immigrated with her parents from Poland to Denver, Colorado, when she was a child. She was the youngest of ten kids, raised by her older sister because of her mother’s poor health.

She first visited Hollywood when she was 19 years old and ended up staying out West for the rest of her life. Her high school boyfriend, Elliot Handler, followed her to California, and the two were married in 1938.

The couple launched a giftware business called “Mattel” out of their garage, selling items like bowls and mirrors made out of plastic. Eventually, the company began constructing toy pianos and ukuleles.

Handler had two children, Barbara and Ken. While on a family trip to Europe in 1956, Barbara reportedly saw a doll that looked like an adult woman and was stunned; most dolls in the U.S. were baby dolls, while this one was curvy, elegantly dressed and wearing makeup. Handler was immediately inspired and got to work creating her own dolls.

The first Barbie doll was released in 1959. Sales skyrocketed and the company was valued at $10 million in 1960, just one year after launching.

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Despite Barbie’s immediate success, Handler did not stop there. After surviving a breast cancer diagnosis, she created a line of silicone breast prostheses that were the first of its kind. She made sure that the prosthetics emulated the feeling of real breasts and was a pioneer of the industry, though she is not often mentioned in the field.

In 1972, Mattel’s sales started to plummet. The company issued two conflicting reports about earnings the following year and the stock tanked in 1975. The Handlers resigned as co-chairmen and were indicted by a federal grand jury in 1978 for conspiracy, mail fraud and making false financial statements to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Handler pleaded no contest and was fined $57,000, and ordered to complete 2,500 hours of community service.

Handler died in April 2002 from complications from a colon surgery that she underwent in January of that year. Her net worth when she died was $100 million, though it is unclear where that fortune went.

Now, the Barbie movie is reviving and redefining the brand. Though it does not follow a historical account of how Barbie dolls were created, the writers and producers did cast Perlman to play Handler to shed light on her significant contributions to the toy industry.

Barbie came out in theatres on July 21.