History of Sweet Sue Dolls
In 1948, the American Character Doll Corporation produced the Sweet Sue doll, whose popularity soared through the 1950s. The first Sweet Sue dolls were made of hard plastic and later changed to vinyl. By 1951, they came in three sizes—15, 18 and 23 inches. Subsequent versions included the all-vinyl toddler version, Life-Size Sweet Sue, Walking Sweet Sue with Peek-a-boo Eyes and Sweet Sue Walker.
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Walking Doll
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Flexible Foot Sweet Sue was a walking doll with adjustable ankles that enabled her to wear ballet slippers, flats or medium heels on feet made of hard plastic. The flexibility extended to her jointed waist and neck. The doll’s arms, legs and body were stiff vinyl and her head consisted of soft vinyl. According to VintageDollCollector.com, Flexible Foot Sweet Sue dolls came in an array of outfits that reflected that era's elegant manner of dress.
Detailed Accessories
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Every outfit in Sweet Sue’s stylish wardrobe included a slip or petticoat, panties and nylon stockings. Sewn along the hem of the doll’s Sunday best dress were rows of embroidery, and the name “Sweet Sue” was stitched onto her fancy birthday outfit. Black medium heels with a rhinestone attachment completed Sweet Sue’s Lindy Hop and collegiate ensembles. Underneath her American Beauty ball gown was a hoop skirt, and as a bride Sweet Sue wore pearl earrings and a rhinestone engagement ring. McCall’s created a clothing pattern specifically for the Sweet Sue doll series in 1953.
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Sweet Sophisticate
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Sweet Sue Sophisticate from 1957 was a mature version of the doll, with a grown-up figure and developed bust line. This doll’s feet were shaped to fit into high heels. The Sweet Sue Sophisticate doll's popularity failed to attain that of previous dolls within the same line but, according to JaniesDolls.com, these are highly sought after collectibles because they were only produced that one year.
Markings
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Proving authenticity of a Sweet Sue doll can be frustrating according to VintageDollCollector.com. The American Character Doll Corporation didn't always mark the back of the head or neck of these dolls with the company name. Some are marked as “Amer. Char. Doll,” “American Char Doll,” “Am. Char." or “A.C.,” while others show no markings at all.
Endearing Doll
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Early Sweet Sue dolls wore wigs made of mohair. Later on, these dolls came with hair crafted from synthetic fibers. Pale-complexioned Sweet Sue had beautiful blue eyes with brush upper lashes and painted lower ones, and she wore light pink polish on her fingernails. The American Character Doll Corporation went out of business in 1968, but Sweet Sue dolls continue to be an important part of this company’s legacy, states VintageDollCollector.com.
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