Eddie Cantor & Rosemarie I Love You

The year I turned five was very big - my father had died in the May of that year but as a big surprise before he left Australia to go to London to study his F.R.C.S. (to become a heart specialist) he had arranged for one of his patients to make for me for Christmas a doll's bassinet and a cupboard to go with the pedigree doll they, as in my parents, had bought for me. Father Christmas and his elves were extremely busy on our behalf and provided well for all of us that year, despite the enormous sadness of losing our father.

To cut a long story short I remember that I was beside myself with joy when I awoke onChristmas morning to find that during the night the bearded one had visited and left me a beautiful walking, talking doll. She said "Mama" when turned over, closed her eyes for sleep and I could even change her clothes. And the reason I could change her clothes was because there were also dolls dresses provided inside the also new hand made small, cream cupboard, (complete with a flowered transfers on the door) which was standing right next to the light, elegant, swinging bassinet in which my doll reposed. The cupboard had two doors that opened outwards and a small rail had been installed which went from end to end. On that rail were three small coat hangars on which hung three small dresses with matching hats and petticoats. The doll's furniture was painted an ivory cream and looked absolutely brilliant to me.

Everything was perfect - in fact a small girl's dream of a splendid Christmas. I remember spending hours playing with her - the only doll I actually played with as I usually preferred to play with the boy's toys.

But what to call my precious new doll? At the time my childhood memory told me that it was Eddie Cantor who was crooning a song on the radio called "Rosemarie I Love You" but yesterday as I sorted through u tube looking for this particular song I found that after some searching that it was really Nelson Eddy NOT Eddie Cantor who crooned the words! So much for the naming of this hub - down the tubes ah well win some lose some - at least I got an Eddie in there somewhere....

Well the combination of the song on the radio and the acquisition of my beautiful doll the naming decision was easy. Rosemarie was well and truly loved - and almost literally to death by me.

Fast forward to today and poor old Rosemarie looks quite decrepit - her arms are off and lost, her "mama" has gone, her hair looks a bit stringy, her bonnet and knickers are gone but she is still pretty and apart from those missing arms looks OK for her many years. And as I now have a Grand daughter of ten months to whom I hope to give Rosemarie, I am now in need of a doll's hospital to rectify all those years of neglect; one that will give her back her once youthful appearance. If only I could do the same!

I am ever hopeful that she will look great once again and once this happens I will share a before and after photos of her for your delectation.....I hope.

author: a.a.gallagher 30th November 2010

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