Suzanne The Dancing Doll Puppet: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

Life-sized figure, Suzanne The Dancing Doll, used in the international nightclub act of Tommy Wonder and Don Dellair, 1940-1969, an internationally known duo who sang and danced at night clubs from Puerto Rico to Paris. This doll plays a special role in the life of Tommy Wonder. As a child, Wonder developed a physical condition that prevented him from walking. In order to assist him, his mother stuffed some old clothes together and supported them with a broomstick. This doll, which Wonder named Suzanne, helped him learn to dance and walk.

This Suzanne was made in 1940 by the Westmore Brothers, Hollywood make-up artists. The face is modelled after Ann Sheridan by Warner Bros. Studios and his costume was designed by the House of Givenchy. The doll has real hair, glass eyes, and a face made of rubber material. Her unique feet have a patented extra pair of shoes, one set for Suzanne, and the other set worn by the puppeteer.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date made: 1940
• Object Name: Figure
• Physical Description: rubber (overall material)
• Physical Description: wood (overall material)
• Physical Description: glass (eyes material)
• Physical Description: fabric (overall material)
• Physical Description: hair, human (hair material)
• Measurements: overall: 63 in x 16 in x 10 in; 160.02 cm x 40.64 cm x 25.4 cm
• general subject association: Dance
• general subject association: Musical Theater
• general subject association: Puppetry
• Subject: Nightclubs
• ID Number: 1980.0157.01
• accession number: 1980.0157
• catalog number: 1980.0157.01
• Credit Line: Don Zeitz Dellair and Tommy Wonder 123
• Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.