IAK Lilli's creator Reinhard Beuthien lived in Hamburg in the fifties.He was inspired by the self conscious urban woman he saw in the streets of Hamburg. Supposedly he was inspired by the woman of the Reeperbahn (sex-disdrict of Hamburg). The words under the cartoon (Lilli's words) were very inspired by (the films of) Marilyn Monroe, but not always like a "dumb blonde", but often very intelligent.
AZO Tell us something about the cartoon strips, their popularity, how long they ran for and the Bild newspaper...is it still published?
IAK The Lilli cartoon appeared in the first issue of the "Bild", West Germany's largest-circulation daily newspaper in June 1952 in order to fill gap, intended to be a one-time filler only, However, Lilli became a regular cartoon for 10 years ...As three dimensional (as a doll) Lilli appeared in August 1955 because of her great success in the cartoons of Reinhard Beuthien. It is suggested that men bought the newspaper only because of the cartoon.The cartoons stopped in 1962, and yes the Bild newspaper still exists.
AZO It has been said Lilli's face was based on Marlene Dietrich, is this so? if so, was Marlene very influential to the new woman?.....or if not,who were the most influential women of the time Lilli was invented?
IAK I can' t confirm this . I would say more like Marilyn Monroe - later Brigitte Bardot looked very much like Lilli.
AZO When you say Lilli was the mother of the fashion doll, are you not able to find anything at all like Lilli existed before? internationally?
IAK As far as I know the other fashion dolls that were produced before Lilli didn't have the sex appeal of Lilli (they were more childish like Miss Revlon in the States - there is one exception: a German doll from the twenties made by Lotte Pritzel from Berlin
AZO Were Lilli's fashions and aspirations derivative of Hollywood cinema, or would they have been seen as German fashions and aspirations?
IAK The fashions and aspiration of the young urban woman and man were influenced by the American way of life based on Hollywood cinemas and the way the American soldiers (with their families) lived here in Germany.
