Vikki Dougan (born Edith Tooker in 1929) was an American model and actress who became one of the most memorable fashion figures of the 1950s.
Known for her striking beauty and daring backless dresses, Dougan earned the nickname “The Back” for her bold, figure-hugging gowns that left little to the imagination. She appeared on the covers of major magazines, worked with top photographers, and posed for high-profile advertising campaigns. Her distinctive look and confident style later inspired the design of Jessica Rabbit.
With her combination of glamour and playful sensuality, Dougan remains an unforgettable icon of mid-century Hollywood and fashion. These vintage photos capture the bold glamour and unforgettable style of Vikki Dougan, the legendary “Back” of 1950s fashion.
"Her distinctive look and confident style later inspired the design of Jessica Rabbit."
ReplyDeleteNo it absolutely did not.
From a 1988 New York Times article:
"A third key character is, of course, the femme fatale - Roger's impossibly gorgeous wife, Jessica."
''It's the ultimate male fantasy, drawn by a cartoonist,'' said Mr. Williams. ''I tried to make her like Rita Hayworth; we took her hair from Veronica Lake, and Zemeckis kept saying, 'What about the look Lauren Bacall had?' ''
Williams refers to animation director Richard Williams and Zemeckis refers to director Robert Zemeckis.
This quote is repeated over and over around the internet and the only variation I can find is this quote from a 2022 cartoonresearch.com article:
“We started with a Jessica that was much more illustrative, but one day one of the writers came to me and said I should make her more ‘cartoony’. So I did,” recalled supervising animation director Richard Williams of the later attempt at the character."
“I used a combination of Veronica Lake, Rita Hayworth and Sophia Loren. It’s so funny that she’s become this pin-up. Of course, she’s absurd. Her waist is so tiny that she’d fall over if she was real.”
"The famous peek-a-boo hair style of Veronica Lake, the distinctive, seductive red hair of Rita Hayworth and the voluptuous physique of Sophia Loren combined with their screen personas of being the most desirable women in the world were the physical foundation for Williams’ interpretation of Jessica."
Nobody connected with the movie has ever said that Vikki was in anyway an inspiration for Jessica.
Settle down. Sheesh. I bet you're a riot at parties..
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