Chatty Cathy
| Type | Doll |
|---|---|
| Inventor | Jack Ryan |
| Company | Mattel |
| Country | United States |
| Availability | 1960–1965 |
Chatty Cathy was a pull-string "talking" doll manufactured by the Mattel toy company from 1959 to 1965. The doll was first released in stores and appeared in television commercials beginning in 1960. Chatty Cathy was on the market for six years and was the second most popular doll of the 1960s after Barbie (also made by Mattel). After the success of Chatty Cathy, Mattel introduced Chatty Baby in 1962 and Tiny Chatty Baby, Tiny Chatty Brother and Charmin' Chatty in 1963. The last doll to have the word chatty in its name in the 1960s was Singin' Chatty in 1965. Mattel trademarked the name chatty in the 1960s, and the boxes for Mattel talking dolls such as Drowsy, Baby Cheryl, and Tatters each have the tag-line, "A Chatty Doll by Mattel."
Like Barbie, Chatty Cathy was also a fanciful depiction of a human being, in this case a five-year-old Caucasian girl. Originally, Chatty Cathy had blonde hair in a short bobbed style and blue eyes. Brunette and auburn-haired versions of the doll were introduced in 1962 and 1963 respectively; an African American version of the doll with brown skin tones was produced those same years. 1963 was also the year that Chatty Cathy's hair was re-styled into what Mattel called "long twin ponytails." Mattel catalogs stated that Chatty Cathy and all the other Chatty dolls had, go-to-sleep "life-like decal eyes."
Although its mouth did not move (designed with lips only slightly parted), Chatty Cathy "spoke" one of eleven phrases at random when the "chatty ring" protruding from its upper back was pulled. The ring was attached to a string connected to a simple phonograph record inside the cavity behind the doll's abdomen. The record was driven by a metal coil wound by pulling the toy's string. The doll had 11 phrases when she came on the market in 1960 such as "I love you", "I hurt myself!" or "Please take me with you." Seven more phrases such as, "Let's play School" or "May I have a cookie?" were added to the doll's repertoire in 1963 for a total of 18 phrases. Chatty Cathy's voice unit was designed by Jack Ryan, Mattel's head of research and development; he had also been responsible for designing the Barbie doll after a German doll called Bild Lilli in 1959.
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