50's Paper Dolls and Cowboy Tales

When I was growing up, paper dolls were all the rage among the girls. For my family, they were cheap, kept me entertained, and helped develop dexterity and creativity. Because of this, I ended up with a paper doll collection -- nearly a hundred of them, with me adding to them as I had a daughter.

Some of you may remember Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. Roy Rogers was a singer and actor who blazed across American screens around the fifties. He had his own television show from 1951 - 1958, featuring his wife, Dale Evans; his horse, Trigger, and his German shepherd, Bullet. His sidekicks included men like Pat Brady, Andy Devine, and Gabby Hayes. 

Another type of western came with the musical by Rogers and Hammerstein, Oklahoma. The play opened on Broadway in 1943 and won the playwrights a special Pulitzer prize. It's been revived again and again and is still performed by small theater groups across America.

The movie version came to the screens in 1955 and starred Gordon McRae and Shirley Jones (her film debut). It was the only musical film ever directed by Fred Zimmerman, and Anne de Mille directed the choreography. 

I remember spending a lot of time with these two sets of paper dolls decades ago. Now, they make up a collection ranging from the early fifties until the nineties. I have no idea how much any of it might be worth. Is there an Antique Roadshow coming anywhere close?

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