Barbie dolls are one of the toys that can be spotted in almost every child’s house. Parents like to treat their children with Barbie-themed items as well and the dolls have proved to be profitable for the company that made them.
After several attempts over the years, the doll finally got a live-action film adaptation directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie. Earlier, it has been featured in many animated films. But people are possibly unaware of the fact that the dolls previously appeared in a film released in 1987, titled ‘Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story’.
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Barbie Dolls Were Used In ‘Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story’
‘Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story’ was released on April 30, 1988, and it was a short film with a duration of 43 minutes. It was directed by Todd Haynes and the soundtrack featured the singles released by the vocal and instrumental duo, The Carpenters.
The actors were mostly Barbie dolls and there were other documentaries and artistic footage used for the film. Shooting was completed in only ten days and was narrated by Gwen Kraus and Bruce Tuthill.
The film reportedly received positive reviews when it was first released but was bootlegged later due to which access to the film became difficult.
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Why ‘Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story’ Was Bootlegged?
When ‘Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story’ was first released in 1988, the response was highly positive and it was also sent to many film festivals. But Karen Carpenter’s brother, Richard Carpenter, was not satisfied with the way his family was shown and the director did not obtain music licensing from the group or the record label.
Following a lawsuit filed by Richard against Todd, the film’s theatrical release was halted and although a copy remains with The Museum of Modern Art, they are not allowed to exhibit it until now. Meanwhile, bootleg copies can be frequently spotted on YouTube.
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