Comments on: Talking dolls before integrated circuits

Question: Talking dolls before integrated circuits

chengjih — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 19:50:31 -0800

Talking Tina, how do you talk? I'm watching the Twilight Zone marathon with Talking Tina. Given the technology available in 1963, how would such a toy work? The general talking part, not the evil inanimate object part.

By: xingcat

xingcat — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 19:56:47 -0800

The talking dolls used the same technology as See and Say. Basically a plastic record with a turntable run by a spring.

By: Pudhoho

Pudhoho — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 20:00:21 -0800

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 low-fidelity phonograph record in the doll's abdomen. The record was driven by a metal coil wound by pulling the toy's string.

Here's a television commercial.

By: headnsouth

headnsouth — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 20:13:54 -0800

This guy repairs Mrs. Beasley dolls & welcomes queries.

By: headnsouth

headnsouth — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 20:20:17 -0800

"guy" = "woman"

By: zengargoyle

zengargoyle — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 20:20:31 -0800

Google up some Youtube videos on "Bag Of Laughs", there are a couple of tear-down videos where they take them apart and show the simple record/needle/speaker guts inside which is quite similar to talking doll guts.

By: Jilder

Jilder — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 22:09:06 -0800

Talking dolls have been around since 1890. Edison came up with a four pound creep factory that sounds like something to give Talking Tina a run for her money.

By: Fortnight Bender

Fortnight Bender — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 02:09:16 -0800

We had "Robert the Robot, mechanical man" in the late 50's early 60's. Eventually (perhaps inevitably) he was dissected and as mentioned above, a little phonograph record inside.