Elliot Handler

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Elliot Handler
BornApril 9, 1916
Art Center College of Design
OccupationBusinessman
Known forCo-founder of Mattel and inventor of the doll Ken
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1938; died 2002)​
ChildrenBarbara Handler and Kenneth Handler

Elliot Handler (April 9, 1916 – July 21, 2011) was an American inventor, businessman, and the co-founder of

Creepy Crawlers, and Hot Wheels.[1][2]

Early life

Isadore "Izzy" Elliot Handler was born to a

Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. In 1929, he met his future wife Ruth Mosko at a B'nai B'rith dance for teenagers.[3] They dated on and off for years, and were married in June 1938. Shortly after their marriage, his new wife Ruth requested he change his name: partially due to her preferring his middle name "Elliot" over "Izzy", and partially from her fears of American antisemitism toward an obviously Jewish name like Isadore. He complied. The couple had two children: Barbara, who was the namesake of Barbie dolls; and Kenneth, the namesake of Ken dolls.[5] While a struggling art student and designer of light fixtures, Handler partnered with Harold Matson to design a realistic-looking miniature piano that received roughly 300,000 orders; however, they mispriced the product and lost a dime on each one produced.[3][6]

Mattel

Harold "Matt" Matson and Elliot Handler in 1945. Elliot's wife, Ruth, took Matson's role when the Handlers bought his share in the late 1940s.[7]

Handler holds credit for developing the first talking doll

Mr. Ed
.

When Handler's daughter Barbara married Allan Segal, they created Allan, Ken's friend. The 1965 talking doll Baby Cheryl was named after the Handlers' first grandchild, and the Todd doll in the Barbie line was named after their grandson.[8][9]

Handler was primarily responsible for two additional Mattel product lines. In 1966, Mattel introduced smaller dolls called Liddle Kiddles. Handler claimed he wanted them to resemble little children in neighborhoods across America. They were sculpted by doll artist Martha Armstrong-Hand. Kiddles were a great success and continued to be produced in different versions until the early 1970s. Another product line was Hot Wheels, introduced in 1968, which gave rise to 10,000 different models.[3][9]

First called Mattel Creations, the company has become the largest toy maker in the world in terms of revenue. In April 2006, Mattel honored Handler with a 90th birthday party at its headquarters in El Segundo, California. Guests included his daughter Barbara Segal, the namesake of the Barbie doll.[9]

Personal life

Handler died of

Los Angeles, California, at age 95 on July 21, 2011.[9] Ruth Handler, Elliot's wife, died in 2002; their son Ken died in 1994.[4]

Notes

  1. ^ Miller, Stephen (July 23, 2011). "Hot Wheels' Driver And Barbie's Dad". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  2. ^ Chang, Andrea (July 24, 2011). "Elliot Handler, co-founder of toymaker Mattel and inventor of Hot Wheels, dies at 95". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 15, 2011 – via The Washington Post.
  3. ^ a b c d e Jewish Telegraph: "The Eulogizer: Elliot Handler, Barbie's 'dad,' and more on alleged mobster Francois Abutbul" By Alan D. Abbey August 9, 2011
  4. ^ a b Chang, Andrea (July 23, 2011). "Elliot Handler dies at 95; co-founder of Mattel, inventor of Hot Wheels". Los Angeles Times.
  5. ^ People: "As a Tiny Plastic Star Turns 30, the Real Barbie and Ken Reflect on Life in the Shadow of the Dolls" By Michelle Green and Denise Gellene March 6, 1989
  6. ISBN 978-0-06-134131-1
    .
  7. ^ "Elliot Handler". www.telegraph.co.uk. July 26, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  8. ^ Noland, Claire (July 22, 2011). "Elliot Handler, toy maker and Mattel co-founder, dies at 95". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  9. ^ a b c d Duhigg, Charles (July 22, 2011). "Elliot Handler, Co-Founder of Mattel Toys, Dies at 95". The New York Times. Retrieved July 22, 2011.

References

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elliot_Handler&oldid=1210554729"