Anybody ever seen this pattern?

Petite and blonde, Sandra Dee inspired girls across the country to imitate her style. In Imitation of Life, Sandra's character wears a graduation dress designed by Jean Louis. To promote ticket sales, Universal ran ads telling mothers they could get a free sewing pattern of the dress if they sent in two tickets to the film. In the first month, the studio gave out fifteen thousand patterns and soon had to stop because they couldn't meet demand.

From The Bad and the Beautiful, by Sam Kashner and Jennifer Macnair.

Fifteen thousand? How come I've never seen or heard of one before now? A mystery. Anyone else seen one? I've looked all over for an image or scan ... I might have to go hit the library and start flipping through old fashion mags from April 1959. (Oh, don't throw me in that briar patch ...)

Comments

[vintagecrochetgirl]

Erin, you could probably find this pattern on eBay. It was not uncommon to promote sewing patterns in connection with movies, back in the heyday of sewing apparel at home. There's a 1950s-era apron pattern promoting a movie that I frequently see on eBay. I even had it one point. Someone gave it to me, but then I gave it away.Good luck on finding the Sandra Dee pattern or at least more information on it.

[vintagecrochetgirl]

Me again. Just looked at The Blue Gardenia site (one of your links). There are two 1950s-era examples of Advance sewing patterns sold at Penney's to promote movies. One is for Disney's Cinderella, and the other for Buttons and Bows with Bob Hope (this is the pattern I had and is often on eBay).

[Erin]

Thanks! I'll set up an ebay search ...

[Anonymous]

Only some small partial photos, but that's a start. http://www.sandradeefans.com/imitate4.html

[Erin]

ooh, thanks!That only makes me want that pattern MORE.