While watching the Barbie movie, many wondered who Ruth Handler was. Ruth’s character is introduced as a spirit living in the headquarters of the Mattel Corporation who helps the protagonist, the stereotypical Barbie, to escape the corporate men and eventually find herself. Here is what we know about who Ruth Handler was.
Who was Ruth Handler?
When people ask who Ruth Handler is, one immediately thinks of her as the inventor of Barbie and the Mattel brand. Ruth was previously portrayed in the 2023 hit Barbie film. Rhea Perlman plays the character. Before this movie, not many people knew that she was the one who invented Barbie and the Mattel brand.
Ruth’s Early Life
Handler, known initially as Ruth Marianna Mosko entered this world in the vibrant city of Denver, Colorado. Her parents were Jacob Moskowicz, a skilled blacksmith, and Ida Moskowicz (née Rubenstein). Both her parents hailed from Poland and had embraced the Jewish heritage.
Ruth’s path intertwined with her high school sweetheart, Elliot Handler. She ended up later marrying him. With their love binding them together, they embarked on an adventurous journey. The two relocated to the lively city of Los Angeles in 1938. There, amidst the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, Ruth discovered her passion.
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Ruth Handler Career
After Elliot Handler explored his hobby of furniture making, he had a stroke of brilliance. Utilizing the novel materials of Lucite and Plexiglas, he embarked on creating furniture like no other. Encouraged by Ruth’s sharp business acumen, they ventured into the commercial realm and founded a furniture business. Ruth’s exceptional sales skills played a crucial role in securing significant contracts. This included ones with the prestigious Douglas Aircraft Company and various other enterprises.
Seeing the potential for further growth, the Handlers sought a partnership, and Harold “Matt” Matson became their ally. To reflect their collaboration, they ingeniously combined Matson’s surname with Elliot’s first name, giving birth to the legendary brand Mattel. Although Ruth’s name didn’t find its way into the company name, her visionary spirit and contributions were at the core of Mattel’s success.
The Second World War disrupted furniture sales. However, the resilient team at Mattel swiftly adapted and shifted their focus to manufacturing toy furniture. Their venture into this realm was exceptionally successful, leading them to embrace toy manufacturing entirely.
The genesis of the iconic Barbie doll holds multiple accounts. In one version, Ruth discovered an adult-like beauty during her European travels. It was a stark contrast to the infant dolls prevalent at the time. Alternatively, inspiration struck when she observed her daughter Barbara playing with paper dolls. This motivated Ruth to create a more lifelike and three-dimensional toy that represented the aspirations of young girls. Eager to bring her vision to life, Ruth passionately urged Mattel to introduce what would become the beloved Barbie doll. The doll was lovingly named after her daughter.
When Barbie made her grand debut at the American Toy Fair in New York City on March 9, 1959, she captured the hearts of millions and instantly became a sensation. The demand soared, with Mattel selling an astonishing 351,000 dolls within a year. Ruth’s keen negotiating skills secured an exclusive advertising deal for Barbie with the renowned Mickey Mouse Club. This made Barbie the first toy to receive direct advertisement to children, and it turned out as a groundbreaking marketing success.
The Handlers and Mattel didn’t stop with just Barbie; they expanded the brand’s lineup, introducing a boyfriend for her named Ken, affectionately called after the Handlers’ son. Alongside Ken, numerous other captivating characters came to life, further solidifying Mattel’s position as a frontrunner in the world of toys and shaping the childhoods of generations to come.
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Ruth Handler Death
Handler demonstrated immense strength and resilience despite facing a challenging breast cancer diagnosis in 1970. In her determination to overcome the obstacles caused by the disease, she underwent a modified radical mastectomy, a standard treatment approach at that time.
On April 27, 2002, at age 85, Ruth Handler passed away in California due to complications arising from surgery for colon cancer.
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