Last Updated on March 16, 2003
Margaret Kerry
(body double - live action model)
as Tinkerbell
Margaret Kerry had just gotten married when they asked her to model as Tinkerbell...Her measurements were a 35in bust line, a waist of 25in, and her hips were 36 inches...Needless to say, some people think of Tinkerbell as being a young teen-aged girl or a child... In fact, other rumors were said that Tinkerbell was modeled after Marilyn Monroe...
Margaret Kerry had just won the World's Most Beautiful Legs contest, but didn't tell Disney because she thought that they would not approve...Margaret Kerry played Tinkerbell as being childlike...Kerry, who had acted since she was age four in Our Gany comedies, and the Three Stooges shorts, recieved a phone call from Peter Pan director
Clyde Geronimi in early 1952. Margaret was twenty-two years old, and was a regular on The Charlie Ruggles Show, one of television's earliest sitcoms. Geronimi asked her, "How would you like to model for a spirit who doesn't speak?"
For Margaret Kerry's audition, Kerry danced and performed to the song Fixing Breakfast. She did a lot of acting in the song... She would close the refrigerator door with her foot, and other things of that nature...They had asked Kerry if it would be convenient for her to come back next Tuesday after her audition... Kerry was suprised because she had
never been treated so well in Hollywood before... She replied, "Yes, that would be convenient!"
James M. Barrie's play about Peter Pan in Neverland was always performed as a small light dashing about the stage. No one had ever tried to act in the play as Tinkerbell either...NOw it was up to Kerry and Disney artists to bring Tinkerbell to human form...For the next six months, Kerry portrayed Tinkerbell on a huge, empty soundstage, wearing a tight bathing suit...
The director would say, "Okay, now act jealous" or "You're angry at Peter" and Kerry would make exaggerated body motions and facial expressions... The animators captured her tiniest expressions... From a raised eyebrow to a frown... They would call Margaret Kerry Two-Take Tink because she would always get her acting right the first time. They would do a second take just for safe measure...
Sometimes they would use giant props, like a fifteen foot pair of scissors or large keyholes for Margaret Kerry to look through...Most of the time was held pretending to be looking up from under the mattress or in a drawer... Margaret Kerry saw the Disney feature when it was realeased in 1953...
Information was acquired from this site
The Real Tinkerbell, Margaret Kerry
If you are interested in learning more about Margaret Kerry ( The Real Tinkerbell ) check out these great sites!
