The live-action Barbie movie not only features Barbie and Ken, but other dolls as well, including Allan, but who is he really? Live action movie adaptations have become a trend in the last decade where many production companies are trying to come up with live action versions of various things. An example is Barbie which is an adaptation of Barbie children’s toys.
The film was directed by Greta Gerwig and has been officially broadcast since yesterday, July 19. The movie itself centers on Barbie trying to find her identity in the outside world. In addition to introducing Barbie and Ken, we are also introduced to various characters from other Barbie toys. One of the most prominent is Allan. So who exactly is Allan in the world of Barbie?
Friends of Ken and they have many versions
Allan is a Barbie doll that was first introduced in 1964. Allan himself is Ken’s partner and friend. And there are interesting facts about the figure of Allan. If Barbie is a name inspired by the daughter of Ruth Handler, who is the creator of Barbie, namely Barbara Handler, then Allan is inspired by Ruth Handler’s daughter-in-law.
Allan then went on sale in 1964 and was introduced as a friend of Ken’s, whose clothes could be interchanged with Ken’s. In 1991, the spelling of Allan was changed to Allan. Allan is known to have several variants like Ken and Barbie. For example, the doll of Allan that shows him on his wedding day, The Wedding Day Allan (9067).
Allan himself is the husband of Barbie’s best friend, Midge, and his doll is part of Midge’s Wedding party Gift Set (9852). Mattel has made another version of this series, namely Festa de Casamento Allan, which specifically premiered in Brazil. However, in this version, Allan is shown to be the husband of a character named Viky. And this version of the Allan doll is produced by Estrela Toys under the supervision and license of Mattel.
In 1992, the Allan and Midge dolls were featured in a brochure showing them holding a set of twins. They were dressed in the same casual clothes, with Midge holding her baby and Allan holding the baby. However, according to the information available, the doll was never released by Mattel.
Allan in the Modern Age
In December 2002, Mattel launched the Barbie Happy Family series. In this series, fans get to see Allan’s little family, namely Allan, Midge, and their son Ryan. The Allan doll is sold together with the doll of his son Ryan. And interestingly, Ryan has two versions of the doll; a white version and an African-American version. As well as there is a special stroller for Ryan.
According to the Barbie.com website, the pregnant Midge doll is “an excellent item for parents to use with their children in family role-playing situations.” Still, it’s a shame that the Barbie Happy Family series has caused so much controversy among parents. In fact, Walmart supermarkets stopped selling these toys, including Ryan.
Also, in 2004, Barbie released another Allan and Ryan doll in which again there were two versions, namely a white version and an African-American version. The doll’s theme was “Midge and Allan’s baby Nikki’s first birthday.” Also, there is a gift set called Happy Family Hometown Fair Gift that was released along with the theme. In Midge’s Happy Family Shopping Fun series, Nikki & Baby (C5970) shows if there is another baby after Nikki. For now it is known that Mattel will no longer release any other series or theme of the Allan doll.
allan in the barbie movies
Allan is another popular Barbie character that also appears in this movie, besides Midge or Ken #2. Allan’s character is played by Michael Cera. Allan’s character in this movie doesn’t appear very often, because basically Allan is a supporting character. However, many think that Allan’s appearance in this film is just as interesting as Barbie’s appearance. Despite Allan’s various controversies thus far, he remains one of the most popular dolls.
