AN INTERVIEW WITH RUTH AND ELLIOT HANDLER
True or false questions:
1. Television advertising was the only key decision that elevated Mattel in the 1950s.
2. Barbie was inspired by Ruth Handler's observations of her daughter and her friends playing with paper dolls.
3. Elliot Handler was immediately supportive of the idea of creating a three-dimensional doll.
4. Ruth Handler insisted on naming the doll Barbie after her daughter Barbara.
5. Barbie was introduced to the market in 1956 after three years of development.
6. When Barbie debuted, all customers at the Toy Show were excited to buy it.
7. Despite initial hesitation from customers, Barbie became an instant success once it hit store shelves.
8. The success of Barbie surprised Elliot Handler, as he initially doubted its appeal.
9. Mattel's innovation in toy design has been a consistent theme throughout its history.
10. Mattel became the largest toy company in the world within its first 30 years.
11. Ruth Handler met Elliot Handler at an art school in Denver, Colorado.
12. Elliot Handler began creating designs for toys after being unable to access equipment at art school.
13. Mattel was founded in 1945 by Ruth Handler, Elliot Handler, and Harold Matson.
14. Mattel’s first successful product was a decorative item made from plexiglass.
15. Mattel started by producing dollhouse furniture using leftover materials from picture frames.
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### Key
1. **False** – Television advertising was one of *two* key decisions; the other was creating Barbie.
2. **True** – Ruth observed her daughter playing with paper dolls, inspiring the idea for Barbie.
3. **False** – Elliot Handler initially thought the idea was not a good one.
4. **True** – The doll was named Barbie after Ruth's daughter, Barbara.
5. **False** – Barbie was introduced in 1959, not 1956.
6. **False** – At the Toy Show, half of the customers didn’t want to buy Barbie.
7. **True** – Once Barbie reached store shelves, it sold quickly and became an instant success.
8. **True** – Elliot admitted Ruth was right and acknowledged Barbie's popularity.
9. **True** – Mattel consistently innovated, as noted in the transcript.
10. **False** – The transcript states that Mattel became the largest toy company much later, not within
its first 30 years.
11. **False** – Ruth and Elliot met at a charity dance in Denver, not at an art school.
12. **True** – Elliot started creating toy designs after being unable to access equipment at his school.
13. **True** – Mattel was founded by Ruth, Elliot, and Harold Matson.
14. **True** – Their first successful product was a decorative plexiglass hand used to hold flowers.
15. **True** – Dollhouse furniture was made using leftover materials from picture frames.
This order ensures the questions align with the sequence of events in the transcript and tests comprehension effectively.
Comprehension questions
1. What were the two key decisions Elliot Handler made in the fifties?
2. When did Ruth Handler get the idea of a three-dimensional doll?
3. Who did they name the doll after?
4. Why were they initially disappointed?
5. Who made the Barbie doll an immediate success?
6. What has always been evident in the products created by Mattel?
7. Where and when did Mattel start up?
8. Where did Elliot and Ruth meet?
9. Why did Ruth go to L.A.?
10. Where did Elliot get the equipment he needed to turn his sketches into actual objects?
11. Why was he kicked out of his garage?
12. What were Mattel’s first products?
13. What did Elliot realize when he saw the slats of wood that had been left over?
GLOSSARY
Saw: a hand or power tool or a machine used to cut hard material (as wood, metal, or bone) and equipped usually with a toothed blade or disk. Sierra.
Drill press: an upright drilling machine in which the drill is pressed to the work by a hand lever or by power. Taladradora hidraúlica, perforadora.
Sander: a device that smoothes, polishes, or scours by means of abrasive material. Lijadora.
Flocked wood: wood made of very short or pulverized fibre, similar to cotton, used especially to form a velvety pattern on cloth or paper or a protective covering on metal.
Giftware: wares or goods suitable for gifts.
Slat: a thin narrow flat strip especially of wood or metal. Listón, tablilla
KEY:
1. Television advertising and the creation of a new doll.
2. Observing her daughter and her friends play with paper dolls.
3. They named the doll after their daughter, who had inspired the entire project.
4. At toy show (toy fair) because none of their customers wanted to buy them.
5. Mothers and children (consumers) made the Barbie doll a real success.
6. Innovation and toy design have been evident in the products creators. The people of Mattel have always been truly creative.
7. In 1945 Mattel took shape in a tiny garage workshop in Los Angeles.
8. They met at a charity dance in Denver, Colorado.
9. To pursue a career with Paramount Studio.
10. At Sears.
11. He was dusting everybody’s cars with wood and plastic.
12. Picture frames.
13. That they could make doll house furniture.
1. What were the two key decisions Elliot Handler made in the fifties?
2. When did Ruth Handler get the idea of a three-dimensional doll?
3. Who did they name the doll after?
4. Why were they initially disappointed?
5. Who made the Barbie doll an immediate success?
6. What has always been evident in the products created by Mattel?
7. Where and when did Mattel start up?
8. Where did Elliot and Ruth meet?
9. Why did Ruth go to L.A.?
10. Where did Elliot get the equipment he needed to turn his sketches into actual objects?
11. Why was he kicked out of his garage?
12. What were Mattel’s first products?
13. What did Elliot realize when he saw the slats of wood that had been left over?
GLOSSARY
Saw: a hand or power tool or a machine used to cut hard material (as wood, metal, or bone) and equipped usually with a toothed blade or disk. Sierra.
Drill press: an upright drilling machine in which the drill is pressed to the work by a hand lever or by power. Taladradora hidraúlica, perforadora.
Sander: a device that smoothes, polishes, or scours by means of abrasive material. Lijadora.
Flocked wood: wood made of very short or pulverized fibre, similar to cotton, used especially to form a velvety pattern on cloth or paper or a protective covering on metal.
Giftware: wares or goods suitable for gifts.
Slat: a thin narrow flat strip especially of wood or metal. Listón, tablilla
KEY:
1. Television advertising and the creation of a new doll.
2. Observing her daughter and her friends play with paper dolls.
3. They named the doll after their daughter, who had inspired the entire project.
4. At toy show (toy fair) because none of their customers wanted to buy them.
5. Mothers and children (consumers) made the Barbie doll a real success.
6. Innovation and toy design have been evident in the products creators. The people of Mattel have always been truly creative.
7. In 1945 Mattel took shape in a tiny garage workshop in Los Angeles.
8. They met at a charity dance in Denver, Colorado.
9. To pursue a career with Paramount Studio.
10. At Sears.
11. He was dusting everybody’s cars with wood and plastic.
12. Picture frames.
13. That they could make doll house furniture.
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