Who Is Tinkerbell?

J.M. Barrie produced a play in 1904 and then in 1911 a novel known as Peter and Wendy. Tinkerbell (sometimes known as Tinker Bell or Tink) is one of the most endearing characters of the book and play. Not too long afterward's there was a sequel that was commissioned by Great Ormone St Hospital and it was called "Peter Pan In Scarlet". Then there arrived a book series called "Peter and the Starcatchers" written by Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry. She was also in many movie and television adaptations of the tale and really rose to celebrity in the 1953 animated picture “Peter Pan” by Walt Disney. She has since become one of their official mascots.

Tinkerbell was actually just a minor character when J.M. Barrie created his original play. He described her in his book as nothing more than a ordinary fairy. Once Walt Disney created his legendary animated adaption, she rose to celebrity and has since become a very popular Disney character. Since the original Peter Pan motion picture was made, Tinkerbell has moved on to do 3 additional films of her own. (Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue is anticipated to be released September 21, 2010)

Also, interesting to note, in J.M. Barrie’s novel, the origin of the moniker Tinkerbell arrives from the character's skill to mend pots and cauldrons, a talent that has been foregone in favor of her use of fairy dust. You can spell Tinkerbell as one word or two. Each one is correct. But, in the film, Captain Hook is heard to address her as Miss Bell. That gives the feeling that she has a first and last name.

When the play first came out the playbill listed Tinkerbell as being played by Jane Wren even though Tinkerbell was just a beam of light. The joke was so clever and the play so admired that and Inspector of Taxation sent Jane Wren a demand for unpaid taxes. Once it was recognized that this happened it did little more than to enhance the magic of the Tinkerbell character.

Tinkerbell was always played as a rancorous, feisty, talented character during those times but actually she was just ahead of her time. In that time period feminine characters were usually acquiescent, dispassionate and would never just do as they pleased like Tinkerbell did. When her character was being developed there was a substantial amount of concern on exactly how Tinkerbell should be portrayed. It was felt that “being independent was not a very good model for little girls”. To resolve this quandary they decided that she'd be half woman and half child. It was assumed then that she would be seen as a young lady in a middle stage of life and her untamed emotional condition would be conventional.

Every night at Disneyland, Tinkerbell still flies across the skies above. Most interesting is that in 1961 a petite woman named Tiny Kline was the first soaring Tinkerbell in the park. At four feet ten inches in height and weighing a mere ninety-eight pounds and sixty-one years old the past circus aerialist flew across the sky every night. When she got to the bottom, the only way to halt her was by running into a mattress. It is known that, like Tinkerbell, Tiny had quite a temper too. In 1964 she retired due to poor health. She was 74.

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Our child is captivated with everything about Tinkerbell. So much so that she has a collectionof Tinkerbell toys, the Tinkerbell movies and even a little Tinkerbell fancy dress. Maybe we've given in too much but we've even set up a Tinkerbell bedroom for her. Check out what I've located at: TinkerbellBedroom.com

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