The Toymaker

The three killer dolls featured in the film - Otto, Isabelle and Robert - are based on real life stories of haunted dolls with German links. The female doll Isabelle is based on Mandy the Doll, an antique doll that was made in Germany between 1910 and 1920. The doll was allegedly possessed by the spirit of a little girl who died in a fire while locked in the basement of her home. In 1991 Mandy was donated to the Quesnel & District Museum located in British Columbia by an anonymous donor, who claimed to hear it repeatedly crying in the night. The clown doll Otto is based on the Pulau Ubin doll. In 1914, the British army investigated a German couple living in Pulau Ubin, Singapore as possible spies. The wife and husband were chased down and apprehended by the army but their young daughter managed to escape. Unfortunately, she lost her footing and plummeted off of a cliff. She did not survive the fall. The locals constructed a monument to honour her memory in Pulau Ubin. The porcelain altar is said to contain a lock of the girl's hair and a personalized crucifix. Shortly after the monument was built, a man from Pulau Ubin had a dream about a little girl leading him to a specific toy store. In the dream she pointed at a doll that was put up for display in the store window. The man had the same dream three nights in a row. Eventually this compelled him to visit the store he kept seeing in his dreams. To his surprise he saw the doll that the girl had pointed out in his dream was displayed in the same window. He purchased the doll and placed it at the shrine in the place of an urn. At that moment he felt that the spirit of the girl transferred to the doll and finally found peace. In the modern day local people and tourists from all around the world visit the doll, bringing items to the shrine in the hope that the spirit of the girl will grant them health or fortune. The third doll, Robert, is based on Robert the Doll who was made in Germany by the Steiff toy company and later owned by Key West painter and author Eugene Otto. The doll is said to be possessed by an evil spirit and was allegedly the inspiration for Chucky, the doll featured in the 'Child's Play' film series. Supposedly, Eugene was given the doll in 1906 by a Bahamian servant who was skilled in black magic and voodoo and was displeased with his family. The real life Robert is currently located at the East Martello Museum in Key West, Florida.

When Abigail is leaning over the counter reading her book, there is a Visa logo clearly visible on the glass display case to her right. The film is set in 1941 yet Visa wasn't invented until 1976.

Featured in Box Office: Folge vom 28. September 2017 (2017)