| In 1911, J.M. Barrie created a book titled Peter and | | | | When the play first came out the playbill listed |
| Wendy that was based on a play he wrote in 1904. | | | | Tinkerbell as being played by Jane Wren even though |
| Tinkerbell, Peter's helper, was and is one of the | | | | Tinkerbell was just a beam of light. The hoax went |
| interesting characters coming from the book and | | | | over so well that it fooled the HM Inspector of |
| play. Tinkerbell appeared in the official sequel that | | | | Taxes who proceeded to send Miss Wren a tax |
| was commissioned by Great Ormone St Hospital | | | | claim. This further helped market the magic that |
| which was known as "Peter Pan in Scarlet" and then | | | | surrounded Tinkerbell. |
| in a book series called "Peter and the Starcatchers" | | | | Tinkerbell was always played as a revengeful, sassy, |
| by Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry. She was also in | | | | precocious character during those times but in point |
| many film and TV adaptations of the story and truly | | | | of fact she was just ahead of her time. In that time |
| rose to fame in the 1953 animated film "Peter Pan" | | | | period female characters were usually submissive, |
| by Walt Disney. She has since become one of their | | | | undemonstrative and would never just do as they |
| official mascots. | | | | pleased like Tinkerbell did. When her character was |
| Tinkerbell was in fact just a minor character when | | | | being created there was a considerable amount of |
| J.M. Barrie created his original play. He described her in | | | | concern on exactly how Tinkerbell should be |
| his book as little more than a common fairy. Once | | | | portrayed. It was felt that "being independent was |
| Walt Disney produced his legendary animated | | | | not a very good model for little girl's". It was then |
| adaption, she rose to fame and has since become a | | | | decided that the character would be kind of a |
| very popular Disney character. Since the initial Peter | | | | half-girl, half-woman so she would be perceived as a |
| Pan film was made, Tinkerbell has moved on to do 3 | | | | female character in transition who would be emotional |
| more motion pictures of her own. (Tinker Bell and the | | | | and consequently more acceptable. |
| Great Fairy Rescue is anticipated to be out | | | | Every night at Disneyland, Tinkerbell still flies across |
| September 21, 2010) | | | | the skies above. When Disneyland decided to do this |
| In the original story by J.M. Barrie, Tinkerbell's name | | | | in 1961, they hired a very diminutive lady named Tiny |
| came about since her job was to patch up cauldrons | | | | Kline. She was four feet ten inches tall and weighed |
| and pots. That all changed after she learned how to | | | | only ninety-eight pounds. She was sixty-one years old |
| utilize her fairy dust to her benefit. Tinkerbell is | | | | at the time and a past aerialist from the circus. When |
| correctly spelled as one word or Tinker Bell as two. | | | | she got to the end, the only way to stop her was |
| But, in the film, Captain Hook is heard to address her | | | | by running into a mattress. In authentic Tinkerbell |
| as Miss Bell. That provides the feeling that she has a | | | | fashion, Tiny was very volatile and in 1964 at the age |
| first and last name. | | | | of 74 years old, she retired due to ill health. |