The novel essentially follows three women –Īnne Welles: a young woman who moves from Lawrenceville, Massachusetts to New York City in the 1940s and finds work as secretary to a big-time entertainment lawyer. Characters are said to have been inspired by famed performers such as Ethel Merman, Betty Hutton, Judy Garland and Carole Landis. The novel is very much based on Susann’s own experience working in the entertainment industry, as well as inspired by others who worked in the business. It has gone on to sell more than 30 million copies. An instant and somewhat scandalous hit, the novel was turned into a film almost immediately and released in 1967. Valley of the Dolls, written by Jacqueline Susann, was originally published by Bernard Geis Associates in 1966. I’ve tried to avoid major spoilers as much as possible! Agent: Mary Evans, Mary Evans Inc.*This post contains mild spoilers for both the novel and film versions of Jacqueline Susann’s Valley of the Dolls. Anyone seeking nonfiction escapism will be well served by Rebello’s loving dissection of a camp classic’s print and screen incarnations. When the much anticipated movie premiered, a combination of projection snafus and the actual film’s “rancid dialogue and over-the-top performances” drew ridicule-yet over time, the film attained cult status in its own right. Garland herself was cast as an older performer (in turn inspired by Merman), but the troubled actress was soon replaced by fellow star Susan Hayward. Patty Duke, a Hollywood veteran, resented being given second billing to newcomer Barbara Parkins-who, for her part, had pursued Duke’s role, as a Judy Garland–inspired singer.
Rivaling the book’s salacious plot, the making of the 1967 film version was fraught with drama. Rebello recounts Susann’s early experiences as an actress and playwright, and numerous affairs with stars, including Ethel Merman and Eddie Cantor, and the scorn she drew from literary heavyweights, including Truman Capote and Gore Vidal, when Valley of the Dolls, marketed as a scandalous roman à clef of her showbiz career, hit 1966 bestseller charts. Screenwriter Rebello ( Bad Movies We Love) plunges into all aspects of a famously guilty pleasure in this exuberant examination of Jacqueline Susann’s racy tale of sex, drugs, and Hollywood.
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