Valley Of The Dolls
1967
A double dose, or is that over-dose, of the dolls. Mark Robson's VALLEY OF THE DOLLS is an inarguably high mark of modish Hollywood camp, torn from the deliciously pulpy eponymous novel by Jacqueline Susann. Three ambitious young women from different walks of life suffer through the show business meat grinder: an aspiring .. Read more
| Starring | Barbara Parkins, Patty Duke, Susan Hayward, Sharon Tate |
|---|---|
| Director | Mark Robson |
| Genres | Drama |
loading...
Valley Of The Dolls
A double dose, or is that over-dose, of the dolls. Mark Robson's VALLEY OF THE DOLLS is an inarguably high mark of modish Hollywood camp, torn from the deliciously pulpy eponymous novel by Jacqueline Susann. Three ambitious young women from different walks of life suffer through the show business meat grinder: an aspiring Broadway diva battles with addiction, a reluctant bombshell makes "art" movies to eke out a living for her ailing husband, and a sensible small-town girl turns modelling sensation. Bubbly, irresistible, and loaded with scenery-chewing, particularly in the memorable scene where a hysterical Duke cries to her pills, "My dolls! My beautiful dolls!" In Russ Meyer's BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS, all-girl rock band the Kelly Affair moves to Los Angeles in pursuit of fame and fortune. Upon meeting wealthy rock scenester Ronnie "Z-Man" Barzell (John Lazar) at one of his lavish parties, they believe they've met the man who can bring them fame. Changing their name to The Carry Nations, they navigate their way through a maze of sexual misadventures, drugs, and brushes with some very unpleasant characters only to find that fame comes at a price. Livening up the considerably frantic proceedings are Meyer starlets Edy Williams and Erica Gavin (VIXEN) as well as an appearance by the Strawberry Alarm Clock.
Finally invited to work within a major studio (20th Century Fox) following the enormous success of 1968's VIXEN, Meyer, along with screenwriter Roger Ebert, created the ultimate sex, drugs, and rock & roll film of the psychedelic era. An altogether odd mixture of comedy, drama, and left-field shocks punctuated with memorably wacky lines, BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS lets Meyer's reliably decadent formula mingle agreeably with the psychedelia of the time.
| Starring | Barbara Parkins, Patty Duke, Susan Hayward, Sharon Tate, Paul Burke, Martin Milner |
|---|---|
| Director | Mark Robson |
| Studio | 20TH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 58 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 05 Jan 2004 Production year: 1967 |
| Format | DVD |
-
Critics' reviews (3)
View all -
Based on Jacqueline Susann's landmark mega-best-seller, this rags-to-bitches exposé of how Broadway singer Patty Duke, sex starlet Sharon Tate and demure model Barbara Parkins claw their way to Hollywood success on the boozy, pill-popping fame express heading for inevitable derailment is one of the all-time great, and most beloved, trash movies. Every backstabbing line is a classic (“Ted Casablanca is not a fag and I'm the dame who can prove it!”) and every glitzy showbiz second is an over-the-top hyper-cliché (the wig-pulling catfight between Duke and the Ethel Merman-esque Susan Hayward) in director Mark Robson's fabulously camp extravaganza. Duke outrageously chews the scenery as diva monster (becoming a gay icon in the gutter-crawling process) and the moment she sings a tearful duet with terminally ill Tony Scotti in a mental ward takes this irresistibly tacky spectacle into quintessential Bad Movie Heaven.
-
Cliché-ridden but good-looking road-to-ruin melodrama from a bitchy bestseller; production values high, but the whole thing goes over the top at the end.
-
Most helpful member's review
View all -
Stifled yawn...
An innocent up-and-coming young actress gets involved with drugs, and you probably know the rest...
If this was more trashy it would probably be a lot more fun but despite the potential of the subject matter it's just plain boring. -
Most recent members' review
View all -
BORING !!
I found this movie to be extremely slow and dull. Do not bother with this. Instead read the book, much more interesting.
-
More like this
View allShowing 1 to 4 of 20
Related user collection
Kult Kamp (28)
77.6% from 8 members
Buy from the LOVEFiLM shop
-
-
-
Valley Of The Dolls
A double dose, or is that over-dose, of the dolls. Mark Robson's VALLEY OF THE DOLLS is an inarguably high mark of modish Hollywood camp, torn from the deliciously pulpy eponymous novel by Jacqueline Susann. Three ambitious young women from different walks of life suffer through the show business ...
-