Dolls! Dolls! Dolls! - Deep Inside Valley of the Dolls, the Most Beloved Bad Book and Movie of All Time

Published June 2, 2020

The unbelievable-but-true, inside story of Jacqueline Susann’s pop culture icon Valley of the Dolls–the landmark novel and publishing phenomenon, the infamous smash hit film (“the best worst movie ever made”), and Dolls‘s thriving legacy today.

From Viking/Penguin:

Since its publication in 1966, Jacqueline Susann’s Valley of the Dolls has reigned as one of the most influential and beloved pieces of commercial fiction. Selling over thirty-one million copies worldwide, it revolutionized overnight the way books got sold, thanks to the tireless and canny self-promoting Susann. It also generated endless speculation about the author’s real-life models for its larger-than-life characters. Turned in 1967 into an international box-office sensation and morphing into a much-beloved cult film, its influence endures today in everything from films and TV shows to fashion and cosmetics tributes and tie-ins. Susann’s compulsive readable exposé of three female friends finding success in New York City and Hollywood was a scandalous eye-opener for its candid treatment of sex, naked ambition, ageism, and pill-popping, and the big screen version was one of the most-seen and talked-about movies of the time.

Dolls! Dolls! Dolls! digs deep into the creation of that hugely successful film–a journey nearly as cut-throat, sexually-charged, tragic, and revelatory as Susann’s novel itself–and uncovers how the movie has become a cherished, widely imitated camp classic, thanks to its over-the-top performances, endlessly quotable absurd dialogue, outré costumes and hairdos, despite the high aspirations, money, and talent lavished on it. Screenwriter-journalist-film historian Stephen Rebello has conducted archival research and new interviews to draw back the velvet curtain on the behind-the-scenes intrigue, feuds and machinations that marked the film’s production. In doing so, he unveils a rich, detailed history of fast-changing, late 1960s Hollywood, on screen and off.

Get It Now
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
 
51HJZLlt7ZL.jpg

DOWNLOAD THE AUDIOBOOK

Available now from Tantor, unabridged and narrated by Paul Boehmer.

Apple Books
Audible
Tantor Media

Praise for Dolls! Dolls! Dolls!

  • "There are movies (and books) you love, those you hate, and those you love to hate. The undisputed queen of the "so bad it's good" genre is Valley of the Dolls, Jacqueline Susann's runaway best seller of 1966 and the 1967 film adaptation starring Patty Duke, Barbara Parkins, and future Manson murder victim Sharon Tate. Screenwriter, author (Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho), and Dolls superfan Rebello packs tons of information into this loving look at a cultural and cult phenomenon, sprinkling gossipy bits among the stats. He tells how much money was made (and translates the figures into "today" money), who got along (and who didn't), where things went wrong, life stories of the stars of the movie and the people upon whom the characters were based, why Judy Garland didn't make it onto the screen, the studio ("20th," as he refers to it) machinations, Jackie Susann's early years and later success, and what happened to nearly every major player involved with the film and the book. VERDICT Some knowledge of the book and definitely of the film is required, but go ahead: Indulge yourself. Fans will love! love! love!, and newcomers will enjoy the Hollywood insider aspect."

    — Liz French, Library Journal

  • "Full of surprises and even suspense — revealing how cutthroat and puerile Hollywood can be… A book to simply enjoy, especially after seeing the film, which I strongly recommend you do."

    — The Washington Post

  • "Remarkable. The same sublime way with which Rebello explored all things concerning Hitchcock's [Psycho] is what readers again receive in ample supply throughout Dolls! Dolls! Dolls!"

    — Medium

  • "Anyone seeking nonfiction escapism will be well served by Rebello’s loving dissection of a camp classic’s print and screen incarnations."

    — Publishers Weekly

  • "With great detail and heavy research, the book is as heady and colorful as the pulsating Pucci prints Susann so famously wore."

    — VOGUE, Editors pick as one of the bestbooks of Summer 2020

  • "Juicy!"

    — Entertainment Weekly

  • "Rebello is a skilled writer and shrewd observer of Hollywood… If gossip is your doll, Rebello has the hookup."

    — Los Angeles Times

  • "Written with a cinematic excitement and giddiness bordering on satire, this is an indulgent treat for Dolls fans… Memorable reading for die-hard devotees and those seeking to relive all the breathless histrionics."

    — Kirkus Reviews

DEEPER INSIDE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS

You asked for it. New and/or expanded interviews from those associated with Valley of the Dolls.