Fifty years ago, jacqueline susann published valley of the dolls, a book about power, money, celebrity, and drug addiction that would go on to be. Feminism, camp, showbiz and lots and lots of pills jacqueline susanns shocking valley of the dolls turns 50 with a special edition book and. Susann at home susann reclines in the library of her manhattan apartment below a portrait by her father, wellknown philadelphia society painter robert susann. For me reading valley of the dolls was like reading a very, very long, absolutely delicious gossip column. Why is the film valley of the dolls, now considered a cult classic. Nora ephron once wrote that the experience of reading the book was like reading a very, very long, absolutely delicious gossip column. In new york city, lyon gives neely strict orders to stay out of sight until the debut of her new broadway show, but when he goes to a party in honor of helen lawsons new show, neely makes an uninvited appearance. Like all good trash, it whizzes along at 100 pages an hour, and is infinitely more gripping than the trash to which it gave birth.
Film version of jacqueline susanns bestselling novel chronicling the. Sep 23, 1974 jacqueline susann, whose 1966 book, valley of the dolls, became the worlds best. Aug 20, 2016 susann told film critic roger ebert about how she wrote the book in 1967. I read all of jacqueline susanns books in the early she was my favorite author back then. Valley of the dolls is an excellent book, but the amount of spelling errors is out of control. Valley of the dolls is a 1967 american drama film directed by mark robson, produced by robson and david weisbart, and starring barbara parkins, patty duke, sharon tate and susan hayward. Apr 27, 2012 valley of the dolls was the last song i wrote. Written in the 60s, and published for the first time in 1966, so much of this book is still. A cinematic take on a 1960s bestseller, valley of the dolls traces the ups and downs of three young women as fame, booze, pills, and men consume their lives. The book speaks more to the materialistic, sexedup mores of 2016 than to the idealistic. Whatever its faults or virtues, beyond the valley of the dolls is an original a satire of hollywood conventions, genres, situations, dialogue, characters and success formulas, heavily overlaid with such shocking violence that some critics didnt know whether the movie knew it. First published in 1966, it has a status in the virago canon that means many of us will have read. Jacqueline susanns valley of the dolls is a zipperripper that has been called trashy, tawdry, glitzy, lusty, sordid and seamy and thats just the beginning of its appeal, says nancy bachrach. With barbara parkins, patty duke, paul burke, sharon tate.
With 31 million copies sold to date and 30 foreign editions that place the book in the bestselling ranks of to kill a mockingbird and gone with the wind, valley is hardly obscure. A 50th anniversary edition of valley of the dolls by jacqueline susann is published by virago. Nancy bachrach, one of the sexiest novels ever written. Its that first friend who hands you two pills and tells you that what you really need is just one good nights sleep. Valley of the dolls, jacqueline susanns 1966 bestseller, arrived like a lear jet rolling into aspen and unloading a cargo hold full of. I then noticed a few more as i continued and got to a part where the character, allen, was addressed in the book as alien. The dolls in the books title referred to the uppers and downers the. But the world susann wrote about was changing radically even as the film of dolls was playing in theaters. I can see why people put up such a stink about valley of the dolls when it was published. Valley of the dolls by jacqueline susann goodreads. Anne finally succumbs to the lure of the dolls, at first taking neelys old pills and then getting a prescription of her own. Candace bushnell valley of the dolls is a grim fable. Valley of the dolls, pitched to a new generation the new.
She was the first feminist to stand up for womens rights and burst into the boys club of publishing and create a new cuttingedge way of marketing novels book tours and. First, jacqueline susann, who wrote the bestelling 1966 book of the same name, had spent twenty years moving in the entertainment circles of hollywood and new york. Susann, at a book warehouse in pittsburgh, gave out free copies of valley of the dolls to the truckers who delivered the books to millions across the united states. Valley of the dolls 50th anniversary edition by jacqueline. Valley of the dolls was called a piece of trash by the critic john simon, who said hed rather see dogs fornicate than read the novel. Dec, 2017 simon doonan on valley of the dolls at 50. Jul 16, 2016 if valley of the dolls is a classic, it is classic trash. Nov 14, 2003 jacqueline susanns 1966 novel valley of the dolls is seen as a trashy, kitsch entertainment about pills, sex and ambition. Sep 28, 2016 part of valley of the dolls enduring appeal today surely has to do with how kind of quaint it seems in our kardashianized era, which has redefined fame in ways american culture is still contending with. If valley of the dolls is a classic, it is classic trash. Why valley of the dolls still sparkles at 50 vanity fair. Valley of the dolls was written in 1966, but can teach us a. It caused quite a stir when first published spending weeks at the top of best seller lists and was one of the most talked about books of the 60s. Aug 25, 2016 arts entertainment books valley of the dolls at 50.
This rags to riches tale chronicling the show business rise and fall of three women features nightlife, penthouses, virgins, abortion, drug overdoses, a fight in the ladies room and the search for. The reallife sex and scandal that inspired jacqueline susann. Jacqueline susann is a legend in american publishing. Valley of the dolls, pitched to a new generation the. Jacqueline susanns 1966 novel valley of the dolls is seen as a trashy, kitsch entertainment about pills, sex and ambition. Like valley of the dolls, both novels were adapted for the big screen, in 1971 and 1975, respectively. Jacqueline susanns my book is not dirty essay instyle. On august 20, 1918, jacqueline susann, the author of valley of the dolls, the 1966. Jacqueline susann was so far ahead of her time, its almost laughable. Valley of the dolls author jacqueline susann born history. As an example of roman a clef, friends close to the author suspected that susann wrote this book based her own experience, ethel merman, judy garland, carol landis, jfk, monroe, dean martin etc. The book was published by bernard geis on february 10, 1966, and.
Julie burchill on valley of the dolls books the guardian. Her debut novel, valley of the dolls, published in 1966, has sold over 31 million copies in thirty languages. Actors were trying to get in the cast to be rich and famousjust like jacqueline wrote. It was based on jacqueline susann s 1966 novel of the same name. Jul 21, 2016 praise for valley of the dolls the kind of book most of its readers could not put down.
Jul 05, 2016 valley of the dolls introduced the world to sex, drugs and more sex. Jul 20, 2016 valley of the dolls not only delivers a searing indictment of of celebrity culture, but by extension, gender roles. T he first thing you notice, rereading valley of the dolls is how badly it functions as fiction. Susann died of cancer on september 21, 1974, at the age of either 56 or 53 her lifelong. How well do you know valley of the dolls who wrote valley of the dolls. The last draft of valley of the dolls was turned in 18 months after it was started, and miss susannoccasionally described as a writing machinebegan at once on the love machine. Valley of the dolls is the first novel by american writer jacqueline susann. Valley of the dolls is a great commentary on our celebrityobsessed times, doonan told the observer. Film version of jacqueline susanns bestselling novel chronicling the rise and fall of three young women in show business. Feminism, but not as we know it 50 years of valley of. Published in 1966, the book was the biggest selling novel of its year. Valley of the dolls by jacqueline susann 47,886 ratings, 3. Feminism, but not as we know it 50 years of valley of the dolls. The men in the novel are allowed to cheat, steal, lie, have multiple affairs, and emerge from the wreckage relatively unscathed.
But some books are slightly more guilty pleasure than classic. Funny how my alltime favs this year have been classics rather than contemporaries, eh. Yes, it was written 50 years ago but the themesaddiction, fame, treachery, greed. It obviously takes inspiration from the film, more from the side of it that i was living in l. To date, it has sold more than 31 million copies, making it one of the bestselling works in publishing history.
Celebrating with the cult classic, valley of the dolls and. Jun 27, 2016 fifty years ago, jacqueline susann published valley of the dolls, a book about power, money, celebrity, and drug addiction that would go on to be hailed as one of the most pioneering and iconic. Valley of the dolls is as timely today as it was when first published in 1966. Its all of that, says julie burchill, but its message that bad. Valley of the dolls spans twenty years 19451965 in the lives of. Jacqueline susann was a failed actress who wrote three bestsellers in. Valley of the dolls 50th anniversary happens to coincide. Valley of the dolls, jacqueline susanns 1966 bestseller, arrived like a lear jet rolling into aspen and unloading a cargo hold full of contraband. Time magazine named it april 1966s dirty book of the month. She was the original chick to write chicklit and to publish it in bubblegum pink covers.
Beach reading essential i read this when i was a teenager. Valley of the dolls is a zipperripper that has been called trashy, tawdry, glitzy, lusty, sordid, and seamyand thats just the beginning of its appeal. Jun 18, 2016 t he first thing you notice, rereading valley of the dolls is how badly it functions as fiction. And most of the bs propaganda is written by men or collaborators. Susann told film critic roger ebert about how she wrote the book in 1967.
Aug 19, 2019 like valley of the dolls, both novels were adapted for the big screen, in 1971 and 1975, respectively. Usually she wrote four or five drafts of a book, first on yellow paper, then on pink and blue and green, then finally on white. Mar, 2016 on july 4, grove press will release a new edition of valley of the dolls, with an introduction by mr. We wrote the screenplay in six weeks flat, laughing maniacally from time to time, and then the movie was made. Theme from valley of the dolls is a 1967 song by andre and dory previn, composed for the film version of the jacqueline susann novel valley of the dolls, and recorded by dionne warwick. Original valley of the dolls manuscript heads to auction books. Jacqueline susann, whose 1966 book, valley of the dolls, became the worlds best. The sale of one of the great pulp successes of the 1960s sheds light on a misunderstood book and its oneoff author, jacqueline susann.