Dolls! Dolls! Dolls!

Last updated

Dolls! Dolls! Dolls!: Deep Inside Valley of the Dolls, the Most Beloved Bad Book and Movie of All Time
Dolls! Dolls! Dolls! (Stephen Rebello).png
Author Stephen Rebello
LanguageEnglish
GenreNon-fiction
Publisher Penguin Books
Publication date
June 2, 2020
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (paperback)
Pages336 (first edition, paperback)
ISBN 9780143133506

Dolls! Dolls! Dolls!: Deep Inside Valley of the Dolls, the Most Beloved Bad Book and Movie of All Time is a non-fiction book by Stephen Rebello. It details the creation of the 1966 novel of the same name by first-time novelist Jacqueline Susann and documents every aspect of the creation of the 1967 motion picture adaptation Valley of the Dolls . [1]

Contents

The book was first published on June 2, 2020, by Penguin Books. Stephen Rebello extensively researched the narrative through the personal records and archives of film director Mark Robson, producer David Weisbart, studio records of the film's distributor 20th Century Fox, court case depositions including those of Darryl F. Zanuck, Richard D. Zanuck, studio executive David Brown, accessing contemporary news accounts through newspaper and magazine archives, as well as through new interviews he conducted with actors, crew members, journalists and others involved in the film and/or active in the entertainment business at the time the film was in preproduction, production and release.

Synopsis

Rebello details the writing, publication, promotion, controversy and international success of the original novel written by Jacqueline Susann as well the discovery of the novel by fledgling film producer Robert Evans and its preemptive sale to 20th Century Fox. From there, the book documents the development of the screenplay by three successive writers Harlan Ellison, Helen Deutsch and Dorothy Kingsley; the intense competition among young actresses wanting to play Susann's young heroines "Anne Welles", "Neely O'Hara" and "Jennifer North"; the hiring of costume designer Travilla and legendary cinematographer William H. Daniels and songwriters Dory Previn and Andre Previn; the details of the hiring and firing of Judy Garland, the hiring of her replacement Susan Hayward and the sometimes-contentious processes of filming, editing, scoring by John Williams; postproduction, promotion and major success at the box-office despite negative reviews by the critics. Dolls! Dolls! Dolls! sheds light on the daily lives of the filmmakers, some of whom believed they were making a frank and honest look at women struggling with prescription pill addiction, betrayal, loneliness and terminal illness as they climb the ladder of show business success.

Publication history

The book was published in paperback on June 2, 2020, by Penguin Books and concurrently became available on Kindle and in an unabridged version for Tantor Media narrated by Paul Boehmer. Less than a month after publication, the book went into a second printing.

Critical reception

The book received considerable media attention and critical praise. The editors of Vogue chose it as one of best books of the summer, praising its "great detail and heavy research" and calling it "as heady and colorful as the pulsating Pucci prints Susann so famously wore". [2] Kirkus Reviews thought the book "written with a cinematic excitement", "meticulously detailed" and "a blissful treasure trove of gossipy insider details that Dolls fans will swiftly devour". [3] Publishers Weekly called it "exuberant" and "loving". [4] Library Journal wrote "Rebello packs tons of information into this loving look at a cultural and cult phenomenon ... Go ahead: indulge yourself. Fans will love! love! love! and newcomers will enjoy the Hollywood insider aspect". [5] The Washington Post called it "full of surprises and even suspense" [6] and The Hollywood Reporter placed it on its list of 20 books of the summer. [7] The Canberra Times book critic called it "hilarious and informative...Stephen Rebello has written two of my favorite books about movies. And now he's written a third ... a must-read for fans of Susann, fans of movies and fans of pop culture". [8] During its first month of publication, the book was listed on Amazon as #1 Best Seller in such categories as: Entertainment Industry; Movie History & Criticism; Literary Criticism & Theory; and on Amazon Kindle, it became #1 in various categories including #1 New Release in "Sports & Entertainment".[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harold Robbins</span> American author

Harold Robbins was an American author of popular novels. One of the best-selling writers of all time, he wrote over 25 best-sellers, selling over 750 million copies in 32 languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacqueline Susann</span> American novelist and actress (1918–1974)

Jacqueline Susann was an American novelist and actress. Her novel Valley of the Dolls (1966) is one of the best-selling books in publishing history. With her two subsequent works, The Love Machine (1969) and Once Is Not Enough (1973), Susann became the first author to have three novels top The New York Times Best Seller list consecutively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carole Landis</span> American actress (1919–1948)

Carole Landis was an American actress and singer. She worked as a contract player for Twentieth Century-Fox in the 1940s. Her breakout role was as the female lead in the 1940 film One Million B.C. from United Artists. She was known as "The Ping Girl" and "The Chest" because of her curvy figure.

<i>Valley of the Dolls</i> (novel) 1966 novel by Jacqueline Susann

Valley of the Dolls is the first novel by American writer Jacqueline Susann. Published in 1966, the book was the biggest-selling novel of its year. By 2016 it had sold more than 31 million copies, making it one of the all-time best-selling fictional works in publishing history.

<i>Beyond the Valley of the Dolls</i> 1970 film

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls is a 1970 American satirical musical melodrama film starring Dolly Read, Cynthia Myers, Marcia McBroom, Phyllis Davis, John LaZar, Michael Blodgett, Erica Gavin, and David Gurian. The film was directed by Russ Meyer and written by Roger Ebert from a story by Ebert and Meyer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbara Parkins</span> Canadian actress

Barbara Parkins is a Canadian-American former actress, singer, dancer and photographer.

<i>The Love Machine</i> (novel) 1969 novel by Jacqueline Susann

The Love Machine is the second novel by Jacqueline Susann, the follow-up to her enormously successful Valley of the Dolls (1966). Published by Simon & Schuster in 1969, the book was a New York Times number-one best seller.

<i>Valley of the Dolls</i> (film) 1967 film by Mark Robson

Valley of the Dolls is a 1967 American drama film directed by Mark Robson and produced by David Weisbart, based on Jacqueline Susann's 1966 novel. The film stars Barbara Parkins, Patty Duke, and Sharon Tate as three young women who become friends as they struggle to forge careers in the entertainment industry. As their careers take different paths, all three descend into barbiturate addiction. Susan Hayward, Paul Burke, and Lee Grant co-star.

The Arbors were an American pop vocal group formed in 1964 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The members, two sets of brothers, met at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, and began playing local shows in Michigan before moving to New York City. They recorded a single for Mercury Records which garnered little attention, but their next single, "A Symphony for Susan", was reissued nationally on Columbia Records subsidiary, Date Records and hit #51 on the US chart; they followed with the singles "Just Let it Happen" and Graduation Day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">(Theme from) Valley of the Dolls</span> 1967 single by Dionne Warwick

"(Theme from) Valley of the Dolls" is a 1967 song by André and Dory Previn, composed for the film version of the Jacqueline Susann novel Valley of the Dolls, and recorded by Dionne Warwick.

<i>Once Is Not Enough</i> 1973 novel by Jacqueline Susann

Once Is Not Enough is the third novel by Jacqueline Susann, published in 1973 following her huge bestsellers Valley of the Dolls (1966) and The Love Machine (1969). With Once Is Not Enough, Susann became the first writer in publishing history to have three consecutive #1 novels on the New York Times Best Seller list.

<i>Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho</i> Book by Stephen Rebello

Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho is a 1990 non-fiction book by Stephen Rebello. It details the creation of director Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 thriller Psycho. The 2012 American biographical drama film based on this non-fiction book is titled Hitchcock. The film was released on November 23, 2012.

Stephen Rebello is an American writer, screenwriter, journalist and former clinical therapist.

<i>Valley of the Dolls</i> (soundtrack) 1967 studio album by Various artists

Valley of the Dolls is a 1967 film soundtrack album released by 20th Century Fox Records, from the studio's film of the same name. It features several songs performed in the film, as well as the musical score by John Williams and Dory and André Previn.

<i>Dolores</i> (Susann novel) 1976 novel by Jacqueline Susann

Dolores is the final novel of American writer Jacqueline Susann. Published by William Morrow in 1976, it is a roman à clef based on the life of Jacqueline Kennedy. It first appeared in the February 1974 issue of the Ladies' Home Journal, seven months before Susann's death from cancer.

Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls is an American television drama miniseries that aired on CBS in October 1981. The first two hours were broadcast on October 19, followed by three hours on October 20 during prime time; CBS originally intended it to last a total of four hours, but requests by the filmmakers for an further hour were granted in September. The teleplay is adapted from the 1966 novel Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann. The miniseries was directed by Walter Grauman, with Susann's husband Irving Mansfield as executive producer.

<i>Just This Once</i> 1993 novel by Scott French

Just This Once is a 1993 romance novel written in the style of Jacqueline Susann by a Macintosh IIcx computer named "Hal" in collaboration with its programmer, Scott French. French reportedly spent $40,000 and 8 years developing an artificial intelligence program to analyze Susann's works and attempt to create a novel that Susann might have written. A legal dispute between the estate of Jacqueline Susann and the publisher resulted in a settlement to split the profits, and the book was referenced in several legal journal articles about copyright laws. The book had two small print runs totaling 35,000 copies, receiving mixed reviews.

Irving Mansfield was an American producer, publicist and writer. He is best remembered as the husband of novelist Jacqueline Susann and for his promotion of Susann's popular books.

Bernard J. Geis was an American editor and publisher who founded the now-defunct Bernard Geis Associates, which published and promoted several best-sellers in the 1960s and 70s, including Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls and Helen Gurley Brown's Sex and the Single Girl and David Wilkerson's The Cross and the Switchblade.

References

  1. "Dolls! Dolls! Dolls!: Deep Inside Valley of the Dolls, …". Goodreads. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
  2. Schama, Chloe (April 23, 2020). "The 23 Best Books to Read This Summer". Vogue . Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  3. "Dolls! Dolls! Dolls!: Deep Inside Valley of the Dolls, the Most Beloved Bad Book and Movie of All Time by Stephen Rebello". Kirkus Reviews . April 12, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  4. "Nonfiction Book Review: Dolls! Dolls! Dolls!: Deep Inside Valley of the Dolls, the Most Beloved Bad Book and Movie of All Time by Stephen Rebello". Publishers Weekly . May 22, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  5. French, Liz (May 1, 2020). "Dolls! Dolls! Dolls!: Deep Inside Valley of the Dolls, the Most Beloved Bad Book and Movie of All Time by Stephen Rebello". Library Journal . Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  6. O'Sullivan, Sibbie (June 12, 2020). "'Valley of the Dolls' may be the best bad movie — and novel. A new book explores Jacqueline Susann's cult hit". The Washington Post . Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  7. Perez, Lexy (May 1, 2020). "Summer Books: 'Bird Box' Sequel, 'Hunger Games' Prequel and More". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  8. Cerabona, Ron (July 25, 2020). "Dolls! Dolls! Dolls! Stephen Rebello's book on Valley of the Dolls is both hilarious and informative". The Canberra Times . Retrieved August 6, 2020.