 First edition cover | |
| Author | Jacqueline Susann |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
Publication date | May 1969 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover and paperback) |
| Pages | 512 pp (First edition, cloth) |
| ISBN | 0-553-10530-2 (First edition, cloth) |
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.
The Love Machine tells the story of ruthless, haunted Robin Stone and his life and career in the cut-throat world of 1960s network television. Handsome but promiscuous, the latter earning his nickname the Love Machine after he describes television with the same sobriquet, Robin is loved beyond all reason by three women: Amanda, the beautiful but doomed fashion model; Maggie, the beautiful but headstrong fellow journalist escaping a cruel society marriage; and Judith, the beautiful but aging wife of fourth-network founder Gregory Austin.
As Robin rises and falls (both in and out of his bedroom), many people cross his path. They include Christie Lane, the vulgar but vulnerable comic/singer who becomes an unlikely TV variety star with an equally unlikely family-friendly image; Ethel Evans, the homely but athletic "celebrity fucker" who lusts for Robin but can't have him; Danton Miller, the dapper, desperate network executive who fears Robin and the exposure of his own private life; Austin, powerful and daring, but vulnerable in his own way; Jerry, an advertiser and sponsor who's equally fascinated and confused by Robin's emotionless lifestyle; Sergio, the loving but pragmatic companion to Robin's mother, the beautiful but ailing Kitty; Lisa, Robin's suspicious sister; Ike Ryan, a producer who befriends but is befuddled by Robin; Dip Nelson, a failed actor-turned-successful producer whose loyalty to Robin is sorely tested; Alfie Knight, a too-clever-by-half actor and scene maker; Cliff Davies, a network lawyer who mistrusts Robin and has his own agenda; and various prostitutes---with one of whom an unexpected encounter forces Robin to face his past and, in time, his future---fading actors, psychotherapists, and the like.
The title of the book refers not just to the character of Robin Stone, but to the television set itself. As Susann herself explained, "The title has a dual meaning... the man is like a machine and so is the television box, a machine selling the love of the actors and love of the sponsors.” [1]
Robin Stone is said to be based on James Aubrey, [2] one-time president of the CBS television network. Aubrey, known as the "smiling cobra," [3] apparently heard "what Susann was up to" and told her to "make me mean, a real son of a bitch." [1]
Of Susann's novels, The Love Machine is the only one which has at its center a male character. It was, Susann stated, an "attempt to get inside of men's ids." [4] It's also the only Susann novel with an ostensibly happy ending.
Susann dedicated the book to her friend Carol Bjorkman, a columnist for Women's Wear Daily , who died of leukemia in 1967. [5]
Critical reception of The Love Machine was not positive, but it was slightly better than that of Valley of the Dolls. Although Christopher Lehmann-Haupt of The New York Times wrote that the novel "is popcorn... the kernel of an idea, the seed of an inspiration, exploded into bite-sized nothingness," [6] Nora Ephron, in the same newspaper, said "'The Love Machine' is a far better book than 'Valley'--better written, better plotted, better structured." [7] As with Valley, the reviews did not affect sales: The Love Machine spent 32 weeks on the Times best seller list, with 13 of those weeks at #1. [8] The book became the third highest-selling novel of the year, behind just Philip Roth's Portnoy's Complaint and Mario Puzo's The Godfather . [9]
Columbia Pictures bought the film rights for $1.5 million, which was a record sum for the time. [10] [note 1] Released in August 1971, the film was executive-produced by Susann's husband, Irving Mansfield and directed by Jack Haley, Jr., with actors Dyan Cannon, Robert Ryan, and John Phillip Law as Robin. Actor Brian Kelly, whom Susann had called "the perfect Robin Stone," [11] was cast, but just prior to filming Kelly was nearly killed in a motorcycle accident. John Phillip Law was hurriedly cast, and was compelled to wear many of the costumes already designed for Kelly. Law was significantly taller than Kelly, and his too-short cuffs are apparent in the finished film. [12]
Dionne Warwick, who had a major hit with "(Theme from) Valley of the Dolls" in 1968, sang two songs written for the film, "He's Moving On (Theme from The Love Machine)" and "Amanda's Theme"; the film soundtrack was released on Scepter Records. Susann herself had a cameo as a television newscaster. [note 2]
Like the film adaptation of Valley of the Dolls before it, The Love Machine received negative reviews. Unlike Valley, however, the film version of The Love Machine was a box-office failure. [13]
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.
Nora Ephron was an American journalist, writer, and filmmaker. She is best known for writing and directing romantic comedy films and received numerous accolades including a British Academy Film Award as well as nominations for three Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award and three Writers Guild of America Awards.
Jacqueline Susann was an American novelist and actress. Her iconic 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.
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. As of 2016, it has sold more than 31 million copies, making it one of the all-time best-selling fictional works in publishing history.
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, and David Gurian. The film was directed by Russ Meyer and screenwritten by Roger Ebert from a story by Ebert and Meyer.
Barbara Parkins is a Canadian-American former actress, singer, dancer and photographer.
David M. Weisbart was an American film editor and producer.
Kate Flannery is an American actress. Following her early theatre work, Flannery had her screen breakthrough playing Meredith Palmer on the NBC series The Office, which won her two Screen Actors Guild Awards. She went on to guest star on CBS shows Magnum PI and Young Sheldon. She competed on the 28th season of Dancing with the Stars and voiced Barb on the animated series Steven Universe.
Brian Kelly was an American actor widely known for his role as Porter Ricks, the widowed father of two sons on the NBC television series Flipper.
The Love Machine is a 1971 American drama film based on the best-selling novel by Jacqueline Susann. Directed by Jack Haley Jr., it stars John Phillip Law, Dyan Cannon, Robert Ryan, Jackie Cooper and David Hemmings.
Valley of the Dolls is a 1967 American drama film starring Barbara Parkins, Patty Duke, Sharon Tate, Susan Hayward, Paul Burke, and Lee Grant. It was directed by Mark Robson, and produced by David Weisbart. Based on Jacqueline Susann's 1966 novel Valley of the Dolls, it follows three women struggling to forge careers in the entertainment industry, each of them descending into barbiturate addiction—"dolls" being a slang term for depressant pills or "downers".
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.
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.
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.
James Thomas Aubrey Jr. was an American television and film executive. As president of the CBS television network from 1959 to 1965, with his "smell for the blue-collar," he produced some of television's most enduring series on the air, including Gilligan's Island and The Beverly Hillbillies.
Sing Boy Sing is a 1958 American musical drama film released by 20th Century-Fox and starring newcomers Tommy Sands and Lili Gentle.
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.
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.