Valley of the Dolls (1967)
Jacqueline Susann’s outrageous, shocking novel Valley of the Dolls was snatched up by Hollywood and made into a film the very next year. It’s about three wannabe actresses, Patty Duke, Sharon Tate, and Barbara Parkins, who get sucked into the wild party lifestyle and experiment with sex, alcohol, and drugs. If you know inside stories of old Hollywood, you can easily see past the thin veil of fiction and draw connections to Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Ethel Merman, Dean Martin, and others.
Basically, it’s like Peyton Place and The Best of Everything on steroids—literally. Completely taking advantage of the end of the Hays Code—but still not able to film all the scandalous plot points in the novel—Hollywood got away with an enormous amount of sinful scenes that would have been banned in an instant just ten years earlier. I found Patty Duke incredibly unlikable, so I was never rooting for her character, and the scenes with Susan Hayward were heartbreakingly sad. While I love the two films I previously compared this to, I didn’t end up liking Valley of the Dolls. I couldn’t relate to or root for the characters very easily, and I just couldn’t get past my dislike of Patty Duke. If you’re able to put on your 1967 goggles and realize how scandalous this film was at the time, you’ll have a better chance of appreciating it than if you watch it with modern lenses. Nowadays, these activities are commonplace. If you don’t dislike Patty Duke, feel free to rent this one. Otherwise, stick to Peyton Place.
Want to watch it? Click here to watch it on ok.ru. And thanks "Classic Cinema Central Seleus B" for posting!
More Susan Hayward movies here!
Basically, it’s like Peyton Place and The Best of Everything on steroids—literally. Completely taking advantage of the end of the Hays Code—but still not able to film all the scandalous plot points in the novel—Hollywood got away with an enormous amount of sinful scenes that would have been banned in an instant just ten years earlier. I found Patty Duke incredibly unlikable, so I was never rooting for her character, and the scenes with Susan Hayward were heartbreakingly sad. While I love the two films I previously compared this to, I didn’t end up liking Valley of the Dolls. I couldn’t relate to or root for the characters very easily, and I just couldn’t get past my dislike of Patty Duke. If you’re able to put on your 1967 goggles and realize how scandalous this film was at the time, you’ll have a better chance of appreciating it than if you watch it with modern lenses. Nowadays, these activities are commonplace. If you don’t dislike Patty Duke, feel free to rent this one. Otherwise, stick to Peyton Place.
Want to watch it? Click here to watch it on ok.ru. And thanks "Classic Cinema Central Seleus B" for posting!
More Susan Hayward movies here!