Review of Valley of the Dolls (1967) by The Critic ( — 03 Jun 2013

Based on Jacqueline Susann's bitchy bestseller, 'Valley of the Dolls' is a delicious serving of colour, costumes and camp. The novel was never going to be easy to adapt, but Helen Deutsch and Dorothy Kingsley hand in a fair effort without always hitting the bullseye and Mark Robson's direction is fine; the two key montages of the piece, however, put a halt to the momentum. John Williams' score is lovely and the musical numbers are also well done.

Barbara Parkins is perfectly cast as chief protagonist Anne, whose enriched voice continuously carries through a sense of proper upbringing as well as the reminder that she's a consistent outsider, despite fame and fortune. Patty Duke is fun as Neely and though more often than not over-the-top, the child star does deliver examples of affective acting; the infamous swimming pool scene is a highlight and her breakdown in an alleyway displays a raw loneliness that's difficult to pull off (she almost nails it). The luminous Sharon Tate is well cast as blonde busty beauty Jennifer, simultaneously projecting vulnerability and charm. The supporting characters are competently filled out by Susan Hayward, Paul Burke, Tony Scotti and Lee Grant.

Slaughtered by the critics and author Susann at the time, it was a massive box office hit and has achieved cult classic status.