Product Details

• Actors: Barbara Parkins, Patty Duke, Paul Burke, Sharon Tate, Tony Scotti
• Directors: Mark Robson
• Writers: Jacqueline Susann, Dorothy Kingsley, Helen Deutsch
• Producers: Mark Robson, David Weisbart
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, Special Edition, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• VHS Release Date: December 23, 1997
• Run Time: 123 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (200 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0793910471
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,052 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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  #2 in	Video > Cult Movies > Camp
  #5 in	Video > Cult Movies > Landmark Cult Classics
  #8 in	Video > Cult Movies > Drama

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential video

They don't make 'em like this anymore. Well, John Waters might, if he ever had a big enough budget. A steamy "inside look" at the alternately sleazy and glamorous world of catfighting, backbiting show-biz starlets, this Hollywood hit from the bestselling novel by Jacqueline Susann is a high-gloss camp artifact--a time capsule (or some kind of capsule, anyway)--from the screwy '60s, when a broad was a broad, a bitch was a bitch (whether "her" name was Neely O'Hara or Ted Casablanca), and a "doll" was a prescription drug. These dames of whine and poses obsessed over their bust lines, booze, and barbiturates. The once-shocking and scandalous language and behavior of these Broadway babes has been eclipsed by Dallas, Dynasty, and Melrose Place, but time has only enhanced the stature of Valley of the Dolls as a classic--and it still puts Showgirls to shame. With Patty Duke, Susan Hayward, Sharon Tate, Lee Grant, Barbara Parkins, and Martin Milner (and juicy, scene-chewing dialogue such as the infamous: "They drummed you out of Hollywood, so you come crawling back to Broadway. But Broadway doesn't go for booze and dope--now get out of my way, I've got a man waiting for me!"), Valley of the Dolls is the Mount Rushmore of backstage movie melodramas. --Jim Emerson

Product Description

Lured by their dreams of fame and fortune, three ambitious young women enter the world of show business and discover how easy it is to sink into a celebrity nightmare of ego, alcohol and 'pills' - the beloved "dolls." A prim New Englander (Barbara Parkins) unexpectedly skyrockets from her job as secretary in a talent agency to a glamorous TV model. A determined singer (Patty Duke) finds that Hollywood success can also spell self-destruction. And a beautiful sex symbol (Sharon Tate) is torn between the money commands and the shame of feeling exploited. Based on Jacqueline Susann's phenomenal best-seller about the underside of Hollywood, this fascinating melodrama was once seen as a shocking behind-the-scenes look at how show business creates instant stars, destroys romances and changes personalities forever.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

91 of 96 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EXTRAS on the 2-DVD Special Edition of VALLEY OF THE DOLLS, April 11, 2006

By	Pageturner in NYC (Manhattan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Valley of the Dolls (Special Edition) (DVD)

Fox has gone all out to put out a great transfer of this great camp classic and has really given fans a load of extras in this two disk Special Edition of VALLEY OF THE DOLLS.

This two-disc special edition offers the following features...

Disc 1: Main Feature
2.35.1 anamorphic widescreen transfer
English Stereo & Mono
Spanish Mono
English & Spanish subtitles

Commentary by E! gossip columnist Ted Casablanca and Barbara Parkins.

Trivia Overdose: A Pill Popping Guide To The Valley Of The Dolls option that provides 'Pop Up Video' style trivia bits on screen as the movie plays out.

"Gotta Get off this Merry-Go-Round: Sex, Dolls and Showtunes" (don't miss this 49-minute documentary, found by hitting the "MORE" button on the first screen). Casablanca, Alonso Duralde and Michael Musto and Barbara Parkins are among those commenting on the film in this exhausting (and hilarious) tribute to the film.

Stills Galleries: There are six galleries, one each for Anne Welles, Neely O'Hara and Jennifer North as well as behind-the-scenes looks at the Costume Design, Production Snapshots and Sets & Locations.

Disc 2: Extra Feature:
The Divine Ms. Susann (15 mins.) is a look at Jacqueline Susann's life through interviews with people who knew and worked with her.

"The Dish On The Doll" (5 mins.), feautures noted gay film critic Alonso Duralde and Michael Musto among others and is great for obsessive fans. It points out early appearances by Nathan Lane (in the TV remake), Richard Dreyfuss, and Marvin Hamlisch playing piano in the background and various bloopers. It also talks about the excellent 1981 TV remake (with Lisa Hartman as Neely, Veronica Hamel as Jennifer and Catherine Hicks as Anne) and the bad nighttime soap opera in the early 1990s called VALLEY OF THE DOLLS. At the end of this short, there's a written notice that if viewers are interested in seeing the TV movie or soap opera put on DVD, they should go to Fox Studio's web site and let someone know. Unfortunately, the link they give doesn't work and (as of 6/27/06), Fox's web site doesn't even mention VALLEY as one of their releases.

"Hollywood Backstories: Valley Of The Dolls" (23 mins). This AMC-original documentary overs an overview of the book-to-movie translation and includes footage of Judy Garland as Helen Lawson.

"From The Medicine Chest - A Secret Stash Of Archival Footage": is a batch of older documentaries telecast around the time the film was released in 1967. Including "Valley Of The Dolls - A World Premiere Voyage" an excellent 48-minutes television special that Fox originally broadcast to promote the film's theatrical release. "Jacqueline Susann And The Valley Of The Dolls", (50 mins.) another TV special that details Susann's book and it's journey to the big screen.

Four Screen Tests: Tony Scotti (singing), Barbara Parkins (auditioning for Neely O'Hara) & Sharon Tate (phone conversation with Jennifer's mother) and a great test with both Tate and Scotti doing a long,walk-thru-the-pakr scene. (Sadly no lost footage of Garland as Helen Lawson or even the audio of her recording of "I'll Plant My Own Tree.")

TV Spots: :10, :20, :60
Trailers: 3:21 & 2:10

"You've Got Talent Karaoke: Follow The Bouncing Doll" in which you can sing along to three songs from the movie - "The Theme From Valley Of The Dolls" (with a bouncing pill), "It's Impossible" (with a bouncing perscription bottle) and "I'll Plant My Own Tree" (with a bouncing red wig that ends up in a toilet at the end of the song). Each karaoke sing-along plays over footage from the film where the number appears.

"Musical Numbers From Valley Of The Dolls" which offers you a chance to listen to John William's musical soundtrack. Eleven tracks are included and they play as music only with only the menu screen underneath.

90 of 97 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "They drummed you right out of Hollywood....., May 11, 2004

By	Byron Kolln (the corner where Broadway meets Hollywood) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

Amazon Verified Purchase

...so you come crawling back to Broadway"....

Just one of a myriad of oh-so-quotable lines from the classic VALLEY OF THE DOLLS, based on Jacqueline Susann's steamy pulp-fiction bestseller of 1966. The acting is pure cheese, the script is a paler, watered-down imitation of Susann's text and the songs are God-awful. But there is something about this little gem that draws me in time after time. I could easily watch it once or twice a day and never get bored with it.

The story recounts three girls in New York: Anne Welles (Barbara Parkins - BEAR ISLAND), Neely O'Hara (Patty Duke - THE MIRACLE WORKER) and Jennifer North (Sharon Tate).

Anne has just arrived from small-town Lawrenceville, and landed a job as secretary in an entertainment law-firm. This leads Anne to the acquaintance of Neely, a young up-and-coming Broadway singer who's just been dumped from the new musical starring Helen Lawson (Susan Hayward - I WANT TO LIVE). The reason?...Neely would easily steal the show, and the only star of a Helen Lawson show is Helen Lawson...!

Anne also meets Jennifer, a sweet but by her own admission, talentless showgirl/model. Anne's boss Lyon Burke (Paul Burke) arranges for Neely to sing on a charity telethon, and she quickly lands her own revue at a prominent nightclub. Jennifer marries handsome crooner Tony Polar (Tony Scotti) against the wishes of his sister/manager Miriam (Lee Grant - VOYAGE OF THE DAMNED). Anne then gets discovered by a cosmetics firm and becomes the glamorous 'Gillian Girl'.

The story moves to Hollywood where both Neely and Tony are turned into movie stars. Success comes too fast and easily for Neely who disappears into a heady world of dolls and alcohol. Tony is tragically struck down with a mysterious disease which leaves him paralysed in a sanitarium. To make ends meet, Jennifer becomes an adult-film star.

After going through two failed marriages, Neely hits bottom and is admitted into a rehab center, at Lyon and Anne's behest. With the offer of a new Broadway musical, Neely emerges and quickly finds her feet again, only to break Anne's heart when she claims Lyon for herself. Jennifer quits the porn business and discovers she has breast cancer.

At a party for Helen Lawson's new musical, which bombed out-of-town, Neely and Helen duke it out in the ladies' room, resulting in the famous wig-ripping scene, which is probably the greatest piece in the whole film.

Another great moment is Susan Hayward singing "I'll Plant My Own Tree" standing in the middle of a huge mobile, constructed of broken traffic-lights! Margaret Whiting provided Hayward's singing, though the role of Helen Lawson was originally earmarked for Judy Garland (and the song reeks of Garland influence).

VALLEY OF THE DOLLS is a campy little gem, one that has a HUUUGE and dedicated following. Patty Duke has never eaten so much scenery in any of her subsequent films, Sharon Tate is luminous and Barbara Parkins (aka the Living Mannequin) is just what is called for the role of Anne.

VALLEY OF THE DOLLS. A true classic. Accept no substitutes.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "You've got to climb Mt. Everest to reach the Valley of the Dolls", April 24, 2006

By	R. M. Payne "payne722" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Valley of the Dolls (Special Edition) (DVD)

"It's a brutal climb to reach that peak. You stand there, waiting for the rush of exhilaration but it doesn't come. You're alone, and the feeling of loneliness is overpowering."

I love, love, LOVE this movie. I was 7 when it came out, remember my mom playing the Dionne Warwick single over and over. I saw it for the first time when I was 11 on network television, and even taped the soundtrack from the television onto a tape so I could play it back whenever I wanted. That's what you did before VCRs if you were a movie crazy kid like me. Eventually I knew every single line of dialogue by heart.

Years later, watching it on the big screen at the Castro theater revival in San Francisco, I was surprised that I still remembered most of the lines. Also surprised that the movie had aged like a fine wine (or wine in a box maybe) into the quintessential trash classic of our time.

Yes, this movie is terrible ... terrible in the most fantastic way imaginable. When I was a kid, I thought I was the only one that appreciated the trashy greatness of this film. But I wasn't alone at all. People love this movie. It's everything that's great and terrible about Hollywood all rolled into one Technicolor trainwreck. Now it's coming out on DVD and all us crazy Doll-heads can watch Neely, Anne and Jennifer reach the top of Mt. Everest every night!

"Sparkle, Nelly, sparkle!"