As we did in 2021, we're attempting to again increase book coverage in the community. Since the last installment of this feature, we're speaking with Stan about his "Stephen Rebello's DOLLS! DOLLS! DOLLS: DEEP INSIDE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS, THE MOST BELOVED BAD BOOK AND MOVIE OF ALL TIME" covers a book about the filming of VALLEY OF THE DOLLS.
Stan: Right. And it was a huge hit in 1967. It went into wide release on December 15th and still managed to make it into the top ten of that year. It cost $4.6 million to film and it brought in $50 million in ticket sales. It did better, in ticket sales alone, than other films of that year including Frank Sinatra's THE DETECTIVE, Steve McQueen's BULLITT, THE ODD COUPLE, ROSEMARY'S BABY, OLIVER and ROMEO & JULIET. So the film was a huge hit. It wasn't a good film.
You put the blame at the feet of Patty Duke.
Stan: Of the actors, yes. She was wrong for the part and never should have been cast. Neely is savaged by Helen Lawson and fired from a Broadway show because she's upstaging Helen who is the star. Instantly, Ann, Lyon and Mel go to work to save Neely's career. Why? In the book, she's vulnerable. Not in the film. The whole point of the dolls -- the pills -- is the impact that they have on the main characters. But they have no impact on the film's Neely because Patty hasn't made her vulnerable at the beginning. Neely goes to Hollywood, in the novel, and gets hooked on the dolls and becomes courser and harder. Doesn't happen in the movie because Patty Duke didn't know how to act and plays the character rough and tough throughout. There's no dramatic arc as a result of Patty's bad performance. She sinks the film. Natalie Wood wanted that role and would have been perfect in it. The direction is poor as well and the script could use a little more focus.
You felt that a few people came off well.
Stan: Right. In the film, praise should go to Barbara Parkins and Sharon Tate for their acting, to William Travilla for his costumes, and lastly to Dionne Warwick for her performance of the theme song and Dory and Andre Previn for writing the theme. Dionne took the song to number two on the BILLBOARD pop charts.
What was the best part of the book for you?
Stan: Probably the chapters on the casting. The film turned out so poorly -- a critical disaster -- that it's really amazing to learn how many women wanted to be in it. It's because it offered strong roles from women. Along with Natalie wanting to be Neely, others trying for that role or the roles of Anne and Jennifer were Candice Bergen, Raquel Welch, Marlo Thomas, Faye Dunaway, Ann-Margaret, Petula Clark, Liza Minnelli, Helen Mirren, Jill St. John, Shirley MacLaine, Tuesday Weld, Mary Tyler Moore, Linda Harrison, Elizabeth Hartman, Joanna Pettet, Lauren Hutton, Susan Anspach, Nancy Dussault, Jessica Walter and Karen Jensen. One person who wanted no part of the film was Jane Fonda. She said no to both Neely and Anne. As for the men? Jacqueline Susann, author of the book, thought Paul Newman and other big names would be lining up to play the male leads. That didn't happen. The roles were neither big enough in terms of screen time nor deep enough in terms of characterization. Except for Tony Curtis -- who the director nixed -- the names were mainly TV names: James Garner, Adam West, Vince Hunter plus film actors like Christopher Plummer, Rod Taylor and George Peppard. No big name ended up cast for the roles of Lyon, Mel or singer Tony.
Do you recommend the book?
Stan: I really do. It's really a story is how a hot property that actresses were interested in and that America was interested in was turned into a really bad film.
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Previous book discussions this year.
"Books (Mike, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Ann, Elaine, Kat, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Isaiah, Stan, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Trina, Kat, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Marcia, Ann and C.I.)," "Books (Ruth, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Isaiah, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Mike, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Kat, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Marcia, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Trina, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Rebecca, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Isaiah, Kat, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Stan, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Kat, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Marcia, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Ann, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Trina, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Marcia, Ava and C.I.)" and "Books (Ava and C.I.)."