''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 Stephen Rebello is an American writer, screenwriter, journalist and former clinical therapist. Early life Born to parents of second-generation Portuguese American and French-Portuguese American extraction in Fall River, Massachusetts, Rebello ...

. It details the creation of the 1966 novel of the same name by first-time novelist

Jacqueline Susann Jacqueline Susann (August 20, 1918 – September 21, 1974) was an American novelist and actress. Her novel ''Valley of the Dolls (novel), Valley of the Dolls'' (1966) is one of the List of best-selling books, best-selling books in publishing his ...

and documents every aspect of the creation of the 1967 motion picture adaptation ''

Valley of the Dolls Valley of the Dolls may refer to: * ''Valley of the Dolls'' (novel), a 1966 novel by Jacqueline Susann ** ''Valley of the Dolls'' (film), a 1967 film adapted from the novel *** " (Theme from) Valley of the Dolls", the title song from the film, pe ...

''. The book was first published on June 2, 2020, by

Penguin Books Penguin Books Limited is a Germany, German-owned English publishing, publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers the Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the ...

. Stephen Rebello extensively researched the narrative through the personal records and archives of film director Mark Robson, producer David Weisbart, studio records of the film's distributor

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...

, court case depositions including those of

Darryl F. Zanuck Darryl Francis Zanuck (; September 5, 1902December 22, 1979) was an American film producer and studio executive; he earlier contributed stories for films starting in the silent era. Best known as a co-founder of 20th Century Fox, he played a ...

, Richard D. Zanuck, studio executive David Brown, accessing contemporary news accounts through newspaper and magazine archives, as well as through new interviews he conducted with actors, crew members, journalists and others involved in the film and/or active in the entertainment business at the time the film was in preproduction, production and release.

Synopsis

Rebello details the writing, publication, promotion, controversy and international success of the original novel written by Jacqueline Susann as well the discovery of the novel by fledgling film producer

Robert Evans Robert Evans (born Robert J. Shapera; June 29, 1930 – October 26, 2019) was an American film producer who worked on ''Rosemary's Baby (film), Rosemary's Baby'' (1968), ''Love Story (1970 film), Love Story'' (1970), ''The Godfather'' (1972), ...

and its preemptive sale to

. From there, the book documents the development of the screenplay by three successive writers

Harlan Ellison Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave science fiction, New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. His published wo ...

Helen Deutsch Helen Deutsch (March 21, 1906 – March 15, 1992) was an American screenwriter, journalist, and songwriter. Biography Deutsch was born in New York City and graduated from Barnard College. She began her career by managing the Provincetown Play ...

and

Dorothy Kingsley Dorothy Kingsley (October 14, 1909 – September 26, 1997) was an American screenwriter, who worked extensively in film, radio, and television. Biography Born in New York City, Kingsley was the daughter of newspaperman and press agent Walter J. ...

; the intense competition among young actresses wanting to play Susann's young heroines "Anne Welles", "Neely O'Hara" and "Jennifer North"; the hiring of costume designer

Travilla William Travilla (March 22, 1920 – November 2, 1990), known professionally as Travilla, was an American costume designer for theatre, film, and television. He is perhaps best known for designing costumes for Marilyn Monroe in eight of her fil ...

and legendary cinematographer William H. Daniels and songwriters

Dory Previn Dorothy Veronica "Dory" Previn (née Langan; October 22, 1925 – February 14, 2012) was an American lyricist, singer-songwriter and poet. During the late 1950s and 1960s, Previn was a lyricist on songs intended for motion pictures and, with h ...

and Andre Previn; the details of the hiring and firing of

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. Possessing a strong contralto voice, she was celebrated for her emotional depth and versatility across film, stage, and concert performance. ...

, the hiring of her replacement

Susan Hayward Susan Hayward (born Edythe Marrener; June 30, 1917 – March 14, 1975) was an American actress best known for her film portrayals of women that were based on true stories. After working as a fashion model for the Walter Clarence Thornton, Walt ...

and the sometimes-contentious processes of filming, editing, scoring by

John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (November 15, 2022)Classic Connection review, ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...

; postproduction, promotion and major success at the box-office despite negative reviews by the critics. ''Dolls! Dolls! Dolls!'' sheds light on the daily lives of the filmmakers, some of whom believed they were making a frank and honest look at women struggling with prescription pill addiction, betrayal, loneliness and terminal illness as they climb the ladder of show business success.

Publication history

The book was published in

paperback A paperback (softcover, softback) book is one with a thick paper or paperboard cover, also known as wrappers, and often held together with adhesive, glue rather than stitch (textile arts), stitches or Staple (fastener), staples. In contrast, ...

on June 2, 2020, by

and concurrently became available on Kindle and in an unabridged version for

Tantor Media RBMedia is an audiobook publishing company with sales globally. Headquartered in Landover, Maryland, it claims to be the largest audiobook publisher in the world. The company was founded in 2017 through the acquisition of independent audiobook co ...

narrated by Paul Boehmer. Less than a month after publication, the book went into a second printing.

Critical reception

The book received considerable media attention and critical praise. The editors of ''

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** '' Vogue Adria'', a fashion magazine for former Yugoslav countries ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ' ...

'' chose it as one of best books of the summer, praising its "great detail and heavy research" and calling it "as heady and colorful as the pulsating Pucci prints Susann so famously wore". ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, no ...

'' thought the book "written with a cinematic excitement", "meticulously detailed" and "a blissful treasure trove of gossipy insider details that Dolls fans will swiftly devour". ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' called it "exuberant" and "loving". ''

Library Journal ''Library Journal'' is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional prac ...

'' wrote "Rebello packs tons of information into this loving look at a cultural and cult phenomenon ... Go ahead: indulge yourself. Fans will love! love! love! and newcomers will enjoy the Hollywood insider aspect". ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' called it "full of surprises and even suspense" and ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' placed it on its list of 20 books of the summer. ''

The Canberra Times ''The Canberra Times'' is a daily newspaper in Canberra, Australia, which is published by Australian Community Media. It was founded in 1926, and has changed ownership and format several times. History ''The Canberra Times'' was launched in 1 ...

'' book critic called it "hilarious and informative...Stephen Rebello has written two of my favorite books about movies. And now he's written a third ... a must-read for fans of Susann, fans of movies and fans of pop culture". During its first month of publication, the book was listed on

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology company * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek myth ...

as #1 Best Seller in such categories as: Entertainment Industry; Movie History & Criticism; Literary Criticism & Theory; and on Amazon Kindle, it became #1 in various categories including #1 New Release in "Sports & Entertainment".

References

{{Valley of the Dolls (novel) 2020 non-fiction books American non-fiction books Books about individual films Books about books Works about novels Penguin Books books