Valley of the Dolls (Special Edition)
by Mark Robson
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DVD details
Actor: Barbara Parkins, Patty Duke, Paul Burke, Sharon Tate, Tony ScottiDirector: Mark Robson
Brand: Valley
Writer: Jacqueline Susann
Cinematographer: William H. Daniels
Editor: Dorothy Spencer
Producer: David Weisbart
Writer: Dorothy Kingsley
Writer: Helen Deutsch
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 1.0; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled)
Format: Color, DVD-Video, NTSC, Special Edition
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 123 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-06-13
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
DVD Reviews of Valley of the Dolls (Special Edition)
DVD Review: valley of the dolls dvd
Summary: 5 Stars
it took a while to get on dvd and i don't know why but it was worth the wait. the vivid color and top notch audio make this great movie even better. i have always been a fan of this classic and couldn't wait till a decent version of it came to be. watching it on vhs made it feel too much like a b movie when it really isn't but it is camp and fun. 5 out of 5 rating!!! -rich lodatoDVD Review: I expected something a little more in-depth; a little more profound...
Summary: 3 Stars
I was really, really looking forward to this film long before I ever got the chance to sit down and watch it. The whole concept behind the film, the novel and everyone involved just really seemed right up my ally. I love the whole gritty and realistic exploitation of human imperfections. It touches my warm and fuzzies for some reason.
I really expected `Valley of the Dolls' to be that type of film. It was labeled as grievously controversial and it is still considered by many to be a film that pushes the envelope; especially for the time period. Well, it truly does push the envelope, but the end result is far from what I expected. Instead of developing a raw and real interpretation of addiction and the suffering the famous endure, `Valley of the Dolls' winds up feeling like half a thought; half a film. It has all the makings of something sincere yet falls short of a complete finished product, for it never really develops its characters in a way the sheds any substantial light on the subject.
It's a surface film so-to-speak; a film that just skims over the top of these issues without really getting down to heart of the matter.
I know that many will disagree with me; but I'm sure that there are at least a few who know what I'm saying here.
The film tells the story of three young women who all fall victim to the machine known as fame. They seek it out and once they attach themselves to it they realize that the only way to keep the dream alive is to feed it their soul. Anne Welles, Neely O'Hara and Jennifer North are all putting themselves out there, but what they get in return for their lives is barely anything worth holding onto.
The film tries hard to show the backstabbing environment created by Hollywood; the aged starlets fighting for attention; the self loathing caused by lack of real talent; the abuse brought on by family members and so-called friends; the depression that sets in from lack of work; the ego that destroys everything good in our lives and of course the destitution that becomes those fallen victim to the `dolls' (or prescription drugs). The issue I have with the film is that it never takes any of these subjects seriously enough to tie together the loose ends and make them feel completed. It raises the concerns without really delving into the solutions. It's just kind of a hodgepodge of bad situations without any connective tissue.
It felt incomplete to me.
I felt that the acting was a major saving grace for the film though, because almost everyone involved worked to add notes to their otherwise `one-note' characters. Patty Duke especially nailed her role as the `diva' Neely O'Hara. The film has a tendency to fall into camp (not sure if that was intentional, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was) but she handles her lines so well that she cuts the camp and gives her character some genuineness. Sharon Tate has more talent than her character, but Barbara Parkins, who is the films star, comes off rather dull. The men take a backseat, except Paul Burke who manages to make himself known in a good way.
This isn't a bad film, but it far from a great masterpiece; which is sad because it had all the potential in the world. With all the harsh subject matter and meaty potential it winds up feeling a little empty.
DVD Review: The Scandals of Show Business
Summary: 2 Stars
The "dolls" refer to various prescription medications that are used and abused by people who have problems. They are in "show business", and are exploited to exploit consumers who buy into the fantasy being sold. A young girl leaves a small New England town to work in New York. Will she find success? [Only with money and connections.] A theatrical lawyer has interesting clients. Miss Wells doesn't like show business. "It's a cruel and rewarding business." We see how things work for the star of a show. "With dignity." The story provides an insider view of life behind the stage curtains. The Hollywood version, of course. Miss Wells is chosen to be a model for "the beautiful people".
They move to California. The life of a big star is described. Too many pills? Has success ruined Neely? Or is it too much pressure? We see the effects of pills on Neely, and her marriage. Is it temperament? The business of Hollywood uses up actors. Neely's vacation in San Francisco doesn't go well. Titillating scandals? A warning against drugs? Jennifer North is Big in French films. But she wants to go back to America. They show what happens in a sanitarium. To shock the audience? Jennifer needs surgery, and has other problems. What will she do? Helen Lawson is a great star. "I wonder what happened to Neely O'Hara?"
This was considered shocking and scandalous over 40 years ago but now seems tame. Is it different from today's TV movies? The weekly tabloids have exposed the lives of actors like Neely. And some politicians and clergy too. Is nothing sacred? Was this an anti-drug movie? Supermarkets were forced to carry weekly tabloids back in 1967. They provide a distraction from the real events that were going on: politics, the economy, the war, etc. Think back to what was going on in 1967. Since 2000 broadcast TV has focused on "reality TV" as another distraction.
DVD Review: dolls and pills
Summary: 5 Stars
I remember watching this movie back in the 70s. I enjoyed it very much and am happy to add it to my cult classic collection. If you like a good oldie but goodie---then this is the movie.DVD Review: A True American Cinema Classic.
Summary: 5 Stars
DOLLS!!! What may have been at the time of release "shocking" dialogue is why Valley of the Dolls will live in infamy. "Well Broad-way doesn't go for booozze and pills." Helen Larson tells Neeley O'Hara at the start of their catfight in the powder room. Great fun to watch with your best Gay friends. Great extras included. Packaging is well done and comes with lobby cards.
Description of Valley of the Dolls (Special Edition)
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.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
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