Valley of the Dolls

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Valley of the Dolls

PG-13

1967

2h 3m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

32%

Tomatometer

41 Reviews

58%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

In New York City, bright but naive New Englander Anne Welles (Barbara Parkins) becomes a secretary at a theatrical law firm, where she falls in love with attorney Lyon Burke (Paul Burke). Anne befriends up-and-coming singer Neely O'Hara (Patty Duke), whose dynamic talent threatens aging star Helen Lawson (Joey Bishop) and beautiful but talentless actress Jennifer North (Sharon Tate). The women experience success and failure in love and work, leading to heartbreak, addiction and tragedy.

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Critics Consensus

Trashy, campy, soapy, and melodramatic, Valley of the Dolls may be a dud as a Hollywood expose, but has nonetheless endured as a kitsch classic.

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Anne Cohen

Refinery29

07/22/2019

A must-watch even if the movie had nothing else going for it, which happily, it does.

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TIME Staff

TIME Magazine

03/27/2019

The cliche of show business as a dream world may have been wide-eyed and saccharine. But Novelist Susann's view of Hollywood as nightmare Valley merely adds up to the old naivete in reverse.

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Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

Senses of Cinema

08/27/2018

Valley of the Dolls rose from the ashes to become a so-bad-it's-good cult film of the highest order.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Mar 12

1.5/4

The newfound envelope-pushing in cinema, tested so brilliantly in 1967 by Bonnie and Clyde and The Graduate, is botched here.

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Bianca Garner

Filmotomy

10/10/2024

This isn’t a complete disaster of a film that the likes of Roger Ebert would make you believe. And there are highs and lows with this film...

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Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

08/30/2022

C-

I can’t remotely claim this is a good movie, but I sure did enjoy terrible moments like the duet in a sanitarium.

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Carl G.

@CarlGemayel Feb 9

Good film not great. The topic discussed deserved better. It’s a bit messy with some good performances and other bad performances. My favorite storyline by far was that of Jennifer (Sharon Tate) and Tony (Tony Polar). It made me feel so bad and actually a bit creeped when I saw Jennifer (Sharon Tate) being taken out by firefighters in a white bag after her suicide. My favorite performance was that of Patty Duke, she delivers a powerhouse performance and my least favorite was that of Barbara Parkins, I just didn’t like her character and her weak performance (but that weak performance came from a weak character that was written in this way). The score by John Williams is not bad (some songs are) but it’s definitely one of his weakest. Good film by Marc Robson and looking forward to seeing Russ Meyer’s Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Sep 27

Success in 2 hours and 3 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ages 13 and older!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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GA A

@RT47416948 Aug 10

Watching Valley of the Dolls in 2025 is rather nostalgic. Typing speeds, shorthand and hotels for young women, my goodness how things have changed. Our values have also changed so much. It's a rather sugary peek at what the world saw as acceptable behaviour and unacceptable behaviour. That its so predictable is a pity. Enjoyable schmaltz. Sharon Tate is lovely however.

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Shioka O

@RT54204327 01/18/2025

I know it's terrible as movie at that time, but it's a descent campy satiric tragicomedy and somewhat entertaining, makes you keep watching. I liked the strong 60s style. One of few movies which Sharon Tate is in.

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angel d

@RT65679726 09/08/2024

FOR SOME REASON THEY DIDN"T REALIZE THEY WERE MAKING A COMEDY! The acting is terrible. The dialogue cringe worthy. The songs banal. This film is so bad you'll want to watch it again and again.

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Alec B

@Alec97 06/15/2024

Part of the movie's strange appeal is the fact that it is both salacious and moralizing. It wants you to know what they are showing you is wrong while the filmmakers also delight in showing you this tawdry melodrama. If you can make it through the slow first half the sudden decent in the second is so bizzare that you can't stop watching it.

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Mark Robson

Director

Barbara Parkins

Anne Welles

Patty Duke

Neely O'Hara

Sharon Tate

Jennifer North

Paul Burke

Lyon Burke

Tony Scotti

Tony Polar

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Synopsis

In New York City, bright but naive New Englander Anne Welles (Barbara Parkins) becomes a secretary at a theatrical law firm, where she falls in love with attorney Lyon Burke (Paul Burke). Anne befriends up-and-coming singer Neely O'Hara (Patty Duke), whose dynamic talent threatens aging star Helen Lawson (Joey Bishop) and beautiful but talentless actress Jennifer North (Sharon Tate). The women experience success and failure in love and work, leading to heartbreak, addiction and tragedy.

Director: Mark Robson
Producer: David Weisbart
Screenwriter: Helen Deutsch, Jacqueline Susann
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Red Lion, Twentieth Century Fox
Rating: PG-13 (Some Sexual Content|Partial Nudity|Language|Substance Abuse|Thematic Elements)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 15, 1967, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 18, 2012
Runtime: 2h 3m
Sound Mix: Stereo
Aspect Ratio: 35mm

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