Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
Overview
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls is a 1970 American schlock
melodrama
film starring Dolly Read, Cynthia Myers
, Marcia McBroom, John LaZar
, Michael Blodgett
and David Gurian. The cult classic
was directed by Russ Meyer
and co-written by Meyer and Roger Ebert
.
Originally intended as a sequel to the 1967 film Valley of the Dolls
– "dolls" being a slang term for depressant
pills or "downers" – Beyond the Valley of the Dolls was instead revised as a parody of the commercially successful but critically reviled original.
Three young women — Kelly MacNamara (Dolly Read), Casey Anderson (Cynthia Myers
), and Petronella "Pet" Danforth (Marcia McBroom) — perform in a rock band, The Kelly Affair, managed by Harris Allsworth (David Gurian), Kelly's boyfriend.
Schlock
Schlock is an English word of Yiddish origin meaning "something cheap, shoddy, or inferior "In the field of science, "schlock" refers to shoddy or unreliable results....
melodrama
Melodrama
The term melodrama refers to a dramatic work that exaggerates plot and characters in order to appeal to the emotions. It may also refer to the genre which includes such works, or to language, behavior, or events which resemble them...
film starring Dolly Read, Cynthia Myers
Cynthia Myers
Cynthia Myers was an American model and actress, and Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for the December 1968 issue.-Career:...
, Marcia McBroom, John LaZar
John LaZar
John LaZar is a classically trained American actor of both stage and screen.LaZar grew up in San Francisco, California and is of Mediterranean and Native American heritage. He is best remembered for his lead role as Ronnie 'Z-man' Barzell in the 1970s Russ Meyer film Beyond the Valley of the Dolls...
, Michael Blodgett
Michael Blodgett
Michael Blodgett was an American actor, novelist, and screenwriter. Of his many film and television appearances he is best known for his performance as gigolo Lance Rocke in Russ Meyer's 1970 cult classic Beyond the Valley of the Dolls...
and David Gurian. The cult classic
Cult Classic
Cult Classic is a Blue Öyster Cult studio recording released in 1994, containing remakes of many of the band's previous hits.-Track listing:# " The Reaper" - 5:05# "E.T.I...
was directed by Russ Meyer
Russ Meyer
Russell Albion "Russ" Meyer was a U.S. motion picture director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, actor and photographer....
and co-written by Meyer and Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
.
Originally intended as a sequel to the 1967 film Valley of the Dolls
Valley of the Dolls (film)
The soundtrack was released in 1967. Dionne Warwick sang the title track; however, her version is not on the soundtrack. Warwick was signed to Scepter Records at the time and could not contractually appear...
– "dolls" being a slang term for depressant
Depressant
A depressant, or central depressant, is a drug or endogenous compound that depresses the function or activity of a specific part of the brain...
pills or "downers" – Beyond the Valley of the Dolls was instead revised as a parody of the commercially successful but critically reviled original.
Three young women — Kelly MacNamara (Dolly Read), Casey Anderson (Cynthia Myers
Cynthia Myers
Cynthia Myers was an American model and actress, and Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for the December 1968 issue.-Career:...
), and Petronella "Pet" Danforth (Marcia McBroom) — perform in a rock band, The Kelly Affair, managed by Harris Allsworth (David Gurian), Kelly's boyfriend.