Valley of the Dolls (film)

Valley of the Dolls is a 1967 American drama film based on the 1966 novel of the same name by Jacqueline Susann. Dolls was a slang term for downers, originally short for dolophine, it quickly came to refer to any barbiturates such as Nembutal, used as sleep aids. It was produced by David Weisbart and directed by Mark Robson.

Three young women meet when they embark on their careers. Neely OHara Duke is a plucky kid with undeniable talent who sings in a Broadway showthe legendary actress Helen Lawson Hayward is the star of the playwhile Jennifer North Tate, a beautiful blonde with limited talent, is in the chorus. Anne Welles Parkins is a New England ingenue who recently arrived in New York City and works as a secretary for a theatrical agency that represents Lawson. Neely, Jennifer, and Anne become fast friends, sharing the bonds of ambition and the tendency to fall in love with the wrong men.OHara is fired from the show because Lawson considers her a threat. Assisted by Lyon Burke, an attorney from Annes theatrical agency, OHara makes an appearance on a telethon and is given a nightclub act. She becomes an overnight success and moves to Hollywood to pursue a lucrative film career. Once shes a star, though, Neely not only duplicates the egotistical behavior of Lawson, she also falls victim to the eponymous dolls prescription drugs, particularly the barbiturates Seconal and Nembutal and various stimulants. She betrays her husband, Mel Anderson Milner, her career is shattered by erratic behavior and she is committed to a sanitarium. ........

Source: Wikipedia