Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Russ Meyer

Writers:

Roger Ebert (screenplay)
Roger Ebert (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

17 June 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Music | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

This time... they've really gone

Plot:

Three girls come to Hollywood to make it big, but find only sex, drugs and sleaze.

Plot Keywords:

Girl | Drugs | Lesbian | Sex | Fall

Cast

Dolly Read	...	Kelly Mac Namara
Cynthia Myers	...	Casey Anderson
Marcia McBroom	...	Petronella Danforth
John Lazar	...	Ronnie 'Z-Man' Barzell (as John LaZar)
Michael Blodgett	...	Lance Rocke
David Gurian	...	Harris Allsworth
Edy Williams	...	Ashley St. Ives
Erica Gavin	...	Roxanne
Phyllis Davis	...	Susan Lake
Harrison Page	...	Emerson Thorne
Duncan McLeod	...	Porter Hall
James Inglehart	...	Randy Black (as Jim Iglehart)
Charles Napier	...	Baxter Wolfe
Henry Rowland	...	Otto
Princess Livingston	...	Matron
Stan Ross	...	Disciple
Lavelle Roby	...	Vanessa
Angel Ray	...	Girl-in-Tub
Veronica Ericson	...	Blonde Date (as Veronica Erickson)
Haji	...	Cat Woman
Karen Smith	...	Red Head
Sebastian Brook	...	Art Director
Bruce McBroom	...	Photographer (as Bruce V. McBroom)
Ian Sander	...	Boy-in-Tub
Koko Tani	...	Assistant
Samantha Scott	...	Cynthia
Tea Crawford	...	Kathy Page
Heath Jobes	...	Makeup Man
John Logan	...	Escort
Susan Reed	...	Fashion Model
Robin Bach	...	Gay Boy
Ceil Cabot	...	Mother
Mary Carroll	...	Middle Aged Woman
Joseph Cellini	...	Man - Flowered Pants
Jackie Cole	...	First Woman
Frank Corsentino	...	Hippie Boy
Mibb Curry	...	White Haired Gentleman
Coleman Francis	...	Rotund Drunk
Pam Grier	...	Fourth Woman (as Pamela Grier)
T.J. Halligan	...	Science Teacher
Rick Holmes	...	Man with Glasses
Marshall Kent	...	Dr. Downs
Michael Kriss	...	Young actor
Tim Laurie	...	Second Gay Man
Bebe Louie	...	Hippie Girl
Lillian Barb	...	Nurse (as Lillian Martin)
Ashley Phillips	...	Fashion Model
'Big Jack' Provan	...	Father
Joyce Rees	...	Marion Harrisburg
Christopher Riordan	...	Gay Boy (as Chris Riordian)
Bert Santos	...	Taxi Driver
George Stratton	...	Third Gay Man
The Strawberry Alarm Clock	...	Themselves
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Russ Meyer	...	TV cameraman (uncredited)
Garth Pillsbury	...	Man with newspaper (uncredited)
Gordon Wescourt	...	Gordon, TV interviewer (uncredited)

Directed by
Russ Meyer

Writing credits
Roger Ebert		(screenplay)
Roger Ebert		(story) and
Russ Meyer		(story)

Produced by
Red Hershon	....	associate producer
Eve Meyer	....	associate producer
Russ Meyer	....	producer

Original Music by
Stu Phillips

Cinematography by
Fred J. Koenekamp		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Dann Cahn
Dick Wormell

Art Direction by
Arthur Lonergan
Jack Martin Smith

Set Decoration by
Stuart A. Reiss
Walter M. Scott

Costume Design by
David Hayes

Makeup Department
William Buell	....	makeup artist (as Bill Buell)
Edith Lindon	....	hair stylist
Daniel C. Striepeke	....	makeup supervisor (as Dan Striepeke)
John Chambers	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Norman A. Cook	....	unit production manager (as Norman Cook)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
C.E. Dismukes	....	assistant director
David Hall	....	assistant director

Art Department
Sidney H. Greenwood	....	property master (as Syd Greenwood)

Sound Department
David Bell	....	sound restoration (restored version 2007)
Don Minkler	....	sound
Richard Overton	....	sound

Special Effects by
Jack Harmon	....	special photographic effects
Greg C. Jensen	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Bob Minor	....	stunts (uncredited)

Music Department
Lynn Carey	....	vocal coordinator
Igo Kantor	....	music supervisor
William Loose	....	composer: additional music
Robert Simard	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Chris Haynes	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Manny Diez	....	assistant to producer

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1970) (USA) (theatrical)
• CBS/Fox (1993) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Magnetic Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)

Other Companies

• A&M Records  courtesy of ('The Sandpipers' appear)
• De Graff  fashions by (as De Graff of California)

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | UK:18 (2003 re-rating, uncut) | UK:X (cut) | France:-16 | Singapore:R21 | West Germany:18 | Australia:R | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 | USA:NC-17 (re-rating) (1990) | USA:X | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Finland:K-18 (2004)

Filming Locations:

Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Director Russ Meyer once said he considers this film to be his "most important".

Goofs:

Continuity: During the first party scene, Emerson drops a tray carrying multiple bottles of scotch. In next shot, floor is covered with broken glass but no spilled liquid.

Quotes:

Harris Allsworth: I want it, I need it, I love it when a beautiful woman licks between my toes.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Indie Sex: Censored (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

In The Long Run

Better Than A Bentley!

Easily the best (and funniest) film about sex, drugs and rock and roll, ever made! Gorgeous women (Cynthia Myers is almost too incredible to believe), great tunes, time capsule worthy costumes, and break-neck editing, put this film in a class all its own. There has truly never been anything like it. Must be seen (in WIDESCREEN ONLY) to be believed. Wonderfully appropriate score by Stu Phillips. For what it is, the film's a masterwork. Recommended!