Valley of the Dolls

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• Judy Garland was originally cast in the main supporting role of Helen Lawson. The studio provided her with a pool table in her dressing room at her request. Eventually she was fired from the film because of her drinking and behavior and was replaced by Susan Hayward. Other actors considered as replacements were Tammy Grimes and Bette Davis. Reportedly Garland and Ethel Merman inspired the Lawson character.
• Three of the actresses concerned with this movie would turn down roles in The Graduate later the same year. Candice Bergen (the first choice for Anne Welles) turned down the role of Elaine Robinson, as did Patty Duke (who played Neely O'Hara), and Susan Hayward (Helen Lawson) was the original choice for Mrs Robinson. However, both films featured small roles by a young Richard Dreyfuss.
• The novel and its movie adaptation are loosely based on novelist Jacqueline Susann's experience as an actress from the late 1930s to the late 1950s.
• Movie Goof (continuity error): Toward the end of the movie, a drugged Anne staggers into the ocean, becoming soaked and muddy. When she returns to the house shortly after, her robe is immediately dry.