Valley of the Dolls the Mount Everest of her dreams, only to find herself back in the valley of the dolls. Susann had apparently been thinking about the novel for some time. Some years earlier, she had begun "Underneath the Pancake", a show business novel, with her actress friend Beatrice Cole (c. 1910–1999). Later, she considered writing a novel about drug usage in show business to be called "The Pink Dolls". "Valley of the Dolls" is considered to be a "roman à clef", with its characters based on famous figures such as Judy Garland, Carole Landis, Dean Martin, and Ethel Merman. In 1973, after
Brian Kelly (actor) at the time as saying that he loved the role because of its family-friendly qualities. The success of "Flipper", which was filmed in Miami and the Bahamas, led to a brief movie career, including a lead in "Around the World Under the Sea" (1966). In 1970, Kelly sought to change his image by playing the role of Robin Stone in "The Love Machine", based on the novel by Jacqueline Susann. Just prior to filming, he was involved in a motorcycle accident which left his right arm and leg paralyzed. John Phillip Law took over the role. Kelly—whom Susann had called