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
Jacqueline Susann actress. Be a people watcher." In New York, in 1937, Susann landed a small role in the Broadway company of "The Women", the caustic comedy by Clare Boothe which had opened on December 26, 1936, and would run for 657 performances. She subsequently appeared in such Broadway shows as "The Girl from Wyoming" (1938), "My Fair Ladies" (1941), "Blossom Time" (revival, 1943), "Jackpot" (1944), and "A Lady Says Yes" (1945), which starred Hollywood siren Carole Landis. Only one of her shows following "The Women" was a hit: "Banjo Eyes" (1941), starring Eddie Cantor, ran for 126 performances. Together with her