David Weisbart seventeen episodes in 1967. On July 21, 1967, Weisbart died of what was apparently heart failure; he collapsed while playing golf with film director Mark Robson on a Los Angeles golf course. He was 52, and was survived by his wife and two daughters. At the time of his death, Weisbart was producing the high-profile "Valley of the Dolls", based on the novel by Jacqueline Susann. The film was released in December 1967. Although it received scathing reviews, it was 20th Century Fox's biggest box office hit of the year. David Weisbart David M. Weisbart (January 21, 1915 – July
Dolores (Susann novel) author's mother, Rose Susann (1892-1981). As always with Jacqueline Susann's novels, the critics were harsh. A reviewer for "The New York Times" wrote, "The novel is a fanzine version of clippings and rumors... The writing is sluggish and the plot limp." The reading public nonetheless embraced the book: the hardcover spent 25 weeks on the "New York Times" best seller list, peaking at #2 for seven consecutive weeks, and becoming the third highest-selling novel of 1976, behind just Leon Uris's "Trinity" and Agatha Christie's final book, "Sleeping Murder". The 1978 Bantam edition reached #1 on the "Times" paperback list. Dolores