who was the valley of the dolls based on
Valley of the Dolls Valley of the Dolls is widely considered to be a roman à clef, with its characters based on such famous figures as Judy Garland, Carole Landis, Dean Martin, and Ethel Merman.[6] In 1973, after publication of her third novel, Susann said, "They can keep calling it that [roman à clef]. It'll only make my books sell, I don't care."[7] Susann insisted that she began each book with a theme: "Then I start asking, what kind of a personality? And because I have a good ear, I unconsciously pick up certain people."[7]