Reviews (14)

Well, Doctor, which inmate used to run the asylum?
We were pretty leery of horror films back in the early Seventies in those dark, dreary days before "Halloween" ushered in the era of the slasher film ad infinitim. But the more you heard about "Asylum" the more you had to be optimistic. First, you have Robert "Psycho" Bloch as the writer. Second, it is a British film, and while Amicus Productions did not have the cinematic cachet of Hammer Studios, it is still British, which was always better than being American back then. Third, you throw in director Roy Ward Baker, who directed one of my all-time favorite horror flicks known as "Quatermass and the Pit" over there and "Five Million Years to Earth" on this side of the pond. Fourth, as a corollary to the second point, you have British actors in general and Peter Cushing, Patrick Magee, Barry Morse, Herbert Lom and Robert Powell on the eve of the role of his lifetime in "Jesus of Nazareth." Then we have Britt Eklund, Charlotte Rampling, and Barbara Perkins. Sold yet?

Oh, you want to know the story Bloch came up with.

Well, Powell plays Dr. Martin, who has arrived at the friendly neighborhood mental institution to see if he can land a job. "Asylum" offers up four bloody little stories of madness and murder told by four inmates. Yes, it is an "anthology" film, but remember all those good points up above and try to think about all the bad anthology films you have seen in your life. But this is Bloch. There is a twist. Dr. Martin gets the post if he can figure out which of the four inmates telling the story is the former head of the asylum: There is Bonnie (Perkins), who was attacked by her lover's dead wife; Bruno (Morse), who makes a magical suit that brings back the dead son of one of his customers (Cushing); Barbara (Rampling/Ekland) a schizophrenic who is being made paranoid by her brother; and Byron (Lom) who puts his consciousness in a killer little doll. "Asylum" stops short of being great, but it is certainly very good. There are moments of silliness, but the horror elements still win out in the end. Plus, you know Bloch has something up his sleeve for the ending.

THOUROUGHLY ENJOYABLE......
I've had this on DVD for some time now and enjoy watching it when I'm in the mood. It's an anthology film from the old British Amicus studios with a quartet of horror tales related by four inmates of an asylum to the new doctor on staff. It's also a beautiful print from Image. My favorite is the "Frozen Fear" piece with Barbara Parkins as the mistress of a married man who murders his occult obsessed wife, chops her up and stores her in the freezer wrapped in freezer paper. The wife's occult beliefs turn the tables and her body parts reanimate and kill the husband. When Parkins comes by (they were planning to run away together) she is attacked by all the parts shuffling and crawling around on the floor jumping on her as she tries to beat them off. This is very well done and really eerie. The other stories are good too. They include Charlotte Rampling, Britt Ekland and Patrick Mcghee in great performances. The direction by Roy Ward Baker is tight and Robert Bloch contributed the material. This may be OOP but there are still copies in stores. I recommend this for horror buffs and those who remember the horror anthologies from the 70's. Completely enjoyable.

A GOOD ONE TO OWN
Perfect to own, you will find youself wanting to watch it again. The mood is eerie enough, the stories keep you interested and it's made well. It's all about the atmosphere, get this DVD.

Decent, creepy fun only occasionally marred by cheese
This horror movie has very British sensitibilities, and you couldn't ask for a better, more entertaining introduction to the type of horror movie that was popular in the 1970s, before the era of the slasher film. It's stylish and very proper, making the gore that much more shocking.

Basically, we've got a handful of "short stories" very loosely pulled together with the framing device of a psychologist visiting the asylum being asked to "figure out" which of the patients was actually the former director of the hospital. There's very little to this part of the plot, but the various stories the patients have to tell do create varying degrees of chills.

None of the stories are great, nor are they especially surprising, but they are told quite nicely and are better acted than such low-budget stuff has a right to be. Some outstanding actors such as Herbert Lom and Charlotte Rampling are featured, along with a brief but creepy turn by Peter Cushing (who, along with Christoper Lee, owned this genre of horror movie).

In many ways the film is a period piece, not so much about an era of history, but about an era of film history. It distills the style and sensibilities of the Hammer films (so called because they were made in England's Hammer Studio) into one neat, entertaining package. Will this be your favorite movie ever? Nope. But is it an amusing diversion and a wonderful slice of what was once the height of horror film making? You bet.

Check it out!

An absolutely brilliant horror movie
As one who has often panned for gold in the stream of little-known horror delights, I have discovered much more fool's gold than gold dust, but Asylum is a magnificent gold nugget. Produced by Amicus, the British equivalent of Hammer Studios, this classic film features a remarkable cast bringing to life a compelling, delightfully shocking tale which comes straight from the pen of none other than Robert Bloch. I think the whole idea of the movie is brilliant, especially the way everything is put together, meshing four largely unrelated tales into one overall and amazingly successful story. We begin with Dr. Martin's arrival at the asylum in pursuit of a position. He is surprised to learn that Dr. Styles, the asylum director and the man he expected to speak with about the job, is now one of the incurably insane inmates housed upstairs. Dr. Rutherford is willing to hire Dr. Martin, but only if he passes a certain test. There are four inmates upstairs, and he must determine which one is actually Dr. Styles (who has assumed a brand new identity for himself). As Dr. Martin makes the rounds, accompanied by the doctor posted upstairs, we are presented with each individual's story as to how they came to be institutionalized.

The first story, that of Bonnie, is a wholly remarkable one. Her lover, having finally agreed to kill his divorce-denying wife and run off with her, chops his wife into several pieces and stows everything in the freezer, including her voodoo-ish protective bracelet He is quite shocked shortly thereafter to see the head, wrapped in butcher's paper, roll into view upstairs, and he is even more surprised by what happens next. When Bonnie arrives, she finds herself menaced and attacked by the separate body parts of the seemingly undead murdered woman. Next we have the story of Bruno the tailor. Facing economic ruin, he is offered two hundred pounds to make a suit for a rather strange gentleman named Mr. Smith (played magnificently by Peter Cushing). The suit must be created under the unusual conditions specified by the customer and must be made from the remarkable fabric Smith has provided Bruno. This metallic, strangely glittering coat is actually an instrument of magic, Bruno finds out upon delivering it. Supposedly it has the power to give or restore life to whoever wears it. Cushing's performance helps make this the strongest of the four stories, in my opinion. Next up is Barbara, who denies having committed the murders that resulted in her institutionalization. It was her friend Lucy, she says. The story plays pretty well until the end, when whatever mystery lingered concerning the truth about Lucy is rather unnecessarily done away with. Finally, we have Dr. Baron, maker of robotic men; actually, he says, the creatures are quite human on the inside, and he claims to have the power to will his own mind into one such creation and essentially make it come alive with his own consciousness. This tale has its weaknesses, but its effect on Dr. Martin is profound and sets in motion the thrilling conclusion of the movie. This conclusion, I must say, is remarkably good, treating me to a wonderful surprise and devilishly good twist.

The plot of Asylum does have a weakness or two in it, but the film's overall effect on the viewer is so gripping that minor questions cease to matter very much. Frankly, I have never seen an anthologized movie such as this succeed so well. Few movies can combine separate tales and succeed as a unified whole, but Asylum accomplishes this feat quite easily. This is an intelligent horror movie that fans of the genre can point to with great pride. ... Read more

Amazon.com

One of the patients in an institution for the incurably insane was once its director, and a young psychiatrist (Robert Powell) has to figure out which one as they all tell him their stories. What better setting for a horror anthology? It's an inspired framing device, making this one of the better examples of the genre, even if screenwriter Robert Bloch at times resorts to gimmicks rather than invention. The first two stories are less than brilliant (the first is highlighted by dismembered body parts neatly wrapped in butcher paper wriggling back to life for revenge), but Charlotte Rampling and Britt Eklund are marvelous in the third tale, about a mentally unbalanced young woman and her dangerous best friend. Herbert Lom is also excellent in the final story as a scientist who carves an army of dolls he claims he can bring to life by sheer will power.

Director Roy Ward Baker (Quatermas and the Pit) builds momentum with each story until the dark and deliciously bloody climax. This Amicus Studios production looks visually dull compared to Hammer's gothic gloss, but it features a great British cast (including Patrick Magee and Hammer stalwart Peter Cushing), and ultimately Baker makes that gloomy look work for his increasingly creepy production. Amicus produced a series of horror anthologies, including the original 1972 Tales from the Crypt and The Torture Garden (also scripted by Bloch). --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Well, Doctor, which inmate used to run the asylum?
We were pretty leery of horror films back in the early Seventies in those dark, dreary days before "Halloween" ushered in the era of the slasher film ad infinitim. But the more you heard about "Asylum" the more you had to be optimistic. First, you have Robert "Psycho" Bloch as the writer. Second, it is a British film, and while Amicus Productions did not have the cinematic cachet of Hammer Studios, it is still British, which was always better than being American back then. Third, you throw in director Roy Ward Baker, who directed one of my all-time favorite horror flicks known as "Quatermass and the Pit" over there and "Five Million Years to Earth" on this side of the pond. Fourth, as a corollary to the second point, you have British actors in general and Peter Cushing, Patrick Magee, Barry Morse, Herbert Lom and Robert Powell on the eve of the role of his lifetime in "Jesus of Nazareth." Then we have Britt Eklund, Charlotte Rampling, and Barbara Perkins. Sold yet?

Oh, you want to know the story Bloch came up with.

Well, Powell plays Dr. Martin, who has arrived at the friendly neighborhood mental institution to see if he can land a job. "Asylum" offers up four bloody little stories of madness and murder told by four inmates. Yes, it is an "anthology" film, but remember all those good points up above and try to think about all the bad anthology films you have seen in your life. But this is Bloch. There is a twist. Dr. Martin gets the post if he can figure out which of the four inmates telling the story is the former head of the asylum: There is Bonnie (Perkins), who was attacked by her lover's dead wife; Bruno (Morse), who makes a magical suit that brings back the dead son of one of his customers (Cushing); Barbara (Rampling/Ekland) a schizophrenic who is being made paranoid by her brother; and Byron (Lom) who puts his consciousness in a killer little doll. "Asylum" stops short of being great, but it is certainly very good. There are moments of silliness, but the horror elements still win out in the end. Plus, you know Bloch has something up his sleeve for the ending.

THOUROUGHLY ENJOYABLE......
I've had this on DVD for some time now and enjoy watching it when I'm in the mood. It's an anthology film from the old British Amicus studios with a quartet of horror tales related by four inmates of an asylum to the new doctor on staff. It's also a beautiful print from Image. My favorite is the "Frozen Fear" piece with Barbara Parkins as the mistress of a married man who murders his occult obsessed wife, chops her up and stores her in the freezer wrapped in freezer paper. The wife's occult beliefs turn the tables and her body parts reanimate and kill the husband. When Parkins comes by (they were planning to run away together) she is attacked by all the parts shuffling and crawling around on the floor jumping on her as she tries to beat them off. This is very well done and really eerie. The other stories are good too. They include Charlotte Rampling, Britt Ekland and Patrick Mcghee in great performances. The direction by Roy Ward Baker is tight and Robert Bloch contributed the material. This may be OOP but there are still copies in stores. I recommend this for horror buffs and those who remember the horror anthologies from the 70's. Completely enjoyable.

A GOOD ONE TO OWN
Perfect to own, you will find youself wanting to watch it again. The mood is eerie enough, the stories keep you interested and it's made well. It's all about the atmosphere, get this DVD.

Decent, creepy fun only occasionally marred by cheese
This horror movie has very British sensitibilities, and you couldn't ask for a better, more entertaining introduction to the type of horror movie that was popular in the 1970s, before the era of the slasher film. It's stylish and very proper, making the gore that much more shocking.

Basically, we've got a handful of "short stories" very loosely pulled together with the framing device of a psychologist visiting the asylum being asked to "figure out" which of the patients was actually the former director of the hospital. There's very little to this part of the plot, but the various stories the patients have to tell do create varying degrees of chills.

None of the stories are great, nor are they especially surprising, but they are told quite nicely and are better acted than such low-budget stuff has a right to be. Some outstanding actors such as Herbert Lom and Charlotte Rampling are featured, along with a brief but creepy turn by Peter Cushing (who, along with Christoper Lee, owned this genre of horror movie).

In many ways the film is a period piece, not so much about an era of history, but about an era of film history. It distills the style and sensibilities of the Hammer films (so called because they were made in England's Hammer Studio) into one neat, entertaining package. Will this be your favorite movie ever? Nope. But is it an amusing diversion and a wonderful slice of what was once the height of horror film making? You bet.

Check it out!

An absolutely brilliant horror movie
As one who has often panned for gold in the stream of little-known horror delights, I have discovered much more fool's gold than gold dust, but Asylum is a magnificent gold nugget. Produced by Amicus, the British equivalent of Hammer Studios, this classic film features a remarkable cast bringing to life a compelling, delightfully shocking tale which comes straight from the pen of none other than Robert Bloch. I think the whole idea of the movie is brilliant, especially the way everything is put together, meshing four largely unrelated tales into one overall and amazingly successful story. We begin with Dr. Martin's arrival at the asylum in pursuit of a position. He is surprised to learn that Dr. Styles, the asylum director and the man he expected to speak with about the job, is now one of the incurably insane inmates housed upstairs. Dr. Rutherford is willing to hire Dr. Martin, but only if he passes a certain test. There are four inmates upstairs, and he must determine which one is actually Dr. Styles (who has assumed a brand new identity for himself). As Dr. Martin makes the rounds, accompanied by the doctor posted upstairs, we are presented with each individual's story as to how they came to be institutionalized.

The first story, that of Bonnie, is a wholly remarkable one. Her lover, having finally agreed to kill his divorce-denying wife and run off with her, chops his wife into several pieces and stows everything in the freezer, including her voodoo-ish protective bracelet He is quite shocked shortly thereafter to see the head, wrapped in butcher's paper, roll into view upstairs, and he is even more surprised by what happens next. When Bonnie arrives, she finds herself menaced and attacked by the separate body parts of the seemingly undead murdered woman. Next we have the story of Bruno the tailor. Facing economic ruin, he is offered two hundred pounds to make a suit for a rather strange gentleman named Mr. Smith (played magnificently by Peter Cushing). The suit must be created under the unusual conditions specified by the customer and must be made from the remarkable fabric Smith has provided Bruno. This metallic, strangely glittering coat is actually an instrument of magic, Bruno finds out upon delivering it. Supposedly it has the power to give or restore life to whoever wears it. Cushing's performance helps make this the strongest of the four stories, in my opinion. Next up is Barbara, who denies having committed the murders that resulted in her institutionalization. It was her friend Lucy, she says. The story plays pretty well until the end, when whatever mystery lingered concerning the truth about Lucy is rather unnecessarily done away with. Finally, we have Dr. Baron, maker of robotic men; actually, he says, the creatures are quite human on the inside, and he claims to have the power to will his own mind into one such creation and essentially make it come alive with his own consciousness. This tale has its weaknesses, but its effect on Dr. Martin is profound and sets in motion the thrilling conclusion of the movie. This conclusion, I must say, is remarkably good, treating me to a wonderful surprise and devilishly good twist.

The plot of Asylum does have a weakness or two in it, but the film's overall effect on the viewer is so gripping that minor questions cease to matter very much. Frankly, I have never seen an anthologized movie such as this succeed so well. Few movies can combine separate tales and succeed as a unified whole, but Asylum accomplishes this feat quite easily. This is an intelligent horror movie that fans of the genre can point to with great pride. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

They don't make 'em like this anymore. Well, John Waters might, if he ever had a big enough budget. A steamy "inside look" at the alternately sleazy and glamorous world of catfighting, backbiting show-biz starlets, this Hollywood hit from the bestselling novel by Jacqueline Susann is a high-gloss camp artifact--a time capsule (or some kind of capsule, anyway)--from the screwy '60s, when a broad was a broad, a bitch was a bitch (whether "her" name was Neely O'Hara or Ted Casablanca), and a "doll" was a prescription drug. These dames of whine and poses obsessed over their bust lines, booze, and barbiturates. The once-shocking and scandalous language and behavior of these Broadway babes has been eclipsed by Dallas, Dynasty, and Melrose Place, but time has only enhanced the stature of Valley of the Dolls as a classic--and it still puts Showgirls to shame. With Patty Duke, Susan Hayward, Sharon Tate, Lee Grant, Barbara Parkins, and Martin Milner (and juicy, scene-chewing dialogue such as the infamous: "They drummed you out of Hollywood, so you come crawling back to Broadway. But Broadway doesn't go for booze and dope--now get out of my way, I've got a man waiting for me!"), Valley of the Dolls is the Mount Rushmore of backstage movie melodramas. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (117)

"Outta My Way......... I've Got A Man Waiting For Me!".
The above review title is just one of the juicy, over the top lines piled on in this delicious treat which probably has one of the most campiest reputations of any movie from the glorious 1960's which was rich in such efforts. People just love to hate this trashy but highly enjoyable movie based on the best seller by Jacqueline Susann and I have to admit I love every tacky and wildly over the top moment myself. Never I believe has one film abounded with so many (possibly), unintentionally hysterical moments from Patty Duke's wild rehearsal number with a string necklace that seems to have a provocative mind of its own in showing off her... ummm, shall we say "chief assests", to Sharon Tate agreeing with her mother over the phone that "yes I know I have no talent and yes I am continuing with my breast exercises mother!", to Susan Hayward's ghastly "hit Broadway show", number complete with a ridiculous revolving mobile made up of plastic shapes that look like multi coloured body parts. The highlight of course of the entire film is the infamous wig pulling scene in the ladies room between long time rivals Patty Duke as the Judy Garland like Neely O'Hara and Susan Hayward playing Helen Lawson, a character based loosely on Broadway Diva Ethel Merman. For this scene alone "Valley of the Dolls", has earned a dubious immortalitybut which nevertheless makes this film essential viewing.

"Valley of the Dolls", of course chronicles the ups and mostly downs of three young career women who find life contains alot of ugliness beneath the glitter. The three women are the intelligent brunette Anne Welles (Barbara Parkins), who comes from her conservative New England town to create an exciting new life for herself in New York, an up and coming singer Neely O'Hara (Patty Duke), who has a brilliant talent but also a self destructive element in her character, and finally the beautiful leggy blonde Jennifer North (Sharon Tate), who has limited talent but stunning looks that open doors for her. Anne becomes involved with Lyon Burke (Paul Burke), at who's theatrical law firm she works, Neely gets discovered singing on a telethon and shoots to the height of stardom only to come crashing down with her misuse of pills or "Dolls", after which she also ruins Anne's chance at happiness by stealing Paul away from her. Meanwhile Jennifer sees her life cave in as her partner Tony (Tony Scotti), is struck down by a crippling disease and she is reduced to appearing in French porn movies to pay his bills only to discover then that she has breast cancer herself. While these women are experiencing the school of hard knocks one survivor goes on untouched by the human tragedy. Broadway Diva Helen Lawson (Susan Hayward), a tough and cold veteran of the theatrical world continues to pull all the strings when she gets Neely fired from her show when she sees her as a potential rival and after Neely's disgrace in Hollywood sees her fail a second time as a result of her pill abuse. Helen is a cold calculating woman, a "barracuda", as she lovingly describes herself, who istotally alone in the world and will do anything to hold on to her piece of turf which of course is her stardom on Broadway. The women all find their own ways to deal or not deal with their situations and we see Anne eventually return to the sane but predictable life she left in New England without Paul who she is not ready to marry, Jennifer commits suicide rather than face the terrors of breast cancer surgery, and Neely after completely ruining her chance at a comeback on Broadway finds herself alone, unwanted, and out of a job with only her "dolls", for company.

Certainly the original novel by Jacqueline Susann could never be called a literary classic, being exploitation fiction of the worst kind but the film has managed to take on a cult status uniquely its own over the years. It's shameless characters very clearly based on real personalities of the time like Judy Garland and Ethel Merman, it's terrible dialogue and hilarious situations that produce laughs even when it is meant to be serious have ensured that "Valley of the Dolls", is a camp classic of the first order. It's really hard to judge the performances in this piece considering the dialogue/situations the actresses had to work with . Patty Duke who probably earned the most flak from this production playing the drug soaked singing sensation clearly based on Judy Garland talked about this film in some length in her excellent autobiography "Call Me Anna", and still shudders when her involvement in this film is brought up. A wondefully talented actress, her scenery chewing here just defies belief but her over the top character gives this film alot of its bizzare appeal. Barbara Parkins truly is like a living mannequin in this film playing the "sensible", one of the three with her lacquered hair and flawless makeup and her scenes where she literally over night becomes the "Gillian Girl", are hilarious in their tackiness. The tragic Sharon Tate still most famous for her terrible murder certainly has a breathtaking beauty but she has very little character to work with and her scenes where she talks to her mother on the phone are (unintentionally I'm sure), amazingly hilarious for all the wrong reasons. Susan Hayward came into this unhappy production late into production after the original choice to play the bitchy Helen Lawson, Judy Garland was fired. I find I miss Hayward's campy character when she is not on screen and she has some of the most memorably awful scenes and dialogue in the film from gems like "Tell that son of a bitch to get off his butt and earn his oats" to "They drummed you right outta Hollwood and you come crawling back to Broadway, well Broadway doesn't go for booze or dope!".The atrocious musical number from her Broadway show is a camp highlight where a seemingly dazed Hayward sings a bizzare little ditty called "I Plant My Own Tree", to an unfathomly appreciative audience. On the plus side "Valley of the Dolls", is a lush, beautifully photographed production with the shots of a snow covered New England and the streets of New York a real highlight. Despite it's tacky nature you can see that Twentieth Century Fox went all out in this big screen adaptation of the best selling novel. And for those interested in celebrity spotting Jacqueline Susann who later disowned the film version of her book makes a small cameo appearance as a reporter in the scene where Jennifer North's body is wheeled out to the ambulance.

A camp favourite not to be taken seriously at all is how to best describe "Valley of the Dolls". It's pulp magazine level of storytelling ruins any chance of this story being a serious examination of the plight of young working women however as over the top entertainment this is first class and always gets people talking and laughing about the sheer awfulness of much of it. People are even known as having "Valley of the Dolls", parties with the guests dressed as the characters with the movie playing in the background so I guess it has earned it's questionable place in the entertainment history. Sit back and enjoy the darker side of the glitzy glamour life in 1960's Broadway and Hollywood in the notorious film version of Jacqueline Susann's "Valley of the Dolls", soon.

"You gimme back my hair, you little b*tch!"
This entire movie could make up an arm's-length list of unforgettable quotes. I am almost embarrassed to admit I know 75% of the dialogue by heart! I first saw this film on the late show back in 1981 with my Mom and immediately became obsessed with it. The next day I grabbed the paperback from my parents' bookcase and read it cover to cover. I still prefer the movie. I had no idea back then it would become such a cult classic as the years went on. I thought it was my own private guilty pleasure! Why on earth hasn't the studio released this on DVD? It was bad enough it took them until 1993 to get it out on VHS. Do they not realize there's a GOLD MINE here? The video has grossed some thirty million bucks in sales and rentals in its 12 years on the market. Fans are clamoring for a deluxe DVD release, which should include multiple commentaries from Barbara Parkins, Patty Duke and others, and of course, that prized lost footage featuring Judy Garland as Helen Lawson. Judy's legions of fans will willingly snap this up for a glimpse of what would have been her final film role, guaranteeing bigger sales than the video for sure! 20th Century Fox...are you LISTENING?? I can only hope that when the DVD release arrives that the person in charge of the audio corrects the sound on all the musical numbers. I have an old tape of this recorded off a local channel and the orchestra sounds fantastic during the musical sequences, although the print is faded and scratchy. On the VHS version, the vocals have been brought so forward the music is barely audible, which is a shame because you can't fully appreciate the musical numbers based on the VHS tape.

The 60's were NOT a groovy decade for young vulnerable women
Based on the same book by Jackie Susann, this film is an 'inside' look at the obstacles young women face in order to make it to the top. The obviously 60's music, hairstyles/clothing are of secondary importance to the general ambience and message of this work.

Since I am part of the generation who was raised on Dallas and then 90210, the film itself is not very shocking with regards to content. We now know that lots of young women across the country (ab)use prescription drugs and have a laundry list of other problems to deal with on a semi-regular basis. Even if we are not doing these things, we know plenty of other young women (including our own friends) are.

Yet, I am obligated to remember that this film (like the book) was made in a time when the American people were very good at playing naive. We assumed that rich people/aspiring starlets had no problems---or if they did, we should not hear about it. This lulled most people (except those experiencing harships of course) into a false sense of complacency. We confused the lack of public acknowllegement with a lack of public problems.

Even if Susann had only meant to generate money with the book and then this film, it critiqued power structures in a way which the radicals of her day (and mine) cannot accomplish with their own more blatant theoretical works. Beneath the camp in Susann's work is a serious discussion of all the things which young women have to go through in order to attempt making it to the top reaches of our supposedly egalitarian society.

Campy Fun!!!
I love this movie.Patty Duke is great as the spoiled primadonna, and gives a petulantly wonderful performance.What a BRAT!!!Everything else is just perfect about this schlockfest.Highly recommended for a campy good time.

Woefully Miscast
Except for the lovely Sharon Tate, who fit the WRITTEN character of the book to a 'T,' the lead actors cast were inappropriate for their characters. For example, it was always stressed in the book that Anne was a cool blond with icy blue eyes: Barbara Parkins was a dark brunette with brown eyes. I love Paul Burke (12 O'Clock High, Daddy'S Gone A-Hunting), but he was not Lyon Burke. Patty Duke was so-so as far as a choice, certainly better than Parkins (Peyton Place, Captains & The Kings). However, as a slice of 60's cinematic Americana, the film is pretty standard and ok. ... Read more