And Barbara Parkins was certainly one of the beautiful people. Zooming to TV stardom on Peyton Place (which also launched the careers of Mia Farrow and Ryan O'Neal), Parkins landed the starring role of Anne Welles in the big screen adaptation of Valley of the Dolls (1967), Jacqueline Susann's scandalous best-seller.
Unfortunately, the film was a critical disaster, although it was a huge box office hit and is the Holy Grail among certain confirmed bachelor circles. Parkins' film career sputtered out in the wake of Dolls' critical reception, although she did manage to squeeze one more camp classic out, The Mephisto Waltz (1971).
Today, Parkins capitalizes on the continuing popularity of Valley of the Dolls by taking part in interviews, documentaries, screenings and readings related to the film. She's still glamorous, still over-the-top, and still has that marvelous throaty voice which turned the innocuous line, "You're being obNOXious!" into a camp classic. Brava, Barbara!
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