I have quite a thing for the 60's & 70's and one of my favourite films is Beyond The Valley of The Dolls (1970), directed by Russ Meyer. Like all Meyer films, the girls are busty and stunning, but this I would say is probably his least boob obsessed flick!
The main character of Kelly is played by Dolly Read, who is British and was one of the original playboy bunnies in London, and can been seen at the playboy club in many archive clips.
The film tells the story of an all girl rock group called The Kelly Affair who go to LA to stay with Kelly's fashion designer Aunt Susan to try make it big.
Once there they meet the mysterious Svengali Ronny 'Z-Man' Barzell at a party who promises to make them the next big thing, not before changing their name to The Carrie Nations.
Rock stars, porn stars, hippies, superhero transsexuals, angry young law students and lesbians, this film was supposed to titillate and maybe even shock a little, and features such immortal lines as;
"This is my happening and it freaks me out!",
"Ferns in the biffy, that's class"
" I love it when a beautiful woman licks me between the toes"
"A man in sandals mustn't get many offers!"
"A bathing pool full of mayonnaise"
"I'd like to strap you on sometime!"
"There's nothing like a Rolls, not even a Bentley..." (if you've seen the film you can't forget this scene!)
Needless to say the girls make it big, but many friendships are tried along the way and it all gets a little freaky at the end.
But, for any 60's fan it is a visual candy land from the girls big hair and long lashes, to the to die for outfits (some by St John?), fab apartments ( I looove crepe paper flowers!) and swinging party scenes (with a great performance from The Strawberry Alarm Clock). It also features my imho the best film soundtrack ever, which was provided by Lynn Carey (check out the Preserve Wildlife Album, by her band Mama Lion for the cover art alone.)
I've never wanted to play music or be in a band, but I would've loved to have been in The Carrie Nations!
Check out the video below for a snippet of the action.
