Johnnie was talking about the fun of reading Jacqueline Susann and watching the wonderfully dreadful movie Valley of the Dolls. Years ago, when I was prescribed my first Vicodin, Tim would often start humming the theme song to me. Eventually, the guys imitated me crying for “my dolls” whenever the V word was mentioned.
Even before that: On the trip that Jim, Steve, and Tim made to Houston in 1999, I inflicted the usual endless photo shoots on them. One afternoon they were sitting on the bed and I was snapping away when one of us said, “You know, this looks like–” and someone else finished, “Valley of the Dolls?” And I said, “Hey, why don’t y’all–” and BEFORE I COULD FINISH THE QUESTION, this is what happened:
It remains one of my all-time favorite photos.
Steve has worked for the same company FOREVER and he’s lived in his apartment in San Diego almost that long. Periodically, he pretends that he’s going to buy his own place, and Jim always says, “Don’t listen to him. They’ll have to dynamite him out of that apartment in forty years.”
It could have happened that way… But his company offered him a promotion that meant a move to Denver. He’s already been there once, trying to learn to breathe above sea level, and Sunday he starts the drive on his second trip there. There’ll be one more return to San Diego to empty out the Eternal Apartment, then he’ll be settling in to his new place in Denver.
When he sent photos of the apartment he hoped to get, I noticed that it seemed a little familiar. No, he didn’t find another hovel apartment like the one in San Diego. Steve said he wants this apartment because, among other reasons, it makes him think of our house at The Compound. It was also built in the 1920s, but it was originally a hotel. When it was converted to apartments, the renovators kept many of the features that are similar to those in my house. It makes me happy to know that Steve thinks his new place has a little feeling of home because it reminds him of being here.
As you start your drive tomorrow, Steve, may it be in the spirit of Miss Dionne Warwick singing, “Gotta get off, gonna get–need to get–on where I’m bound.”
For any of the rest of you who need a blast from the campy past, here it is.
Fabulous post, Becky!! Love the movie; love the book even more; love the pic of the guys. One of my favorite lines is when Helen Lawson says, “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” to Neely.
Thanks. I think you can find the whole movie in bits and pieces on YouTube. Or maybe there are just so many classically bad moments, like Mommie Dearest.
I found the trailer in a related thing to the Dionne Warwick. I think I would like to see that again now that I am “more mature”
I love reading your journal. I’m so glad you keep one. I never leave it without feeling better. : )
Such a sweet talker. Just one of a zillion reasons why I love reading YOUR journal, too.
Your Valley Of The Dudes photo is classic. I applaud you!
Dionne is classic, too. Even without Bert Bacharach.
I bow to your applause. I do love Dionne Warwick’s voice. =)
haha I love that picture! Who is in the picture on the wall, riding a bike? It compliments the photo well.
I read the book, never saw the movie. 🙁
Albert Einstein. It’s a print of this photo, and was given to us by one of Tom’s sisters.
“Ted Casablanca is NOT a fag! And I’m the dame who can prove it!”
As Johnny titled his post, “Sparkle, Neely, sparkle!”
There are so many great lines that never made it into the movie.
“Mel, I don’t have my diaphram. Do it the OTHER way.”
Love that line, too!!! But, I would think that you are the one who could prove he is. =P