Beyond the Valley of the Dolls 1970

In this tantalizing tale, three young women - Kelly MacNamara, Casey Anderson, and Petronella “Pet” Danforth - form an unlikely trio as members of the Kelly Affair, a rock band managed by Harris Allsworth, Kelly’s boyfriend. As they take their talents to Los Angeles, they seek out Kelly’s estranged aunt, Susan Lake, heiress to a vast fortune. However, when Susan promises Kelly a sizeable inheritance, Porter Hall, her cunning financial advisor, sets out to discredit Kelly as a “hippie” in an attempt to deter Susan from dividing the wealth he secretly craves.

Undeterred by Porter’s machinations, Susan introduces the Kelly Affair to Ronnie “Z-Man” Barzell, a flamboyant and influential rock producer. Z-Man is so impressed with their performance that he convinces them to play at one of his outrageous parties, where they blow the roof off with an impromptu set. This leads to Z-Man becoming their Svengali-like manager, renaming them the Carrie Nations and sparking a long-simmering feud with Harris.

As Kelly drifts away from Harris and begins dating Lance Rocke, a high-priced gigolo with his sights set on her inheritance, Harris finds himself seduced by the alluring Ashley St. Ives, a porn star who soon tires of his conventional nature and waning libido due to his increasing reliance on drugs and alcohol. This downward spiral culminates in a fistfight with Lance and a one-night stand with Casey, resulting in an unexpected pregnancy. Kelly ultimately ends her affair with Lance after he severely beats Harris.

Meanwhile, Casey becomes increasingly disillusioned with men’s flaws and enters into a passionate lesbian affair with fashion designer Roxanne, who pressures her to consider terminating the pregnancy. Pet finds herself swept up in a seemingly enchanted romance with law student Emerson Thorne at one of Z-Man’s parties, only for their fairy-tale love story to fray when Pet sleeps with Randy Black, a violent prize fighter who brutally attacks Emerson and attempts to run him down with his car.

Porter makes Kelly an offer she can’t refuse - $50,000 in exchange for relinquishing any claim to Susan’s inheritance. When Kelly rejects his proposal at one of Z-Man’s parties, Susan learns of Porter’s underhanded tactics and severs ties with him.

Throughout their tumultuous journey, the Carrie Nations release record after record despite constant touring and drug use. However, when Harris feels pushed to the periphery, he attempts a desperate bid for attention by leaping from the rafters of a television soundstage during the band’s performance. Miraculously, Harris survives the fall but is left with devastating injuries that leave him paraplegic.

As Kelly tenderly tends to Harris’s needs, a sense of harmony settles over the community as Emerson extends a forgiving hand to Pet for past transgressions. Meanwhile, Casey and Roxanne’s blossoming romance is nurtured alongside Susan Lake’s joyful reunion with her former betrothed, Baxter Wolfe. This tranquil atmosphere is shattered when Z-Man, mastermind behind a mysterious gathering, invites Casey, Roxanne, and Lance to an otherworldly soiree at his residence, where the boundaries of reality are tested by a psychedelic haze. As the evening wears on, Z-Man’s true nature is revealed: a woman masquerading as a man, who has been hiding her gender behind layers of deceit. Enraged by Lance’s rejection and feeling betrayed, Z-Man unleashes a violent rampage that claims the lives of Lance, Otto, Roxanne, and Casey.

In a desperate bid to stem the bloodshed, Kelly, Harris, Pet, and Emerson rush to Z-Man’s house in response to a frantic phone call from Casey. The ensuing chaos is marked by Pet’s injury, as the group struggles to subdue the rampaging Z-Man. Eventually, justice is served as Z-Man meets his demise, while Harris finds renewed hope as he regains mobility, signaling a turning point in his recovery from paralysis.

As the dust settles, love and commitment flourish as three couples - Kelly and Harris, Pet and Emerson, and Susan and Baxter - exchange vows in a joyful celebration of matrimony. Porter looks on with pride from outside the courthouse window, witness to the triumph of love over adversity.