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Jacqueline Susann

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Jacqueline Susann was a famous American actress and novelist.

Valley of the Dolls (1967) still 1
Valley of the Dolls (1967) still 1

She was born on August 20, 1918, in Pennsylvania. Her father was a portrait painter from Russia. Her mother was a public school teacher. Growing up, Susann was known as an imaginative student. She even scored a 140 on an IQ test in fifth grade. This was the highest score in her school. She was an only child and loved her father very much.

Susann began her career by working on the stage. She moved to New York City in 1936 to act. Her first small role was in a Broadway play called The Women. She appeared in many other shows, such as Banjo Eyes. She also worked with a friend to write plays. One play was titled Lovely Me, which opened in 1946. Later, she also worked on television. She hosted a show called Jacqueline Susann's Open Door to help people find jobs. She even appeared in commercials for Schiffli lace.

Writing became a huge part of her life. In 1963, she published a book about her beloved poodle, Josephine. The book was called Every Night, Josephine! It was a very big success. By 1973, it had sold 1.7 million paperback copies. Susann loved this book more than any of her others. She even went on book tours with her dog. They often wore matching outfits during these trips. This book showed people she was a talented writer from the start.

Susann became a massive success as a novelist. Her most famous book was Valley of the Dolls. It was published on February 10, 1966. The story follows three women over twenty years. It tells how they face hard times and use drugs called "dolls." While some critics gave the book bad reviews, people loved to read it. It reached number one on The New York Times Best Seller list. It was a huge commercial hit for the publisher, Bernard Geis.

She made history with her many successful books. Susann was the first author to have three novels top the bestseller list in a row. Her other two hits were The Love Machine and Once Is Not Enough. These books helped her become a household name. She passed away on September 21, 1974, at the age of 53. Even today, people remember her for her many different talents. She moved from acting to writing and changed the world of books forever.

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