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When she was first approached about starring in this film, Dolly turned the offer down. "After all, my granddaddy, the Reverend Jake Owens, was a hellfire preacher, and I'm a very religious person. I could just imagine what my family, my religion, and my fans would say," Dolly told People magazine. But after going to New York to see the Broadway music show herself, she changed her mind. "The character's not trash just caught in this situation. She's probably like I would have been had things been different. "I said I'd do the picture if the script was rewritten to establish more of a relationship between Miss Mona and Sheriff Earl," Dolly said to a Hollywood reporter. "It would give me a chance to write songs and sing in a picture. I didn't sing a bit in Nine to Five. The character of Miss Mona is more like me. I get a chance to dress up the way I like, with the crazy wigs and the wild clothes, and everything juiced up. I like having the freedom of speech in the movie, being able to talk the way I talk. I can say damn or hell if I want to".
Before Dolly accepted the picture, she discussed it with her family first. They thought it was fine and told her to go ahead. As the film proceeded, Dolly softened Miss Mona's character, against the author's will, just for the folks back home. She was paid $1,500,000 and she would also receive a percentage of the gross. The movie was shot at Universal Studios in Los Angeles and on Location, in Hallettsville and Pflugerville. Dolly wrote around forty or 50 songs for the movie but only two songs were used.
Her co-star was Burt Reynolds had originally wanted Dolly for the film, and he had wanted to do a film with her for years. He actually refused to do the movie unless Dolly signed up to star in it as well. Dolly plays Miss Mona Stangely, the madam and owner of the legendary Chicken Ranch of LaGrange, Texas. The film focuses heavily on the relationship of Miss Mona and the town sheriff, Ed Earl (Burt Reynolds). The sheriff wages a public battle to keep the Chicken Ranch open after a popular television news reporter targets it as the devil's den. At the end Miss Mona is forced to close the Chicken Ranch down and sheriff, Ed Earl asks her to marry him, which she accepts and they ride off into the sunset.
The movie is based on a true story which was written by Texan Larry L. King, which was turned into a hit, long-running Broadway musical in which the movie was based on. Dolly said that the film came during a personal low for both her and co-star (who was just getting out of his relationship with Sally Field). Dolly said in an interview, "That movie turned out to be nothing but a blood-bath. It was the hardest project; I've done in my life. So much fighting, so much trouble. It made a lot of money, but it was disaster as far as the critics was concerned." The film premiered in Austin, Texas in August 1982. It went on to become the third top-grossing movie musical of all-time, grossing $105 million at the box office alone, not counting foreign sales and video. The movie gave her a Best Actress nomination at the Golden Globes and the film itself was nominated for Best Comedy/Musical. Dolly rerecorded her 1974 hit song "I Will Always Love You" for the film and it once again topped the country charts.
Taped live for a 90-mintue Home Box Office cable special, “Dolly Parton in Concert,” which was seen in June 1983, and tied in with RCA Records’ cross-promotion of Dolly’s new album, “Burlap and Satin”, was released in late May. HBO, the US cable channel filmed her three-night stint at London's Dominion Theatre on 27th, 28th & 29th on March 1983, preceded by a media blitz which saw her plastered all over leading British newspapers, women's magazines and television chat shows. Her presence drew all musical tastes judging by the assortment of fans in the audience that included prim housewives, business types, rockers, and Dolly look-alikes.
The Best Little Whorehouse
Dolly, Dolly, Dolly!