WITH BURT AND DOLLY THIS MUCH FUN JUST COULDN’T BE LEGAL!

Mona Stangley’s (Dolly Parton) popular and venerable Texas whorehouse is targeted by a flamboyant, moralistic TV personality (Dom DeLuise)… who also finds an enemy in the local sheriff (Burt Reynolds). The man who brought us Nine to Five (1980) reunited with Parton for this adaptation of a Broadway hit and it’s a movie you want to love; the musical numbers are engaging and fun and the cast is charming (including Charles Durning who belts out a terrific satirical song). Not much of a story though and the concept is too silly to be believed.

1982-U.S. 114 min. Color. Directed by Colin Higgins. Book: Larry L. King, Peter Masterson. Songs: Carol Hall. Cast: Burt Reynolds (Ed Earl Dodd), Dolly Parton (Mona Stangley), Dom DeLuise (Melvin P. Thorpe), Charles Durning, Jim Nabors, Robert Mandan.

Trivia: Willie Nelson was allegedly considered for the part of Ed Earl. A few earlier Parton songs are included, most memorably ”I Will Always Love You”.

IMDb