On This Date: Dolly Parton & Sylvester Stallone’s Movie ‘Rhinestone’ Was Released… And Completely Flopped

Dolly Parton country music
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We all know Dolly Parton as arguably the most beloved figure in all of country music (Willie Nelson up there too).

However, for those of us born within the past 20-30 years, many may not know that she was a bit of a movie star as well.

I mean c’mon, her movies 9 to 5, Steel Magnolias, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Joyful Noise, and more were absolute fan favorites, and are still beloved by movie watchers and country fans alike to this date.

With that being said, there was one movie in particular that was supposed to be one of Dolly’s all-time greats, but turned into a complete flop…

And it was no other than Rhinestone, which was released on this date back in 1984.

The movie had an all-star cast, considering Dolly and Sylvester Stallone, arguably the most popular actor in America at the time, were starring in it, along with Richard Farnsworth and Ron Leibman.

Rhinestone was based off the 1975 Larry Weiss hit “Rhinestone Cowboy,” about a country singer named Jake Farris (Dolly Parton), who performs at an “urban cowboy” like nightclub in New York City, and bets her manager Freddie that she could turn anybody into a country music star.

Then comes Nick (Sylvester Stallone), a New York taxicab driver that Freddie picks out for Jake to turn into a star.

The movie received a lot of hype considering the cast, but ultimately was a complete flop, bringing in only $21 million from the box office.

The movie also won two Golden Raspberry Awards (pretty much “Your movie was the worst this year” awards), with Worst Actor (Sylvester Stallone), and Worst Original Song (“Drinkenstein”).

However, Rhinestone wasn’t a complete bust, as it produced two number one hits for Dolly with “Tennessee Homesick Blues” and “God Won’t Get You” off the soundtrack.

“Tennessee Homesick Blues”

Although the movie was a bust, it sparked a new friendship between Dolly and Stallone.

She told Smooth Radio Back in 1984:

“When I met him, I loved him instantly. I think we just struck up a wonderful lasting friendship. I loved his energy and personality. He was very protective of me…

I was really impressed with him, because I wondered myself, because of the role he played, if he would be funny. If he really could do comedy. And he had me laughing, I couldn’t even do my scenes- they just left my laughing in, because I was laughing in places I wasn’t supposed to. 

I was supposed to be acting. He absolutely tickled me to death. He’s a crazy person.”

Dolly and Sly… what a team. I mean, you almost don’t know how it flopped so bad, even by cheesy ’80s movie standards.

“God Won’t Get You”

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