9 to 5 [Nine to Five] **** (1980, Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, Dabney Coleman) – Classic Movie Review 6,404

Colin Higgins’s extremely bright and jolly 1980 office-set satirical comedy movie 9 to 5 is propelled by the terrific turns of Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton and Dabney Coleman.

Co-writer-director Colin Higgins’s 1980 movie 9 to 5 [Nine to Five] is based on the story by Patricia Resnick, who also co-writes the screenplay with Higgins.

This extremely bright and jolly office-set satirical comedy is propelled by the tremendous performances of the terrific on-form cast, zipping the hilarious screenplay along.

Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton form a winning team as Judy Bernly, Violet Newstead and Doralee Rhodes, the three feisty secretaries who hatch a plan to get rid of their horrible, male-chauvinist pig of a boss Franklin Hart Jr (Dabney Coleman, who is great fun too).

It is Dolly Parton’s first movie, already a successful singer but propelling her into mainstream popular culture.

The film is based on an idea by Jane Fonda, and made by her recently formed production company, IPC Films for release on December 19, 1980 by  20th Century Fox. She recalled: ‘An old friend of mine had started an organisation in Boston called Nine To Five, an association of women office workers. I heard them talking about their work and they had some great stories. And I’ve always been attracted to those 1940s films with three female stars.’

It was going to be a drama, but ‘it seemed too preachy, too much of a feminist line. It suddenly occurred to me that we should make it a comedy.’

A five-season TV series (1982- 88) followed with Rachel Dennison, Dolly Parton’s younger sister, in Parton’s role of Doralee Rhodes; Rita Moreno portrayed the Lily Tomlin role of Violet Newstead; and Valerie Curtin in the Jane Fonda role of Judy Bernly. Jeffrey Tambor was the original Franklin Hart (Dabney Coleman’s character) but Peter Bonerz replaced him. In the second version of the show, Sally Struthers replaced Moreno. A total of 85 episodes were filmed.

Parton’s bouncy hit title song was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song. She won three Golden Globe nominations – Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical, New Star of the Year in a Motion Picture – Female and Best Original Song – Motion Picture. No luck there then but she did win two Grammy Awards – Best Country Song and Best Country Vocal Performance – Female.

Also in the cast are Sterling Hayden, Elizabeth Wilson, Henry Jones, Lawrence Pressman, Marian Mercer, Renn Woods, Norma Donaldson, Roxanna Bonilla-Giannini, Peggy Pope, Richard Stahl, Ray Vitte, Edward Marshall, Alan Haufrect, Earl Boen, Jeffery Douglas Thomas, Tom Tarpey, Michael Delano, Barbara Chase, David Price, Gavin Mooney, Peter Hobbs, and Terrence E McNally.

9 to 5 [Nine to Five] is shot by Reynaldo Villalobos, produced by Bruce Gilbert, scored by Charles Fox, and designed by Dean Mitzner.

It was a monster hit. Costing $10 million, it grossed $103 million in the US alone.

Dabney Wharton Coleman (January 3, 1932 – May 16, 2024).

Beloved character actor Dabney Coleman had dozens of films and TV shows to his credit, plus an Emmy and a Golden Globe. 

Dabney Coleman died at his home in Santa Monica, California, on May 16, 2024, aged 92. He won one Primetime Emmy and one Golden Globe.

He is also known for On Golden Pond (1981), Tootsie (1982), WarGames (1983), Cloak & Dagger (1984), The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984), The Beverly Hillbillies (1993), You’ve Got Mail (1998), Inspector Gadget (1999), Recess: School’s Out (2001), Moonlight Mile (2002), and Rules Don’t Apply (2016).

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 6,404

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