The made-for-television movie, "Lily: Sold Out," tells the story of the real-life Lily Tomlin, played by Tomlin, taking her successful Broadway show to Vegas. In the film, Dolly played herself in a supporting role, along with guest stars Liberace, Joan Rivers, and Paul Anka.
Released in 1980, the feature film "9 to 5" tells the story of three female employees who plan to get even with their boss, who they utterly despise in every way imaginable.
The film was a huge hit at the time, grossing more than $3.9 million in its opening weekend in the U.S. It was a star vehicle for Dolly, an established singer and songwriter at the time. After the film’s release, Dolly was permanently launched into mainstream pop culture.
The film’s theme song, "9 to 5," was written by Dolly and become one of the biggest hits of the decade and her career. Certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, the song won two GRAMMY awards. It was nominated for another as was the album of the same title. Dolly was nominated for her first Academy Award, in the category of Best Music, Original Song, for "9 to 5" in 1981.
The film, "9 to 5," is No. 74 on the American Film Institute’s 100 Funniest Movies.
On February 14, 1979, Dolly partnered with Carol Burnett to star in a variety television special titled, "Dolly and Carol in Nashville." During the show, Dolly sang several songs, including "Amazing Grace," "I'll Fly Away" and "Turn Around." Carol and Dolly also performed various comedic skits together during the broadcast.
Wearing the iconic Playboy bunny outfit and ears, Dolly appeared on the cover of the October 1978 issue of Playboy magazine. The issue also featured an interview with Dolly.
She became the first country singer to pose for the magazine although within very specific parameters that did not include nudity,
“I have been asked, back in the day, but that was so totally not me. I would never do that… But that was a good article they ran in there, and it was just a fun thing to do. That was just another way I was trying to market myself, at that time, to kinda get in the mainstream…”
Source: PBS Digital Studios' Blank on Blank video series
*Archival material from Playboy magazine. Copyright © 1978 by Playboy. Used with Permission. All rights reserved.
On April 3,1978, Dolly appeared on a one-time television special titled, 'Cher... Special.' The show was a variety/musical featuring Cher with special guests including Rod Stewart, The Tubes and Dolly. Each guest performed musical numbers as well as rehearsed comedic sketches. Dolly earned an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Variety or Musical Special.
