Entertainment · 10 Geeky
Dolly Parton, Sylvester Stallone and the Country-Music Bet Behind Rhinestone
In 1984, a country superstar and the star of Rocky teamed up for one of Hollywood's strangest musical comedies.
Imagine Dolly Parton promising to turn a New York cabdriver into a country singer. Now imagine that cabdriver is played by Sylvester Stallone. That is the unlikely setup of Rhinestone, the 1984 musical comedy that paired two stars whose screen personas could hardly have been more different.
The wager that drives the movie
Parton plays Jake Farris, a singer who wagers that she can turn Stallone's rough-around-the-edges cabdriver, Nick Martinelli, into a convincing country performer. The comedy follows the pair from New York to Tennessee as Jake attempts a musical makeover that nobody expects to work.
What makes the movie especially memorable isn't simply the culture clash. Stallone actually sings on screen. His novelty performance of “Drinkinstein” became an enduring talking point, even for people who never watched the entire film.
Why Dolly's soundtrack mattered
Although the film received a mixed critical response, Parton's song “Tennessee Homesick Blues” reached No. 1 on the country chart. The soundtrack offered a genuine country hit even as the movie itself divided audiences.
You Won’t Believe the Rest of the Story
The bet in the script was only half the gamble. Casting the star of Rocky as a country singer gave audiences something to talk about before he sang a note.
Read next: Dolly Parton's Texas musical with Burt Reynolds.