In '9 to 5,' Parton, Fonda And Tomlin Spoke To Workers Everywhere

By | June 29, 2021

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The stars of "9 to 5" Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton. (MuseumoftheCityofNewYork)

The film “9 to 5” starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton became a massive hit in 1980 thanks to its headliners and its forward-thinking ideas. Before women truly gained the respect they richly deserved, “9 to 5” poked fun at the misogynistic, sexist, and buffoonish male character that, unfortunately, was all too real in 1980 and still around today. Without Fonda, who helmed the production company that made “9 to 5,” the motion picture would likely have never seen the light of day. In fact, Fonda was the central reason why the film morphed into a broad comedy rather than a feminist drama. Here’s everything you wanted to know about the second most successful film of 1980!

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Women everywhere related to the plight of these women in the workplace. (amazon)

“9 to 5’s” Original Conceit

The original idea for the film came from a real all-female organization from Boston. As Fonda tells it, “My ideas for films always come from things that I hear and perceive in my daily life. In that case, a very old friend of mine had started an organization in Boston called 'Nine To Five,’ which was 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.” However, the broad comedy as we know went through many changes before it matured into box office gold.