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Conny Van Dyke,WW and the Dancing Dixikings, 1974. Two C&W stars rejected Dixie opposite Bert Reynolds as W Bright (a misnomer in Texas). Dolly… and Lynn Anderson. Film failed almost as badly as the one Dolly unwisely did make with Burt: The Best Little Whorehousae in Texas, 1981.
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Julie Walters, Educating Rita, 1983. Apart from his 007 films, Lewis Gilbert’s biggest hit stemmed from a play: Alfie. Now he, or rather his wife, Hylda, had foundanother great UK play, a two-hander abouta young hairdresser with a passion for learning and Frank, her condescending, alcoholic EnglishLit professor. Fine, said another Frank – a certain Frank Price, surprisingly still incharge at Columbia after notoriously rejecting a Spielberg script called ET! Now he wanted Dolly Parton and Paul Newman. “Out of the question,” snapped Gilbert. “With egg on our faces,” Price insisted on releasing the film after Gilbert did it his way. He nearly made a US re-tread in2002 with Denzel Washington and Halle Berry.
- Faye Dunaway, Supergirl, 1984. The public preferred Christopher Reeve to Helen Slater in a cape. Things might have been different if the Salkinds had signed Dolly, although Faye loved being a female Lex Luthor.
- Whitney Houston, The Bodyguard, 1991. For the body he guarded, hot singer Rachel Marron, star-producer Kevin Costner ran through ten chanteuses. From Madonna and Janet Jackson to Joan Jett and Olivia Newton-John.
- Lynda Carter, The Dukes of Hazzard, 2005. Or how Wonder Woman humbled Big Dolly.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Usual occupation: SingerCasting Calls: 5