Nine to Five (1980) - Turner Classic Movies

Nine to Five

1h 50m 1980
Nine to Five

Brief Synopsis

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Recently divorced Judy Bernly takes an office job and soon becomes pals with fellow secretaries Violet Newstead and Doralee Rhodes. Their boss is male chauvinist Franklin Hart Jr. , who is trying to land Doralee in bed. While smoking pot one night the women hatch a plan to take revenge on their cruel boss.

Cast & Crew

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Colin Higgins

Director

Jane Fonda

Dolly Parton

Lily Tomlin

Dabney Coleman

Sterling Hayden

Photos & Videos

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Nine To Five (1980) -- (Movie Clip) I Got A Little Carried Away
Ben Mankiewicz Intro -- Nine To Five (1980)
Nine To Five (1980) -- (Movie Clip) Open, Title Song

Film Details

Also Known As
9 till 5, 9 to 5
MPAA Rating
Genre
Comedy
Release Date
1980

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 50m

Synopsis

Recently divorced Judy Bernly takes an office job and soon becomes pals with fellow secretaries Violet Newstead and Doralee Rhodes. Their boss is male chauvinist Franklin Hart Jr. , who is trying to land Doralee in bed. While smoking pot one night the women hatch a plan to take revenge on their cruel boss.

Director

Colin Higgins

Director

Cast

Jane Fonda

Dolly Parton

Lily Tomlin

Dabney Coleman

Sterling Hayden

Elizabeth Wilson

Henry Jones

Lawrence Pressman

Marian Mercer

Jessica Badovinac

Barbara Chase

David Price

Renn Woods

Ray Vitte

Peter Hobbs

Earl Boen

Jeffrey Douglas Thomas

Vicki Velmonte

Terry Jackson House

Helene Heigh

Gavin Mooney

Shirley Anthony

Esther Sutherland

Eric Mansker

Jerrold Ziman

Brad David Stockton

Raymond O'keefe

Michael Hehr

Edward Marshall

Norma Donaldson

Roxanne Bonilla-giannini

Michael Delano

Peggy Pope

Terrence Mcnally

Alan Haufrect

Vanna Salviati

Richard Stahl

Tom Tarpey

Gary Bisig

Crew

Bernadine Anderson

Makeup

James M Arnett

Stunt Coordinator

Aram Betkijian

Transportation Coordinator

Timothy Board

Assistant Editor

Andrew Chulack

Sound Editor

Gary Daigler

Assistant Director

Gary Dodd

Key Grip

Linda Dove

Sound Editor

George Eckert

Set Designer

Nicholas Eliopoulos

Animation Supervisor

Nicholas Eliopoulos

Sound

Wayne Fitzgerald

Titles

Charles Fox

Music

Chuck Gaspar

Special Effects

Susan Germaine

Hair

Bruce Gilbert

Producer

Richard Hashimoto

Unit Production Manager

Pembroke J. Herring

Editor

Colin Higgins

Screenplay

George Jenson

Production

Terry Liebling

Casting

Fred Lucky

Animator

Anne Mcculley

Set Decorator

Charles Minsky

Camera Operator

Dean Edward Mitzner

Production Designer

Kay Molyneaux

Location Manager

Ve Neill

Makeup

Ralph Nelson

Photography

Dolly Parton

Song Performer

Gregory Pickrell

Set Designer

Kaye Pownall

Hair

Mark Reedall

Makeup

Patricia Resnick

From Story

Patricia Resnick

Story By

Patricia Resnick

Screenplay

Paul Bruce Richardson

Sound Editor

Ann Roth

Costume Designer

Richard Rubin

Props

Marshall Schlom

Script Supervisor

Theodore Soderberg

Sound

Chris Soldo

Assistant Director

Matt Sweeney

Special Effects

Jack G Taylor

Art Director

Richard Taylor

Sound Editor

Evelyn Trimmer

Hair

Reynaldo Villalobos

Director Of Photography

Reynaldo Villalobos

Dp/Cinematographer

Paul Wells

Sound

Jeffrey S Wexler

Sound

Douglas O. Williams

Sound

Bob Wray

Set Designer

Videos

Movie Clip

Nine To Five (1980) -- (Movie Clip) Open, Title Song Dolly Parton’s smash hit composition and recording opens director and co-writer Colin Higgins comedy hit, starring Parton, Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dabney Coleman, with Jane and Lily briefly introduced, Tom Tarpey the office manager, in Nine To Five, from a story by Patricia Resnick.
Nine To Five (1980) -- (Movie Clip) I Got A Little Carried Away Sex-driven boss Franklin Hart (Dabney Coleman) plots an encounter with his personal secretary Doralee (country music superstar Dolly Parton, who wrote and performed the hit title song, in her first movie role), early in director Colin Higgins’ Nine To Five. 1980, co-starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin.

Hosted Intro

Intro Aired: Feb 2019
Ben Mankiewicz Intro -- Nine To Five (1980) Ben Mankiewicz introduces Nine To Five, 1980.

Film Details

Also Known As
9 till 5, 9 to 5
MPAA Rating
Genre
Comedy
Release Date
1980

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 50m

Award Nominations

Best Song

1980

Articles

Nine to Five

January 30, 2019
One of the most popular sub-genres in Hollywood is the workplace comedy. Films such as The Front Page (1931) and its remake His Girl Friday (1940); Desk Set (1957); The Hudsucker Proxy (1994); Clerks (1994); and Working Girl (1988), are all prime examples of the genre. In addition to these films, Colin Higgins's Nine to Five (1980) is considered one of the absolute best and is still highly regarded today as a landmark feminist film.

After discovering that her husband is having an affair, Judy Bernly (Jane Fonda) accepts a secretarial job at a large company. On her first day on the job, Judy learns from her supervisor Violet Newstead (Lily Tomlin) that their boss, Franklin Hart Jr. (Dabney Coleman), routinely engages in sexist practices by not giving credit to female employees when warranted, handing out promotions to men only and openly harassing his female staff--in particular Doralee Rhodes (Dolly Parton), who is his secretary. The three women become friends, each sharing their elaborate fantasies on how they would seek revenge on Mr. Hart.

Inspired by stories of women in the workplace, as well as the classic Hollywood female-starring screwball comedies of the 1930s and 1940s, Jane Fonda, daughter of Hollywood legend Henry Fonda and a star in her own right, wanted to make a film highlighting the struggles faced by the modern working woman--in particular those coming into the workforce later in life as a result of major life changes, such as divorce or death of a spouse. A close friend of Fonda's had formed an organization of female office workers in Boston, Massachusetts called "Nine to Five." During her research for the film, Fonda discovered that male bosses in the corporate world could not do their jobs effectively without the hard work of their female staff members--most working as secretaries and carrying out a workload of several people, with their male counterparts receiving all the credit. Fonda wanted to make a film proving that an office cannot effectively run without secretaries and female support staff. Developed as a project for her recently formed production company IPC, Nine to Five was initially intended as a drama, but during the pre-production phase Fonda and producer Bruce Gilbert determined that their current approach to the story was far too preachy, and instead opted to make a comedy--which was an easy decision with a comedienne such as Lily Tomlin cast in one of the three main lead roles.

Lily Tomlin got her start in stand-up, eventually landing a spot on the popular television variety program Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, a breakthrough in her career making her a household name. Tomlin was on the show from 1969 until 1973 and was best known for her characters Ernestine and Edith Anne. In 1975, Tomlin made her feature-film debut in Robert Altman's ensemble drama Nashville (1975), earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Tomlin worked with the esteemed producer and director several more times, including her second film, The Late Show (1977) which was produced by Altman; Short Cuts (1993); and Altman's final film A Prairie Home Companion (2006). Tomlin and Nine to Five co-star Jane Fonda reunited in 2015 on the television series Grace and Frankie, which is currently in its fifth season.

Nine to Five was the film debut of singer and songwriter Dolly Parton. While the Tennessee-native was well-known for her solo work as well as her legendary partnership with country singer Porter Wagoner, her starring role in Nine to Five-- for which she wrote the immensely popular title song-- catapulted her into mainstream stardom, kicking off a successful acting career which includes films such as The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), starring Burt Reynolds, and Steel Magnolias (1989).

Upon its release, Nine to Five was a critical and commercial success, along with its title song, spawning a television series and a stage musical version with new songs written by Dolly Parton. In 2018, Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton announced that a sequel was being developed with the three main leads returning to star.

Director: Colin Higgins
Producer: Bruce Gilbert
Screenplay: Colin Higgins and Patricia Resnick
Cinematography: Reynaldo Villalobos
Editing: Pembroke J. Herring
Art Direction: Jack G. Taylor Jr.
Music: Charles Fox
Cast: Jane Fonda (Judy Bernly), Lily Tomlin (Violet Newstead), Dolly Parton (Doralee Rhodes), Dabney Coleman (Franklin Hart, Jr.), Sterling Hayden (Tinsworthy), Elizabeth Wilson (Roz), Henry Jones (Hinkle).
C-109m

Resources:
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/125651063

By Jill Blake

Nine To Five

Nine to Five

One of the most popular sub-genres in Hollywood is the workplace comedy. Films such as The Front Page (1931) and its remake His Girl Friday (1940); Desk Set (1957); The Hudsucker Proxy (1994); Clerks (1994); and Working Girl (1988), are all prime examples of the genre. In addition to these films, Colin Higgins's Nine to Five (1980) is considered one of the absolute best and is still highly regarded today as a landmark feminist film. After discovering that her husband is having an affair, Judy Bernly (Jane Fonda) accepts a secretarial job at a large company. On her first day on the job, Judy learns from her supervisor Violet Newstead (Lily Tomlin) that their boss, Franklin Hart Jr. (Dabney Coleman), routinely engages in sexist practices by not giving credit to female employees when warranted, handing out promotions to men only and openly harassing his female staff--in particular Doralee Rhodes (Dolly Parton), who is his secretary. The three women become friends, each sharing their elaborate fantasies on how they would seek revenge on Mr. Hart. Inspired by stories of women in the workplace, as well as the classic Hollywood female-starring screwball comedies of the 1930s and 1940s, Jane Fonda, daughter of Hollywood legend Henry Fonda and a star in her own right, wanted to make a film highlighting the struggles faced by the modern working woman--in particular those coming into the workforce later in life as a result of major life changes, such as divorce or death of a spouse. A close friend of Fonda's had formed an organization of female office workers in Boston, Massachusetts called "Nine to Five." During her research for the film, Fonda discovered that male bosses in the corporate world could not do their jobs effectively without the hard work of their female staff members--most working as secretaries and carrying out a workload of several people, with their male counterparts receiving all the credit. Fonda wanted to make a film proving that an office cannot effectively run without secretaries and female support staff. Developed as a project for her recently formed production company IPC, Nine to Five was initially intended as a drama, but during the pre-production phase Fonda and producer Bruce Gilbert determined that their current approach to the story was far too preachy, and instead opted to make a comedy--which was an easy decision with a comedienne such as Lily Tomlin cast in one of the three main lead roles. Lily Tomlin got her start in stand-up, eventually landing a spot on the popular television variety program Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, a breakthrough in her career making her a household name. Tomlin was on the show from 1969 until 1973 and was best known for her characters Ernestine and Edith Anne. In 1975, Tomlin made her feature-film debut in Robert Altman's ensemble drama Nashville (1975), earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Tomlin worked with the esteemed producer and director several more times, including her second film, The Late Show (1977) which was produced by Altman; Short Cuts (1993); and Altman's final film A Prairie Home Companion (2006). Tomlin and Nine to Five co-star Jane Fonda reunited in 2015 on the television series Grace and Frankie, which is currently in its fifth season. Nine to Five was the film debut of singer and songwriter Dolly Parton. While the Tennessee-native was well-known for her solo work as well as her legendary partnership with country singer Porter Wagoner, her starring role in Nine to Five-- for which she wrote the immensely popular title song-- catapulted her into mainstream stardom, kicking off a successful acting career which includes films such as The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), starring Burt Reynolds, and Steel Magnolias (1989). Upon its release, Nine to Five was a critical and commercial success, along with its title song, spawning a television series and a stage musical version with new songs written by Dolly Parton. In 2018, Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton announced that a sequel was being developed with the three main leads returning to star. Director: Colin Higgins Producer: Bruce Gilbert Screenplay: Colin Higgins and Patricia Resnick Cinematography: Reynaldo Villalobos Editing: Pembroke J. Herring Art Direction: Jack G. Taylor Jr. Music: Charles Fox Cast: Jane Fonda (Judy Bernly), Lily Tomlin (Violet Newstead), Dolly Parton (Doralee Rhodes), Dabney Coleman (Franklin Hart, Jr.), Sterling Hayden (Tinsworthy), Elizabeth Wilson (Roz), Henry Jones (Hinkle). C-109m Resources: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/125651063 By Jill Blake

9 to 5: Sexist, Egotistical, Lying, Hypocritical Bigot Edition on DVD

May 1, 2006
Everybody's favorite secretaries are back in the new 9 to 5: Sexist, Egotistical, Lying, Hypocritical Bigot Edition. Violet Newstead (Lily Tomlin) is the battle-worn office manager and assistant to Franklin Hart (Dabney Coleman), a male-chauvinist lout, who makes the office a living hell.

New arrival Judy Bernly (Jane Fonda) is a recent divorcee who is entering the workplace for the first time and is hopelessly at sea in her new environment. She is assigned to Violet for training, and Violet runs her through the ropes while filling her in on all the office gossip, who to steer clear of and who to cultivate. And of course, she also fills her in on the fact Hart's well-endowed and well dressed secretary Doralee Rhodes (Dolly Parton, in her charming move-debut) is having an affair with the boss.

When Violet learns that she has been passed over for a well-deserved promotion, which Hart gave to a man because he insists that their clients like doing business with men, she finally loses her cool and tells him off in front of Doralee, who is stunned to learn that everyone in the office believes she's having an affair with Hart. The two, along with Judy go to a local bar where they swap fantasies about how they would kill the boss. But the next day, through a series of wild misunderstandings, one by one they find their fantasies coming true, and when Hart threatens them with the police they take Hart hostage while they try to find something they can hold over him.

When 9 to 5 was released in 1980, it was unjustly criticized by some for not being a more serious look at hostile workplaces and sexual harassment (a pair of phrases that weren't even in common usage yet). But the writers/producers chose to expose inter-office-inequities with humor instead of drama, and if some critics missed the point, audiences didn't: the film struck a chord with men and women alike that made the film a solid hit – as well as Parton's title tune, which would become something of an anthem for the working public.

Most of the film's success – and the fact that it stays afloat during the sillier patches – is due to the three stars who work incredibly well together. This was only Tomlin's third film, and she grabs the lead and goes with it, playing Violet with a combination of anger and weariness that is so on the money she could've been working in an office for decades. Fonda shows a surprising flair for comedy as well as a level of vulnerability she hadn't displayed before. And Parton is simply delightful as Doralee, who has some rather straightforward, down-home remedies for sexual harassment. Dabney Coleman is suitably evil as the boss from hell.

The new Sexist, Egotistical, Lying, Hypocritical, Bigot Edition includes some wonderful supplements. The "Nine@25" making-of featurette reunites the stars for on-screen interviews about the making of the film. Unfortunately, too much time is devoted to lengthy clips from the movie rather than the ladies. There's a seven minute featurette "Remembering Colin Higgins," a blooper reel, 10 deleted scenes, and "Nine to Five" Karaoke.

The highlight of the supplements, though, is the hilarious feature-length commentary with Fonda, Tomlin, and Parton, which is so laid back and casual it sounds a lot like the film's famed pot party. They don't exactly offer a lot of insights into the movie, but this is one of the most enjoyable commentaries to date. The trio is incongruously joined by producer Bruce Gilbert, who serves as an interruption and finally fades into the background, daunted by the heavyweight talent with which he was trying to contend.

For more information about 9 to 5, visit Fox Home Entertainment. To order 9 to 5, go to TCM Shopping.

by Fred Hunter

9 to 5: Sexist, Egotistical, Lying, Hypocritical Bigot Edition on DVD

Everybody's favorite secretaries are back in the new 9 to 5: Sexist, Egotistical, Lying, Hypocritical Bigot Edition. Violet Newstead (Lily Tomlin) is the battle-worn office manager and assistant to Franklin Hart (Dabney Coleman), a male-chauvinist lout, who makes the office a living hell. New arrival Judy Bernly (Jane Fonda) is a recent divorcee who is entering the workplace for the first time and is hopelessly at sea in her new environment. She is assigned to Violet for training, and Violet runs her through the ropes while filling her in on all the office gossip, who to steer clear of and who to cultivate. And of course, she also fills her in on the fact Hart's well-endowed and well dressed secretary Doralee Rhodes (Dolly Parton, in her charming move-debut) is having an affair with the boss. When Violet learns that she has been passed over for a well-deserved promotion, which Hart gave to a man because he insists that their clients like doing business with men, she finally loses her cool and tells him off in front of Doralee, who is stunned to learn that everyone in the office believes she's having an affair with Hart. The two, along with Judy go to a local bar where they swap fantasies about how they would kill the boss. But the next day, through a series of wild misunderstandings, one by one they find their fantasies coming true, and when Hart threatens them with the police they take Hart hostage while they try to find something they can hold over him. When 9 to 5 was released in 1980, it was unjustly criticized by some for not being a more serious look at hostile workplaces and sexual harassment (a pair of phrases that weren't even in common usage yet). But the writers/producers chose to expose inter-office-inequities with humor instead of drama, and if some critics missed the point, audiences didn't: the film struck a chord with men and women alike that made the film a solid hit – as well as Parton's title tune, which would become something of an anthem for the working public. Most of the film's success – and the fact that it stays afloat during the sillier patches – is due to the three stars who work incredibly well together. This was only Tomlin's third film, and she grabs the lead and goes with it, playing Violet with a combination of anger and weariness that is so on the money she could've been working in an office for decades. Fonda shows a surprising flair for comedy as well as a level of vulnerability she hadn't displayed before. And Parton is simply delightful as Doralee, who has some rather straightforward, down-home remedies for sexual harassment. Dabney Coleman is suitably evil as the boss from hell. The new Sexist, Egotistical, Lying, Hypocritical, Bigot Edition includes some wonderful supplements. The "Nine@25" making-of featurette reunites the stars for on-screen interviews about the making of the film. Unfortunately, too much time is devoted to lengthy clips from the movie rather than the ladies. There's a seven minute featurette "Remembering Colin Higgins," a blooper reel, 10 deleted scenes, and "Nine to Five" Karaoke. The highlight of the supplements, though, is the hilarious feature-length commentary with Fonda, Tomlin, and Parton, which is so laid back and casual it sounds a lot like the film's famed pot party. They don't exactly offer a lot of insights into the movie, but this is one of the most enjoyable commentaries to date. The trio is incongruously joined by producer Bruce Gilbert, who serves as an interruption and finally fades into the background, daunted by the heavyweight talent with which he was trying to contend. For more information about 9 to 5, visit Fox Home Entertainment. To order 9 to 5, go to TCM Shopping. by Fred Hunter

Quotes

Trivia

Miscellaneous Notes

Released in United States Winter December 19, 1980

IPC Films is Jane Fonda's production company.

Released in United States Winter December 19, 1980

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