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help) exacts revenge on six of the hypocritical PTA members, with methods that include: tricking a married male board member who has repeatedly tried to date Stella into a disastrous rendezvous; embarrassing Mrs. Simpson-Reilly at one of her grand social gatherings; exposing the secret antics of a supposedly prim-and-proper female board member/teacher; and sending a herd of pink-painted elephants into the bedroom of an alcoholic board member.
544:, on May 23, 1978, in accordance with executive producer Phil Borack's plan to release the film first in smaller markets, where regional success could encourage bigger cities to book the film. The film grossed over $ 2 million its opening weekend, $ 5.8 million in its first three weeks and over $ 16 million after 12 weeks. The film opened in limited release on June 2, 1978; in
318:, has stolen money from the Milk Fund Rally, one of the PTA's numerous fundraisers, and intends to have Mavis framed for the crime and arrested. Leaving Dee to stall the PTA Board meeting, Stella and Alice follow Olive to a racing stable and recover the stolen money, some of which had been marked by Will.
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After leaving school, Dee brings her mother a letter from the school's Parent-Teacher
Association board, which is led by the pompous and snobbish Flora Simpson-Reilly. The letter denounces her for her not following the societal mores of the day and the community and threatens to expel Dee from school
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Stella decisively wins the election and becomes the new PTA president, with the whole town voting to get rid of Flora and her snobbish friends. Will and Stella then fly off in his helicopter to get married. As they take off, and the credits begin to roll, a banner is seen flying from the back of the
321:
As Stella and Alice race back to town, Will and Herbie spot the kidnappers and
Skeeter outside the abbey from a helicopter and notify the girls. Disguised as nuns, Stella and Alice find Skeeter, free him, and manage to escape with him after a wild car chase ending with the kidnappers crashing into a
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After her house is toilet papered and a rock with a vile note attached is thrown through her window in retaliation, Stella prepares to get even with those who would want her driven out of town. She teams up with her friends, beautician Alice Finley and bartender Herbie Maddox, and (along with Dee's
325:
Ultimately, Flora's scheme to prevent Stella's nomination fails miserably: Olive, who would have been the swing vote against Stella, is arrested for embezzlement just as the PTA Board is about to vote against Stella's candidacy. Dutch and Tex, already in custody for the
Skeeter Duggan kidnapping,
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After a makeover, which sees her braces removed and her hair styled, Dee also finds a boyfriend in handsome
Carlyle, a popular school track star, which incurs the jealousy of Bettina Reilly, the equally snobbish granddaughter of Flora. Also shown are Edwina, Bettina's identical twin sister who is
29:
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Stella
Johnson is a beautiful widowed single mother who lives in the town of Harper Valley, Ohio. She sells cosmetics door-to-door for the fictitious AngelGlo Cosmetics and is not afraid to enjoy life. Her fourteen-year-old daughter, Dee, is a student at Harper Valley Junior High School.
291:, are sympathetic to Stella and do not agree with Flora and her cronies. After being informed by Will of the current PTA board's incompetence and mismanagement and with his help, Stella is convinced to make a run for President of the PTA, a move which infuriates Flora and her allies.
306:
The board finally decides to resort to criminal means to maintain the power they hold, which is fast slipping away thanks to Stella's growing popularity. The board members then decide to hire a couple of thugs named Dutch and Tex to have
Skeeter abducted so they can commit
278:
Infuriated by the board's supposed superiority and their glaring hypocrisy, Stella storms to the PTA meeting being held that day and proceeds to tell most of the PTA members off by exposing their hidden skeletons for the town to see.
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Director Ralph
Senensky left the production two weeks before the end of principal photography and was replaced by Richard Bennett. On October 31, 1977, Senensky argued with the producers about a scene featuring pink elephants in the
286:
Stella finds out that one of the male PTA members, wealthy Willis Newton (who was not a party to the PTA letter), has fallen in love with her. Will and another male on the PTA board, Skeeter Duggan, the town's
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on her house (which his company owns) but is arrested for assaulting Myrna Wong, an Asian-American martial arts expert helping Stella to set up the lecherous Baker. Now things become more and more desperate.
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as Stella
Johnson, a widowed cosmetics salesperson with a young daughter, whose joie de vivre, principles, and individuality anger most of the powerful people in town and on the Parent-Teacher Association
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Pitt
Herbert as Henry Reilly, Flora's overly dominated husband and grandfather to Edwina and Bettina. Henry is wealthy, but is very weak-willed and is known for acquiescing to his wife's schemes.
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as Otis Harper, the descendant of the founding family of Harper Valley. A PTA member who is allied with Flora and her friends. Has a tendency to drink all the time, which annoys his wife, Bertha.
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as Kirby Baker, a local real estate agent who is allied with Flora and her friends. Notorious for being a lecherous playboy and infamous for impregnating his secretaries.
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as Dee
Johnson, Stella's 14-year-old daughter, who is threatened with expulsion from school if her mother doesn't conform to the way the PTA wants her to behave.
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was knocked to the ground by a spooked elephant and production ceased temporarily. She suffered a severe concussion, bruises and back sprains and was taken to
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as Herbie Maddox, the head bartender at Kelly's bar, and Stella's ally against Flora and her friends. He has a crush on Stella, and is one of her friends.
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was a junior in high school living in Lebanon when the production was filming there, and was an extra in the film. The track meet scene was filmed at
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as Alice Finley, Stella's best friend and co-conspirator against the snobs of Harper Valley. She owns and operates the La Moderne Beauty Shop.
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Laura Teige as Bettina Reilly, One of Flora's twin granddaughters, who wants to be with Carlyle, and is jealous when he chooses Dee over her.
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Louise Foley as Mavis, Dee Johnson's best friend, who is nearly framed for a crime she did not commit by the vindictive Olive Glover.
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as Willis "Will" Newton, a wealthy member of the PTA who doesn't agree with Flora and her snobby allies and is in love with Stella.
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as Flora Simpson-Reilly. She is the pompous and extremely snobbish president of the PTA board who thoroughly despises Stella.
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reprised her role as Stella Johnson for the series which lasted two seasons and a total of 30 episodes were produced.
311:. The two assailants assault Skeeter and take him to a nearby abbey, where he is plied with wine to make him drunk.
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Tobias Anderson as "Cranky" Barney Crunk, the town's nosy mailman who has the habit of peeking in everyone's mail.
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throughout the summer of 1978. The film has a cult following in fans of the original song. The film's promotional
521:
where her condition was reported as serious but stable. Filming resumed on November 30, after Fabray recovered.
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Fay DeWitt as Willamae Jones, a snide biology teacher at the junior high school who is also a member of the PTA.
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as Corley, a young delivery person, who works for the local florist shop, who brings Stella flowers from Will.
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was filmed over 27 days, from October 1, 1977 to December 8, 1977. It was filmed on location for one week in
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J. J. Barry as Tex, the mastermind of the kidnap plot to get Skeeter Duggan out of the way.
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as Dutch, one of two kidnappers who abduct Skeeter Duggan at Flora Simpson-Reilly's orders.
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tell the police that Flora was behind it all to keep Stella off the PTA Board.
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818:"Ending (Reprise: Harper Valley PTA)" (instrumental) – Nelson Riddle (1:06)
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Olive Glover, the PTA's Recording Secretary who has a hardcore
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if Stella does not change her ways more to the board's liking.
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as Skeeter Duggan, a member of the PTA board, and the town's
811:"Whatever Happened to Charlie Brown" – Rita Remington &
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945:"'Cheers' role made to suit the Woody Harrelson character"
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American film distribution : the changing marketplace
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just as snobbish as Bettina, and Dee's best friend Mavis.
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788:"Harper Valley PTA" (instrumental) – Nelson Riddle (1:55)
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as Bobby Taylor, a man on the PTA who lusts after Stella.
808:"Ice Cream Disco" (instrumental) – Nelson Riddle (1:48)
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is: "The song was scandalous. The movie is hilarious!"
764:"Alice's Place" (instrumental) – Nelson Riddle (2:29)
878:
Please note figures are for rentals in US and Canada
983:
Milwaukee Sentinel: Elephant injures Nanette Fabray
778:"Willie May" (instrumental) – Nelson Riddle (2:01)
794:"Twin Tune" (instrumental) – Nelson Riddle (1:30)
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707:Harper Valley PTA: Original Soundtrack Recording
330:helicopter reading, "STELLA JOHNSON FOR MAYOR."
730:was re-issued as a single. The album made its
440:as Myrna Wong, a friend of Stella's who is a
199:$ 25 million (United States) or $ 8.5 million
428:Brian Cook as Carlyle, a popular track star.
27:
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917:"Harrelson's father, 69, dies in prison"
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1095:Films adapted into television shows
791:"Widow Jones" – Barbara Eden (2:38)
13:
876:. UMI Research Press. p. 302.
761:"Mr. Harper" – Barbara Eden (2:22)
250:, directed by Richard Bennett and
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1125:Films directed by Ralph Senensky
226:and performed by country singer
849:from January 1981 to May 1982.
754:"Dee's Visit" (instrumental) –
987:
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937:
909:
890:"In Praise Of Woody Harrelson"
888:White, James (June 13, 2011).
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870:Donahue, Suzanne Mary (1987).
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1105:Films scored by Nelson Riddle
856:
829:Harper Valley PTA (TV series)
710:was released in June 1978 on
565:Original Soundtrack Recording
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407:who is sympathetic to Stella.
214:inspired by the popular 1968
1135:1970s English-language films
1090:American films about revenge
1049:AFI Catalog of Feature Films
7:
837:was made into a television
751:" – Jeannie C. Riley (3:12)
519:Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
10:
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1080:American independent films
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548:on August 2, 1978; and in
532:opened in six theaters in
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1120:Films shot in Los Angeles
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649:Shelby S. Singleton Jr.
593:Singleton Sound Studios
511:Los Angeles, California
499:Simi Valley High School
491:Los Angeles, California
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132:April Fools Productions
473:Production and release
145:May 23, 1978
1130:Films about parenting
1075:American comedy films
738:on October 27, 2017.
552:on January 12, 1979.
1140:1970s American films
1100:Films based on songs
1085:1970s feminist films
972:St. Petersburg Times
597:Nashville, Tennessee
953:. November 26, 1987
334:Cast and characters
230:. The film starred
210:is a 1978 American
1115:Films shot in Ohio
1026:TCM Movie Database
724:Plantation Records
664:Harper Valley PTA
637:Plantation Records
563:Harper Valley PTA:
451:Royce D. Applegate
438:Irene Yah-Ling Sun
316:gambling addiction
1110:Films set in Ohio
1070:1978 comedy films
1043:Harper Valley PTA
1032:Harper Valley PTA
1021:Harper Valley PTA
1010:Harper Valley PTA
994:Observer Reporter
845:) which aired on
843:Sherwood Schwartz
835:Harper Valley PTA
823:Television series
749:Harper Valley PTA
734:premiere through
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489:and continued in
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851:Barbara Eden
841:(created by
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720:8-track tape
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542:Dayton, Ohio
529:
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507:Hancock Park
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468:as an extra.
401:Bob Hastings
377:Clint Howard
365:John Fiedler
340:Barbara Eden
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232:Barbara Eden
216:country song
206:
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161:Running time
138:Release date
105:Willy Kurant
75:Barbara Eden
46:(uncredited)
803:Johnny Cash
679:(re-issue)"
546:Los Angeles
389:Pat Paulsen
383:Susan Swift
300:foreclosing
248:Susan Swift
224:Tom T. Hall
212:comedy film
191:$ 1 million
95:Pat Paulsen
91:Susan Swift
63:Produced by
39:Directed by
1065:1978 films
1059:Categories
957:January 5,
929:January 5,
857:References
609:Soundtrack
556:Soundtrack
538:Cincinnati
417:Molly Dodd
196:Box office
165:93 minutes
149:1978-05-23
51:Written by
833:In 1981,
584:June 1978
371:Ron Masak
359:Louis Nye
347:Ronny Cox
244:Louis Nye
240:Ronny Cox
111:Edited by
87:Louis Nye
83:Ronny Cox
16:1978 film
1037:AllMovie
644:Producer
589:Recorded
581:Released
573: by
322:stream.
178:Language
119:Music by
71:Starring
1046:at the
1024:at the
660:Singles
534:Lebanon
525:Release
478:Filming
444:expert.
260:tagline
182:English
170:Country
147: (
895:Empire
839:sitcom
815:(2:40)
805:(2:51)
783:Side 2
775:(3:07)
758:(2:10)
742:Side 1
615:Length
540:, and
343:board.
188:Budget
712:vinyl
662:from
632:Label
604:Genre
1015:IMDb
959:2022
931:2022
903:2017
801:" –
771:" –
718:and
442:judo
266:Plot
246:and
1035:at
1013:at
847:NBC
722:by
1061::
947:.
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892:.
732:CD
714:,
624:50
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961:.
933:.
905:.
797:"
767:"
747:"
675:"
622::
218:"
151:)
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