Despite the On-Screen Chemistry, Filming Rhinestone Wasn’t All Smooth Sailing
Dolly Parton and Sylvester Stallone seemed like an unlikely pairing when they were cast as the leads in the 1984 musical comedy Rhinestone. However, their on-screen chemistry was undeniable – she played country singer Jake Farris who takes on the challenge of transforming New York City cab driver Nick Martinello, played by Stallone, into a country star. While the movie was a box office flop, audiences could see the sparks flying between Parton and Stallone in their roles. However, behind the scenes the filming process faced some significant challenges that threatened to derail production at times.
Stallone’s Singing Struggles
One of the biggest hurdles was Stallone’s lack of experience as a singer. While Parton is one of the most successful recording artists in country music history with dozens of number one hits, Stallone had no formal musical training or background in vocal performance. He was best known at the time for his tough guy roles in the Rocky and Rambo franchises, not crooning love ballads. This meant Stallone had to put in long hours perfecting his singing voice to meet the demands of the movie’s musical numbers.
In interviews after filming wrapped, Stallone admitted that learning to sing properly was an immense challenge. “I had no clue what I was doing,” he said. “The singing was the hardest part of making this movie by far.” Stallone worked one-on-one with a vocal coach for months in the lead up to filming to improve his pitch, breath control, phrasing and other techniques. However, it was an ongoing process during the actual shoot as well. Scenes requiring singing often took multiple takes as Stallone struggled with live vocal performances in front of the cameras and crew.
This led to frustration for Stallone and delays in the production schedule. According to crew members, Stallone would get irritated if he felt he wasn’t hitting the right notes or nailing a song take. Retakes added to an already tight filming timeline. There were rumblings that Stallone’s singing issues caused tensions with director Richard Brooks, who wanted to keep things moving. While Stallone eventually got the vocals down well enough for the finished film, his inexperience as a singer created unforeseen complications during the Rhinestone shoot.
Parton’s Health Battles
At the same time, Parton was privately facing some health problems that made the filming experience even more difficult. In interviews years later, Parton revealed she was diagnosed with severe pneumonia around the time of the Rhinestone production. The illness left her feeling drained and run down. “I was sick as a dog during a lot of that filming,” Parton said. “It was really hard to muster up the energy.”
Parton powered through and didn’t let on publicly about her illness at the time so as not to delay filming further. But behind the scenes, her ongoing health issues took a toll both physically and emotionally. Scenes requiring a lot of exertion were especially taxing. Crew members noticed Parton often seemed fatigued. Her normally bubbly personality was more subdued. While she remained a consummate professional, friends could tell Parton’s health was affecting her ability to enjoy the experience.
Years later, Parton also opened up about struggling with depression during this period as well, though she didn’t specify if it was related to her physical ailments. Either way, between her illness and mental health challenges, Parton was going through a difficult personal ordeal while trying to film an upbeat, energetic movie – adding personal stress to an already pressure-filled production. Both she and Stallone were facing unforeseen obstacles that complicated the Rhinestone shoot.
Keeping a Straight Face
Another comedic challenge came from Parton and Stallone’s personalities themselves. Parton is famous for her infectious laugh and tendency to find humor even in serious situations. Stallone, though best known for action roles, revealed an unexpected gift for comedy timing through movies like the first two Rocky sequels. However, their natural comic instincts didn’t always mesh well with the demands of dramatic scenes in Rhinestone.
In particular, Parton has said maintaining a straight face while acting with Stallone required immense effort. She found his attempts at more emotional dialogue delivery unintentionally funny. In one interview, Parton recalled a serious argument scene where Stallone was trying to convey anger and frustration with his character. But to Parton, his facial expressions and line delivery came across as so over-the-top that she broke down in giggles, ruining multiple takes.
Similarly, Stallone said Parton’s mere presence on set lightened the mood, making it difficult to stay in character for somber moments. Her effervescent energy was infectious. Even during their most intense exchanges, Stallone said he found himself fighting back a smile watching Parton act. Their comedic chemistry spilled over, undermining some of the film’s dramatic intent. Scenes had to be re-shot frequently as the two stars struggled not to crack each other up.
Behind Closed Doors
While the on-screen sparks were undeniable, juggling these various challenges took a personal toll according to insiders close to the production. Stallone’s frustration over his singing boiled over at times, leading to arguments with the director and even Parton herself during particularly stressful days of filming. Meanwhile, Parton soldiered on despite her health issues but became withdrawn as pneumonia and depression drained her.
According to set reports, tensions came to a head during one difficult week of location shooting in New York. Stallone and Parton engaged in a loud shouting match over a scene that wasn’t coming together. The pressure and personal issues had reached a breaking point. It took intervention from Brooks to defuse the situation and get the stars back on speaking terms.
After filming wrapped, both Stallone and Parton expressed mixed feelings about the experience. While proud of their on-screen work, they acknowledged the personal toll of the challenges. Stallone said making the movie was one of the hardest things he’d ever done professionally. Parton simply said she was glad filming was over but hoped audiences still found the final product entertaining.
Box office disappointment aside, Rhinestone remains an example of how even huge stars making a movie with electric on-screen chemistry faced very real obstacles behind the scenes. Stallone and Parton gave memorable performances in spite of health issues, creative differences and their own comedic personalities sometimes working against them. Their ability to power through adversity against the odds makes their work in Rhinestone even more impressive in hindsight.