Harper Valley P.T.A. (1978)

Stella Johnson is a single mother living in the town of Harper Valley. Now most of the townspeople, particularly on the PTA board, they feel she dresses too sexy and is a little too "loose"... See full summary »

Directors:

Richard C. Bennett, Ralph Senensky (uncredited)

Writers:

George Edwards (screenplay), Barry Schneider (screenplay)

Stars:

Barbara Eden, Ronny Cox, Nanette Fabray

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Barbara Eden	...	Stella Johnson
Ronny Cox	...	Willis Newton
Nanette Fabray	...	Alice Finely
Louis Nye	...	Kirby Baker
Audrey Christie	...	Flora Simpson Reilly
Ron Masak	...	Herbie Maddox
John Fiedler	...	Bobby Taylor
Susan Swift	...	Dee Johnson
Pat Paulsen	...	Mr. Harper
Bob Hastings	...	Skeeter
Fay DeWitt	...	Willa Mae Jones (as Fay De Witt)
J.J. Barry	...	Tex
Royce D. Applegate	...	Dutch
Irene Yah-Ling Sun	...	Myrna Wong (as Irene Yah Ling Sun)
Louise Foley	...	Mavis

Storyline

Stella Johnson is a single mother living in the town of Harper Valley. Now most of the townspeople, particularly on the PTA board, they feel she dresses too sexy and is a little too "loose" for them, so they are making things tough for her and her daughter. When the PTA board threaten to have her daughter expelled unless Stella changes her ways, she decides to get back at them by first exposing all their hidden secrets and hypocrisy. Then pulling all sorts of humiliating pranks on them. When she decides to run for the position of PTA President, they are really infuriated and try to stop her any way they can.

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Plot Keywords:

pink elephant | hipocrisy | convertible | hixploitation | man wears eyeglasses | 

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Taglines:

The song was scandalous. The movie is hilarious!

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Throughout the movie, profane language is very small. Thirteen times total, "Hell" (the name of a place) was said four times, "damn" was said seven times, and "bi-ch" was said twice.

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Goofs

Will and Herby are in the helicopter flying around trying to find Skeeter Doogan. In the shots of them in the helicopter, it appears to be clear outside but when they are looking at the ground, you don't see any shadows from the trees or bushes. This would indicate that it is cloudy when they filmed the shots from the helicopter to the ground.

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Quotes

Myrna Wong: [exits Kirby's office after tossing him about his office and deliberately tearing her own dress] Excuse me, would someone call the police? I've been assaulted!

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Crazy Credits

The credit to Seattle Slew for the manure is a joke. (The numerous comments in the Trivia section has apparently led some people to believe it's on the level.)

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Connections

Referenced in Crutch (2004)

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Soundtracks

HARPER VALLEY P.T.A.
Words and music by Tom T. Hall
Sung by Jeannie C. Riley

User Reviews

Not great, but I view it with affection

Back during my youth in the 70s, the town I lived it was very conservative and tightly wound. Parents cringed at the thought of James Bond movies shown on TV, as the locals thought of them as hardcore porn. Strict standards were expected from everyone.

As teens, the local kids started to realize how overflowing with hypocrisy the town was, and when this movie came along, we rejoiced.

Stella Johnson is a freespirited widow in a conservative town who gets a nastygram from a disapproving PTA. Getting an earful from her friend who runs the local beauty parlor (they weren't called "salons" back then!), she confronts them at a meeting with their own failings (alcoholism, promiscuity, gambling, etc.), but after they don't back down, she engages in a series of pranks to expose and humiliate them. In the meantime she makes over her daughter, falls in love, runs for PTA president herself, and uncovers real corruption.

Yes, it's creaky material, done a jillion times before and probably done better. But Barbara Eden is an energetic and sympathetic heroine, and is believable as the dishy nonconformist mom. Nanette Fabray is also a hoot as her friend Alice. And a bunch of old pros do their best.

But we loved it in our town because so many of the younger set were disgusted with the self-righteousness and hypocrisy we saw in our teachers, in the town government, in the church leaders, and frequently in our own parents. We relished our daydreams of exposing their foibles and confronting them, but too often never did. (Unfortunately, the truly self-righteous view these as simple malice and never truly realize they brought it on themselves.) So even if this movie isn't all that, it appeals to the downtrodden teen who still lives in me and is still disgusted with the self-righteous, it's-OK-if-I-do-it establishment. And I STILL need to expose my sticky-fingered mother about her larcenous habits...

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 August 1980 (Mexico)

Also Known As:

Die Rache der blonden Hexe

Filming Locations:

434 Deerfield Rd, Lebanon, Ohio, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

April Fools Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1