It must have seemed like a good idea on paper.

By 1984 Sylvester Stallone was one of the biggest box office draws in the world, thanks to the success of his Rocky franchise and First Blood, the first of a series of hit Rambo movies. Dolly Parton was not only one of country music’s hottest stars, she’d broken into films with 9 to 5 and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. What could be better than pairing the two superstars on the big screen in a film based on the Glen Campbell hit, “Rhinestone Cowboy“?

As it turned out, lots of things could be better. The film, which debuted on June 22, 1984, features Parton as a country singer who’s stuck in a contract with a sleazy nightclub owner in New York. She bets him that she can turn Stallone’s character — an obnoxious NYC cab driver named Nick Martinelli — into a country singer in two weeks flat. If she wins, she’s released from her contract, but if she loses, it’s extended five more years.

To say that Stallone is woefully miscast would be putting it mildly, and the resulting film was a box office bomb. It was also universally panned by critics, and earned a total of nine Golden Raspberry nominations, including Worst Picture, Worst Screenplay and Worst Musical Score. It won two of them; Worst Actor (Stallone), and Worst Original Song for “Drinkenstein,” which he performs in the clip above.

The film wasn’t all bad for Parton; she scored two hits singles — “Tennessee Homesick Blues” and “God Won’t Get You” — from the soundtrack.

Sterling Whitaker is a Senior Writer and Senior Editor for Taste of Country. He focuses on celebrity real estate, as well as coverage of Yellowstone and related shows like 1883 and 1923. He’s interviewed cast members including Cole Hauser, Kelly Reilly, Sam Elliott and Harrison Ford, and Whitaker is also known for his in-depth interviews with country legends including Don Henley, Rodney Crowell, Trace Adkins, Ronnie Milsap, Ricky Skaggs and more.