Dabney Colman plays Franklin Hart Jr. He is working hard at being the typical manager of an office with a small business on the side.
Mr. Hart cannot understand what is happening to him. It seems that everything he does backfires. Violet (Lily Tomlin) "his right-hand man" gets upset because he promotes someone that she trained, instead of her. After making overtures to the married Doralee (Dolly Parton), she threatens to turn him "from a rooster to a hen" with one shot.
The "girls" get together and fantasize about different ways to dispose of Franklin. Dabney Coleman outdoes himself in the scene where they are hunting him down.
Later Violet may have put "Rid-a-Rat" in his coffee, which leads to a great hospital scene. Violet says, "I'm no fool. I've killed the boss; you think they're not gonna fire me for a thing like that?" He eventually spends time literally hanging around Judy's (Jane Fonda) house while the Trio of women gets the goods on his side business of pilfering from their company.
Will the girls get away with their plans or is Hart too smart?
Be sure to read the closing credits.
9 to 5 Mentions in Our Blog
Remembering Dolly
Published by Ashly Moore Sheldon • August 27, 2026
Legendary country singer Dolly Parton passed away this week at the age of 80. Beyond her iconic career as a singer-songwriter, Parton was an author, actress, businesswoman, and philanthropist. She was known for her endless positivity and her crackling wit. The world will miss her. And so will we.
ThriftBooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. We personally assess every book's quality and offer rare, out-of-print treasures. We deliver the joy of reading in recyclable packaging with free standard shipping on US orders over $20. ThriftBooks.com. Read more. Spend less.