Dolly Parton’s Surprising Connections to Illinois

One of the random movies I enjoyed watching when I was growing up starred Dolly Parton as a radio show host in Chicago in “Straight Talk.”

In the 1992 romantic comedy set in downtown Chicago, Parton played Shirlee Kenyon, a small-town woman who moves to the big city and accidentally ends up behind a radio microphone, giving relationship advice to callers.

The “Doctor” Was Part of the Movie’s Plot

There is an important catch to this plot: Parton’s character was not actually a therapist or psychologist. Shirlee is mistakenly identified as a newly hired call-in therapist, and the radio station actually encourages her to pretend she’s a real doctor.

It isn’t long before she’s a radio star in Chicago, giving straightforward, homespun advice to listeners, before the lies eventually catch up with her…

Story continues

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