harper valley pta is a 1978 american comedy film inspired by the popular 1968 country song "harper valley pta" written by tom t. hall and performed by country singer jeannie c. riley. the film starred barbara eden, nanette fabray, ronny cox, louis nye and susan swift, directed by richard bennett and ralph senensky (who left the production during filming, and was replaced by bennett), and primarily released to drive-in theaters throughout the summer of 1978. the film has a cult following in fans of the original song. the film's promotional tagline is: ""the song was scandalous. the movie is hilarious!""