Best Little Bunch of Sour Grapes in Texas

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A couple of days ago I wrote a discussion about the play/film The Best Little (chicken ranch) in Texas. Last night I decided to re-watch the movie. I'm sure that'll get a lot of thumbs down, but (a) Burt Reynolds' singing wasn't nearly as bad as Oliver Reed's or Jack Nicholson's in Tommy; (b) guys got to look at Dolly in skimpy outfits for 90 minutes; and (c) Charles Durning stole the show with his version of "The Sidestep." Oh, and that great Dolly Parton line: "You know what burns my ass? A flame about three feet high." Anyway, I mentioned that the antagonist in the film, Melvin P. Thorpe (played by Dom DeLuise) was based on a real person, Marvin Zindler of KTRK in Houston, and a real event (his investigative report of two wow-houses, the Chicken Ranch and the lesser-known Wagon Wheel, resulting in their closure after decades of operating as an open secret). After watching the movie I found some video on Y'all Tube showing Zindler "re-visiting" his famous investigation. And, I must say, there was one big ol' honkin' mess-a sour grapes. In looking back at the 20th anniversary of the closing of the bawdy houses (yes, that's what he called them in his report), Zindler frequently quoted songs from the soundtrack. He frequently threw out that the places were "run by organized crime" (which I personally tend to dispute, given that Zindler lived to be an old man...or maybe that's too many views of The Godfather, Goodfellas, Donnie Brasco, and the like ). But the bitter icing was his commentary at the end of the series of reports highlighting 20 years since the closure of the Chicken Ranch. He pointed out how the story had been turned into an acclaimed and often-performed play as well as a movie. "It just lives on and on," he opined. "Why? I'll never know. However, I do know one thing: folks who have played in the movie and the musical around the money have made lots of money off of the closing of the Chicken Ranch. That is, everybody but me." Aw, poor baby. I'm not in favor of "bawdy houses" or wh*rehouses, or whatever you wanna call them. And, legally speaking, what Zindler did in helping getting the places closed was good. But let's face it, he had his moment of satisfaction. He didn't like the movie making him smell like the fertilizer instead of the rose. (In these reports he even pointed out that the sheriff hit him, similar to what's portrayed in the movie, and Zindler sued and "donated the money (from the settlement) to charity.") Well, that's all water under the bridge. ZZ Top sings about "the shack outside LaGrange," the play is in production all over (and it has a terrific soundtrack). Nobody sings about "Marvin Zindler Did Some Good," and that's probably what nagged him until his dying day. Here's Charles Durning's performance of "The Sidestep" in the movie: