The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (film)

Last updated

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
Best little whorehouse in texasposter.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Colin Higgins
Screenplay by
Based on
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
by
  • Larry L. King
  • Peter Masterson
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography William A. Fraker
Edited by
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release date
  • July 23, 1982 (1982-07-23)
Running time
114 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$20.5 million – $35 million [2]
Box office$69.7 million [3]

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is a 1982 American musical comedy film co-written, produced and directed by Colin Higgins (in his final film as director). An adaptation of the 1978 Broadway musical of the same name, the film stars Burt Reynolds, Dolly Parton, Jim Nabors, Charles Durning and Dom DeLuise.

Contents

Despite mixed reviews, Durning was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the Texas governor. The film was also nominated for two Golden Globe Awards for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and Parton for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.

Plot

Ed Earl Dodd, the Sheriff of Lanville County, Texas, has been in a 12-year relationship with Miss Mona Stangley, who runs the "Chicken Ranch", a brothel outside the town of Gilbert in his jurisdiction. He does not interfere with her business, which has been a fixture of the town since 1910, regardless of legality. Occasionally interrupted by Deputy Fred Wilkins, the pair have a pleasant arrangement as secret lovers. Almost everyone in town approves of Miss Mona, a public-minded citizen who regularly donates to charity and, except for her line of work, is decent and law-abiding.

Mayor Rufus P. Poindexter and insurance salesman C.J. Vernon inform Ed Earl that consumer advocate and television personality Melvin P. Thorpe, who moved to Texas from New Jersey six years earlier, has announced his intention to do an exposé about the Chicken Ranch on his weekly program The Watchdog Report. After visiting Thorpe in his downtown Houston studio, Ed Earl is shocked when Thorpe reveals to the audience during his show, "Texas has a whorehouse in it." While filming a segment in the Gilbert town square, Thorpe accuses Ed Earl of taking payoffs and bribes to protect Miss Mona's business. Ed Earl responds by insulting Thorpe and threatening to physically assault or even incarcerate him should he, his crew, or his chorus of singers named the Dogettes, ever reappear in Gilbert.

The Chicken Ranch is such an institution that the winner of the annual football rivalry between the University of Texas Longhorns and the Texas A&M Aggies on Thanksgiving Day traditionally comes to "celebrate" its victory as arranged by the alumni association of the winning school. Thorpe's negative publicity, coupled with the footage of Ed Earl insulting him, puts an undesirable spotlight on the place, so Ed Earl asks Miss Mona to shutter the property for at least two months until the TV attention subsides. She complies, closing the bordello to her regular customers but allowing the football players to have their party.

Thorpe and his crew sneak onto the property, break into the house, and catch the winning Aggies and State Senator Charles Wingwood, a 1949 Texas A&M University alumnus who represents the 19th Congressional District where the Chicken Ranch is located, on tape in mid-debauch. The next day, Ed Earl and Miss Mona have a fight over what happened. Mona chastises him for being unavailable to shield her during Thorpe's raid, even going so far as to call him childish and insult his standing; in turn, he responds, "It's a hell of a lot better than bein' a whore."

Without telling Mona his intentions, Ed Earl travels to Austin to appeal to the Governor of Texas. The politician, who will not make a decision on any issue without first seeing the results of opinion polls, listens to Ed Earl's eloquent appeal to keep the Chicken Ranch open. However, when the polls say a bare majority of Texans disapprove of the place, he orders the sheriff to close it down. While leaving the capitol building, Ed Earl confronts a jubilant Thorpe, yanks off his wig, and punches him out as a crew films the confrontation.

At his office, Ed Earl calls Mona to tell her to permanently close down the whorehouse, and apologizes for their earlier fight. After hearing the news, the sex workers leave the Chicken Ranch the next day. Miss Mona is disconsolate, until learning about Ed Earl's attempt to keep the brothel open.

As Miss Mona is departing the Chicken Ranch for the last time, Ed Earl stops her and proposes marriage. She turns him down, knowing that having a wife who had once been the madam of a notorious whorehouse would hurt his chances of running for the state legislature. Ed Earl insists he wants to marry her, regardless of what people will think or say. To make his point, he tosses her luggage into his pickup truck, then picks up Miss Mona and installs her in the passenger seat. They drive away together.

Deputy Fred becomes the new Sheriff, while Ed Earl and Miss Mona marry. Ed Earl later successfully runs for the Texas state legislature.

Cast

Production

Development

Originally, Larry L. King and Peter Masterson were going to write the screenplay and Masterson and Tommy Tune, who had directed the stage production, were to direct together. King recommended Shirley MacLaine, Dyan Cannon, Carlin Glynn (Masterson's wife, who had originated the role of Mona on Broadway) and Jill Clayburgh as the possibles to star but was told they were not a sufficient box office draw. [4]

When Dolly Parton was cast, King suggested Willie Nelson as a co-star and Universal executives met with him but in the end, Burt Reynolds was cast. Reynolds was paid $3.5 million and Parton $1.5 million. [4]

Reynolds wanted script changes and wanted to sing. Universal became nervous about giving the film to first-time directors and replaced Masterson and Tune with Nine to Five 's Colin Higgins. [4]

Reynolds later said Parton "had two directors fired before we started – they were gone. Because I'd made so many movies and she hadn't, everyone thought it was me. Whether she was right or wrong in those decisions, it was amazing to me that she could do it." [5]

Higgins prepared for directing by watching old George Cukor films and Dr. Pepper commercials ("They have a lot of wonderful movement", said Higgins. [6] )

Reynolds suggested to Higgins that Charles Durning be cast. "Colin is very smart, very commercial. They wanted Mickey Rooney, so I manipulated him a little. I told Colin, 'Mickey Rooney is a wonderful actor, but everyone knows that. You won't get any credit. Charles Durning can sing and dance and no one knows it, so you'll get all the credit.'" [5]

Adaptation

The book of the play was restructured to make it a vehicle for Parton and Reynolds.

The plot is basically the same as that of the stage production, with one significant difference. In the original, Ed Earl and Miss Mona had a one-night stand 15 years earlier, but in the film, they maintain an ongoing affair.

In August 1980 King wrote a letter to Frank Rich where he said:

Looks as if Hollywood is gonna really do a number on the Whorehouse movie. Word is that Stevie Phillips isn’t going to be allowed to produce it, Pete and Tommy are out as directors, and they’re bringing in some guy to re-write it so that it will fail to resernble anything of the stage show. The director, I hear, is to be one Colin Higgins; he is advertised as an English fag. Ned Tannen is alleged to have said... that all he wanted of Whorehouse was the title so he could make a film in which “Bert and Dolly screw their brains out.”... Burt Reynolds told Stevie and Pete he wants the movie to be “Smokey and the Bandit visit the Whorehouse.” [7]

The relationship in the film brings about not only the accusatory scene, when the sheriff – disappointed that Mona has broken her promise to close the Chicken Ranch down long enough for things to cool off – calls her a whore, but also the happy ending, when he proposes marriage to Mona even though that might endanger his chances to be elected as a state legislator. The epilogue comments state that he is elected anyway.

King later wrote, "Though I was fond of the screenplay Pete Masterson and I put together, let’s face it: even if the Universal nabobs and Burt and Dolly come up with a movie I hardly recognize, they can’t justly be accused of having tampered with Shakespeare or having done violence to Art. Whorehouse is an entertainment, pure and simple." [8]

Filming

Parton described her experience as "a nightmare." [9] She later wrote in her memoirs,

The wonderful time I had on Nine to Five had whetted my appetite for another movie. Whorehouse was a completely opposite experience. It was as if Nine to Five had been my first lover, sweetly seductive before and gentle and caring during our lovemaking. Whorehouse, then, was a rapist. [10]

Parton wrote Reynolds was in a bad mood during filming because he had broken up with Sally Field, alleging ,"Sometimes he would just walk off the set, unable to deal with things, and I would be called upon to go to his dressing room and try to cheer him up. That was a little like the blind leading the blind, since I was in an emotional and physical turmoil of my own." [11] She added, "On top of that, people were being fired right and left. In fact, at one point there was a bumper sticker circulating around Hollywood that read, HONK IF YOU’VE BEEN FIRED FROM “BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE"." [11]

For his part, Reynolds described Parton as "very self-deprecating, at least in public." [12]

Parton later wrote, "I’d like to publicly apologize to everyone on that film for any ill will and hurt feelings I might have caused" [13] and said the film was "a miserable, spirit-numbing ordeal." [14]

Music

Much of Carol Hall's original Broadway score is performed. However, eight songs, "Girl, You're a Woman", "Twenty-Four Hours of Lovin'", "Doatsy Mae", "The Anglette March", "The Bus from Amarillo", "No Lies", "Good Old Girl" and "Finale", were omitted. Two additional Parton compositions appear: "Sneakin' Around", a duet with Parton and Reynolds, and a two-stanza rendition of Parton's 1973 composition "I Will Always Love You". The film version of "I Will Always Love You" — the original recording had been a U.S. country chart-topper for Parton in the spring of 1974 — was released as a single in July 1982, and again reached number one on the U.S. country singles chart. It was also a mid-level hit on Billboard pop and adult contemporary charts. An altered version of Hall's "Hard Candy Christmas", in which Parton sings both the chorus and the verses of the song (as opposed to the film, which is partially sung by the brothel ladies), was also released as a single, reaching the top ten on the country singles chart in late 1982.

Parton wrote several new songs that were filmed but ultimately unused, including "Where Stallions Run" and "A Gamble Either Way". The former was restored for the ABC network television broadcast, as the film was too short for its time slot after the censors finished their edits and additional material was needed. "A Gamble Either Way" replaced "Girl, You're a Woman" and was sung by Parton after Mona interviewed "Shy" (Andrea Pike) for a job at the Chicken Ranch. The characters of Shy and Angel from the Broadway show were significantly reduced in the film; their footage was eventually removed entirely. "Down at the Chicken Ranch" was written for the trailer. Parton recorded two of the deleted songs, "A Gamble Either Way" and "A Cowboy's Ways" (a reworking of "Where Stallions Run"), and featured them on her 1983 album Burlap & Satin.

Musical numbers
  1. "20 Fans" – Company
  2. "A Lil' Ole Bitty Pissant Country Place" – Mona and Girls
  3. "Sneakin' Around" – Mona and Ed Earl
  4. "Watchdog Report" – The Dogettes
  5. "Texas Has a Whorehouse in It" – Thorpe, The Dogettes and Watchdog Chorus
  6. "Texas Has a Whorehouse in It" (reprise) – Thorpe and The Dogettes
  7. "The Aggie Song" – The Aggies
  8. "Courtyard Shag" (instrumental)
  9. "The Sidestep" – The Governor
  10. "Texas Has a Whorehouse in It/The Sidestep" (reprise) – Thorpe, Chorus and The Governor
  11. "Hard Candy Christmas" – Mona and Girls
  12. "I Will Always Love You" – Mona
  13. "A Lil' Ole Bitty Pissant Country Place" (reprise) – Company

Release

Marketing

The film presented some difficulties for Universal, particularly with advertising. In 1982, the word "whorehouse" was considered obscene in parts of the United States, resulting in the film being renamed The Best Little Cathouse in Texas in some print ads, while television ads were either banned outright in some areas, or the offending word was censored; on WXYZ-TV in Detroit, the announcer on the station's "Now Showing" segment merely clicked his tongue to eliminate the offending word: "The Best Little [click, click] in Texas!" In Canada, the title was generally left alone in print, but televised trailers used a bleep censor over the word. During interviews, Parton sometimes referred to the film as The Best Little Chicken House in Texas.

Box office

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas opened in 1,400 theaters on July 23, 1982, and earned $11,874,268 in its opening weekend, ranking number one in the United States box office, dethroning E.T. The Extra Terrestrial 's six-week run at the top of the box office. [15] It was the biggest weekend for a musical film ever. [16] The film grossed $69,701,637 domestically. [3]

Critical reception

The film received mixed reviews from critics. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 48% of 27 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5/10.The website's consensus reads: "It has its moments -- and a couple of appealing stars -- but this misguided movie musical largely lacks the crowd-pleasing appeal of the stage version." [17] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film two out of four stars, stating, "If they ever give Dolly her freedom and stop packaging her so antiseptically, she could be terrific. But Dolly and Burt and Whorehouse never get beyond the concept stage in this movie." [18]

Awards and nominations

AwardCategoryNominee(s)ResultRef.
Academy Awards Best Supporting Actor Charles Durning Nominated [19]
Golden Globe Awards Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Nominated [20]
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Dolly Parton Nominated
Grammy Awards Best Country Vocal Performance, Female "I Will Always Love You" – Dolly PartonNominated [21]

Cultural influence

The film and the original Broadway musical it was based on were spoofed in the 1982 pornographic film Memphis Cathouse Blues , [22] which starred Annette Haven in the Dolly Parton role of the madam and Mike Horner in the Burt Reynolds role as the sheriff. Porn star Kay Parker, who played one of the sex workers in the film, had an uncredited bit role in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

Legacy

The house used in the film is located at Universal Studios in Hollywood and can be viewed as part of the backlot tram tour. The inspiration for the set came from a real ranch house located outside Austin, Texas, which is featured in scenes from the movie. [23]

The house was shown in the Ghost Whisperer television series episode "The Lost Boys".

The house was also featured in Rob Zombie's 2003 horror film House of 1000 Corpses .

The film was mentioned in an episode of The Venture Bros. , where Dr. Venture mistakes it for a pornographic film, given its "racy" history. [24]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dolly Parton</span> American country musician (born 1946)

Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and philanthropist, known primarily for her decades-long career in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album debut in 1967 with Hello, I'm Dolly, which led to success during the remainder of the 1960s, before her sales and chart peak arrived during the 1970s and continued into the 1980s. Some of Parton's albums in the 1990s did not sell as well, but she achieved commercial success again in the new millennium and has released albums on various independent labels since 2000, including her own label, Dolly Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hallettsville, Texas</span> City in Texas, United States

Hallettsville is a city in Lavaca County, Texas, United States. Its population was 2,731 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Lavaca County. Hallettsville also has a sizable German-Texan population, as the town founders were mainly German and Czech immigrants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Durning</span> American actor (1923–2012)

Charles Edward Durning was an American actor who appeared in over 200 movies, television shows and plays. Durning's best-known films include The Sting (1973), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), The Muppet Movie (1979), True Confessions (1981), Tootsie (1982), Dick Tracy (1990), and O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000). He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for both The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982) and To Be or Not to Be (1983). Prior to his acting career, Durning served in World War II and was decorated for valor in combat.

<i>The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas</i> Musical play

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is a musical with a book by Texas author Larry L. King and Peter Masterson and music and lyrics by Carol Hall. It is based on a story by King that was inspired by the real-life Chicken Ranch in La Grange, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helen Kleeb</span> American actress (1907–2003)

Helen Kleeb was an American film and television actress. In a career covering nearly 50 years, she may be best known for her role from 1972 to 1981 as Miss Mamie Baldwin on the family drama The Waltons.

Theresa Merritt Hines, known professionally as Theresa Merritt, was an American actress. She is known for her role in That's My Mama (1974–1975) and for her film roles in The Wiz (1978) and Billy Madison (1995).

The Chicken Ranch was an illegal brothel in the U.S. state of Texas that operated from 1905 until 1973 in Fayette County, about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) east of downtown La Grange. The business was notably dramatized in the 1978 Broadway musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, adapted into a 1982 film of the same name.

<i>Heartbreak Express</i> 1982 studio album by Dolly Parton

Heartbreak Express in the twenty-fourth solo studio album by American entertainer Dolly Parton. It was released on March 29, 1982, by RCA Records. The album returned Parton to a more fully realized country sound, after her late 1970s pop recordings. The album's first single, "Single Women", a slow-tempo honkytonk ballad about a singles bar, was written by Saturday Night Live writer Michael O'Donoghue, and had previously appeared in an SNL skit in late 1980. The single provided a top ten single for Parton. The title cut also was a top ten hit for her. "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" appeared as a double-A-sided single, and reached No. 1 on the country charts in August 1982.

<i>The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas</i> (soundtrack) 1982 soundtrack album by Various artists

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas original soundtrack was released along with the film in July 1982. The album was produced by Gregg Perry.

<i>Greatest Hits</i> (Dolly Parton album) 1982 compilation album by Dolly Parton

Greatest Hits is a compilation album by the American singer and songwriter Dolly Parton, released in September 1982. It focused mostly on her late 1970s pop hits. The original track list was revised a year later to include Parton's 1983 duet hit with Kenny Rogers, "Islands in the Stream". The album has since been reissued with an abbreviated track listing. The 1983 version was re-released on iTunes April 10, 2020.

<i>Burlap & Satin</i> 1983 studio album by Dolly Parton

Burlap & Satin is the twenty-fifth solo studio album by American entertainer Dolly Parton. It was released on May 2, 1983, by RCA Records. The album straddled the line between pop and country sounds. Consisting mostly of Parton's own compositions, two tracks were outtakes from the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas film: "A Cowboy's Ways" and "A Gamble Either Way". The album's single, "Potential New Boyfriend" was a top 20 country single and was accompanied by Parton's first ever music video. Willie Nelson duetted on a cover of the Eddy Arnold hit "I Really Don't Want to Know". The track "Ooo-eee" was recorded by Nicolette Larson on her 1980 album, "Radioland" and features backing vocals from Linda Ronstadt.

Peter Masterson was an American actor, director, producer, and writer. He made his Broadway debut in November 1967 in The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald, playing the title character. Although he got good notices, the play closed after nine performances.

"Hard Candy Christmas" is a song written by composer-lyricist Carol Hall for the musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

<i>The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public</i> Musical by Carol Hall

The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public is a musical with a book by Larry L. King and Peter Masterson and music and lyrics by Carol Hall. It is a sequel to the 1978 musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlin Glynn</span> American singer and actress (1940–2023)

Carlin Elizabeth Glynn was an American singer and actress. Most notable for her work as a theater performer, she is best known for her Tony Award-winning performance, as Mona Stangley, in the original 1978 production of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. She is also known for her roles in John Hughes' Sixteen Candles (1984) and Peter Masterson's The Trip to Bountiful (1985), which is based on the play of the same name, by Horton Foote. Glynn was the mother of actress Mary Stuart Masterson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry L. King</span> American journalist (1929–2012)

Lawrence Leo King was an American playwright, journalist, and novelist, best remembered for his 1978 Tony Award-nominated play The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, which became a long-running production on Broadway and was later turned into a feature film starring Burt Reynolds, Charles Durning, and Dolly Parton.

"Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" is a song by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. The song was written by Parton and was first released as a duet with Chet Atkins on his 1976 album, The Best of Chet Atkins & Friends. Parton performed the song live throughout the 1970s, but did not release a solo version until 1982 on Heartbreak Express. Parton's solo version was released as the album's third single in July 1982, a double A-side release with "I Will Always Love You" from The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas soundtrack. The song did not chart on its own, but did chart as the flip-side of "I Will Always Love You" throughout the single's chart run on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Parton would record the song for a third time in 1994, this time with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt. This version would be released on the 1999 album Trio II, and would be one of three singles released simultaneously from the album.

Memphis Cathouse Blues is a 1982 pornographic film that is a spoof of the Broadway musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and the 1982 film it was made into, starring Burt Reynolds and Dolly Parton. Annette Haven takes over the Parton role of the madam and Mike Horner the Reynolds role as the sheriff.

William Hardy was an American actor and theatre director with a lifelong career on both the stage and screen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dolly Parton filmography</span>

Dolly Parton is an American country singer, songwriter and actress. She has appeared in twelve theatrically released films and has made over 400 appearances on television.

References

  1. ↑ "THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS (AA)". British Board of Film Classification . October 6, 1982. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  2. ↑ "The Unstoppables". Spy. November 1988. p.  92.
  3. 1 2 "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas". Box Office Mojo . IMDb. October 22, 1982. Archived from the original on July 5, 2015. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 King, Larry L. (July 8, 1982). "What a round-up! Roping Dolly and Burt, bringing 'Whorehouse' to the screen". Chicago Tribune. p. d20.
  5. 1 2 Scott, Jay (June 27, 1987). "Reynolds Rap". The Globe and Mail. p. E.1.
  6. ↑ Goldstein, Patrick (January 24, 1981). "HIGGINS: WRITER-DIRECTOR ON HOT STREAK". Los Angeles Times. p. b15.
  7. ↑ King, 1999 p 274-275
  8. ↑ King, 1982, p 272
  9. ↑ Dolly on Dolly: Interviews and Encounters with Dolly Parton. ed. Randy L. Schmidt
  10. ↑ Parton p 236
  11. 1 2 Parton p 237
  12. ↑ "Burt Reynolds: I was asked to be James Bond". The Telegraph. November 19, 2015. Archived from the original on November 19, 2015. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  13. ↑ Parton p 239
  14. ↑ Parton p 250
  15. ↑ "Weekend Box Office Results for July 23-25, 1982". Box Office Mojo . IMDb. July 26, 1982. Archived from the original on July 28, 2015. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  16. ↑ Murphy, Arthur D. (October 31, 1989). "Leading North American Film Boxoffice Weekends in History". Daily Variety . p. 53.
  17. ↑ "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas". Rotten Tomatoes . Archived from the original on September 14, 2024. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  18. ↑ "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Movie Review (1982)". Roger Ebert . January 1, 1982. Archived from the original on June 20, 2015. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  19. ↑ "The 55th Academy Awards (1983) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on September 5, 2012. Retrieved October 9, 2011.
  20. ↑ "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas". Golden Globe Awards. Archived from the original on July 10, 2024. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  21. ↑ "25th Annual GRAMMY Awards". Grammy Awards . Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  22. ↑ "Memphis Cathouse Blues (1982) Connections". IMDb. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  23. ↑ "The Chicken Ranch". TheStudioTour.com. Archived from the original on July 1, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
  24. ↑ "Dolly Parton's Racy Flick | The Venture Bros. | Adult Swim". Archived from the original on June 18, 2017 – via YouTube.
Further reading
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.