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Marvin Zindler, 85; his crusade inspired ‘Best Little Whorehouse’

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From Times Staff and Wire Reports

Marvin Zindler, 85, the flamboyant television consumer reporter whose crusade against a rural brothel inspired the play and movie “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” died Sunday at a Houston hospital of complications from pancreatic cancer, said officials at KTRK-TV Channel 13, the Houston station for which he worked.

Zindler landed at KTRK in 1973. He wasted little time before making his mark by railing against a “bawdy house” near La Grange that July.

State Atty. Gen. John Hill enlisted Zindler’s help and gave him the investigative reports on how local law enforcement officials allowed the Chicken Ranch brothel to operate. Zindler followed through with TV reports exposing the Chicken Ranch and the law enforcement conspiracy.

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He showed the evidence to Texas Gov. Dolph Briscoe on a Monday, and the brothel was closed by that Thursday.

The TV reports made Zindler a household name statewide. His fame grew when a Playboy magazine story followed. “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” became a Broadway smash and propelled Zindler to national renown.

Zindler, always seen in a powder-white toupee, colorful suits and colored glasses, was a native of Houston. He attended what is now Tarleton State University and served in the Marine Corps during World War II.

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