MovieChat Forums > The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982) Discussion > 2 Questions about the remake

2 Questions about the remake

posted 15 years ago by Cobb05
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First off, when will the movie be set? The original seemed to take place in 1982 Texas. I don't think the movie would work in 2011 Texas. I mean the point of the movie (I've never seen the musical, so I don't know how it's different) is that there's this whorehouse, but no one cares until a TV reporter reports on the whorehouse, which shocks people. If a reporter came on TV and said there was a whorehouse in Texas, I don't think people would be that shocked. Also the town wouldn't really let that go today. But also, the black woman who worked for Miss Mona, I don't think the same character would work today.

It'll be interesting to see who they cast. I heard someone say Queen Latifa as Mona, but I think they are only thinking off someone with big boobs. You really can have any actress play Mona, as long as she has a sexiness about her. Just like, whoever plays Ed Earl, you wouldn't make him have a mustache. To me, the hardest part to cast would be Melvin P. Thorpe. cause Dom Deluise was perfect. It will be hard to top.

[–] VinnieRattolle 15 years ago

"The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" is based on a true story, though they fudged some facts for the movie (most notably the relationship between the Madame and the Sheriff, and the attack on reporter Marvin Zindler -- which was a direct result, but actually took place nearly a year after the Chicken Ranch was closed down). The play is a little closer to the true story than the film.

The real Chicken Ranch was forced into closing in 1973. Although they never specifically say a date in the 1982 film (and some of the cars are probably anachronistic), I presume the film was also set in '73. It ends with Nabors proclaiming he'd become the Sheriff and saying Reynolds was in legislature, so obviously some time had passed.

As for the casting, the real Miss Mona (Edna Milton) was around 50 at the time and looked like a schoolmarm. And she was white. Hardly the Queen Latifah type... not that Hollywood ever goes for realism. Anchorman Marvin Zindler was around 50 and the real Sheriff was 80. I don't recall Milton having a black sidekick, but Jewel was one of the few characters who transitioned to the film from the play. Given the fact that she has a big song in the play, I could absolutely see Latifah landing that role.

The casting of Melvin Thorpe/Marvin Zindler is the trickiest. DeLuise was so flamboyant in the role that he sort of came off like a raging queen (then again, I guess that was his personality). The real Zindler was absolutely flamboyant, but in a totally different, non-gay way. Matter of fact, here's a video clip of Zindler interviewing DeLuise:

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/video?id=6797657