The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982)

Town Sheriff and regular patron, fights to keep a historical whorehouse open when a TV preacher targets it as the Devils playhouse.

Director:

Colin Higgins

Writers:

Larry L. King (play), Peter Masterson (play),

Stars:

Burt Reynolds, Dolly Parton, Dom DeLuise

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Burt Reynolds	...	Sheriff
Dolly Parton	...	Mona Stangley
Dom DeLuise	...	Melvin
Charles Durning	...	Governor
Jim Nabors	...	Deputy Fred
Robert Mandan	...	Senator Wingwood
Lois Nettleton	...	Dulcie Mae
Theresa Merritt	...	Jewel
Noah Beery Jr.	...	Edsel (as Noah Beery)
Raleigh Bond	...	Mayor
Barry Corbin	...	C.J.
Ken Magee	...	Mansel
Mary Jo Catlett	...	Rita
Mary Louise Wilson	...	Modene
Howard K. Smith	...	Howard K. Smith

Storyline

Founded in 1910 just outside of the city limits of Gilbert located in Lanville County, Texas, the Chicken Ranch has for generations been known as the best whorehouse in Texas for its wholesome fun, strict moral code and cleanliness, all perpetuated by its original owner, Miss Wulla Jean. Seven years ago, Miss Wulla Jean passed on, leaving the Chicken Ranch to her favorite working girl, Miss Mona Stangley, who wants to keep the same traditions of Miss Wulla Jean. The Chicken Ranch has always had the unofficial blessing of the local authorities, who see the ranch providing an important community service, one which most in local authority have used at one time or another in their life. In fact, Miss Mona and Lanville County Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd have been in a relationship for years, Ed Earl who is Miss Mona's protector, albeit one with a hot temper and good ol' boy attitude that doesn't exactly match the needs of his law upholding position. That blessing may change when television ...

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Plot Keywords:

texas | sheriff | governor | based on article | blockbuster | 

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Taglines:

With Burt and Dolly this much fun just couldn't be legal!

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 July 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

La mejor casita de placer

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$69,700,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, RKO Pictures, Miller-Milkis-Boyett Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Other people that were up for Burt Reynolds and Dolly Parton's roles in the film included Willie Nelson for the role of Ed Earl Dodd and Barbara Mandrell and Crystal Gayle for the role Miss Mona Stangley.

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Goofs

When Sheriff Dodd punches Melvin P. Thorpe and sends him sliding across the floor, Thorpe slides across a design in the floor and stops with his head and shoulders outside the design. The following aerial shot shows him with his head centered perfectly in the middle of the design.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Deputy Fred: It was the nicest little whorehouse you ever saw!

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Connections

Spoofed in The Simpsons: Bart After Dark (1996)

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Soundtracks

"Hard Candy Christmas"
Written by Carol Hall
Performed by Dolly Parton

User Reviews

Dolly's Voice

The pure part of this film is Dolly's voice, with its warble, its touch of yodel, its complete inability to resists little trills, mordents, all the musical embellishments that are mirrored in her visual presence, her couture. And since the sumptuous breasts are maybe even a bit too much here--with many gown changes in the big numbers--that is all the more striking that it is still the singing that stands out. Jim Nabors, for example, takes some time to seem bearable to me, but finally the whole context works; but the movie seems like it is going to be horrible till Dolly's first phrase in the "Pissant Country Place" song.

Carol Hall's "Rock Candy Christmas" is a good number, but putting Dolly's "I Will Always Love You" was the smartest thing done musically here; in no way is the subsequent Whitney Houston version comparable in either sincerity or just naturalness of lovely sound--she uses little ornaments, too, but changes them as if to be original; all you really notice is that she didn't use the ones Dolly had already made perfect, as if they were as firm and fixed as the melody line itself. It was a considerably smarter thing than using "My Man" in 'Funny Girl', when "The Music that Makes Me Dance" would have made the show keep its original musical integrity; and leaving out the Ziegfeld Follies type numbers "Cornet Man" and "Rat-tat-tat" depleted this film, leaving it only great in moments ('Don't Rain on My Parade' is really the only great one.)

Burt Reynolds is a charmer as the sheriff and his and Dolly's affection for each other is sweet and moving. All of their scenes together work because they fully enjoy them, enjoy each other.

Certain big production numbers--the Aggies football players dancing in the locker room, then when they get to the Chicken Ranch, for example--seem to be low imitations of old Agnes de Mille choreography in 'Oklahoma', full of old-fashioned "cowboy high spirits" (one cannot keep from enjoying how non-cowboy most of the dancers must surely be) that have nothing new in them and merely seem mechanical.

It's a better Dolly Parton movie--though certainly not great--as a whole than 'Nine to Five', but nothing has ever quite surpassed the poetic genius of that picture's title song, in which Dolly has captured so basic a part of most people's daily life that you can hardly believe that the song is actually there to question its very validity, which it does with no qualms at all.

"Workin' nine to five, what a way to make a livin'... and later: "You would think that I would deserve a fat promotion... They just use your mind, and they never give you credit, It's enough to drive you crazy if you let it."

The real artist that she is peers through all the fluff from time to time, perhaps getting it through the fluff is the way it is proved.