lspencer534
03-01-2012, 7:08pm
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The last madam of the infamous Chicken Ranch brothel, died last week at the age of 84. The Chicken Ranch of La Grange, Texas, was the house of ill repute that inspired the Broadway musical, "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas." It later became a hit movie.
Edna Chadwell's passing inspired a surge of interest in the 1982 film starring Dolly Parton and Burt Reynolds. The flick was an enormous success, taking in nearly $70 million. It was one of the biggest musical hits of the decade, despite mixed reviews.
Parton's character wasn't directly based on Chadwell, but Parton clearly drew on Chadwell for her performance. Chadwell served as madam of the Chicken Ranch from 1962 until 1973, when it was shut down after a news exposé.
When Chadwell purchased the property in 1962, she renamed it "Edna's Fashionable Ranch Boarding House." She turned what was already a profitable enterprise into something much more: an institution. She developed a good relationship with the sheriff, gave generously to local charities, and was careful about making sure her employees saw a doctor regularly. The money rolled in, until a TV station got word. The business was then shut down and an epic scandal erupted.
Apparently word about the Chicken Ranch's demise was slow to leak out. According to legend, customers were still showing up at the ranch two years after it shut its bedroom doors.
The place is now a restaurant. :leaving:
The last madam of the infamous Chicken Ranch brothel, died last week at the age of 84. The Chicken Ranch of La Grange, Texas, was the house of ill repute that inspired the Broadway musical, "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas." It later became a hit movie.
Edna Chadwell's passing inspired a surge of interest in the 1982 film starring Dolly Parton and Burt Reynolds. The flick was an enormous success, taking in nearly $70 million. It was one of the biggest musical hits of the decade, despite mixed reviews.
Parton's character wasn't directly based on Chadwell, but Parton clearly drew on Chadwell for her performance. Chadwell served as madam of the Chicken Ranch from 1962 until 1973, when it was shut down after a news exposé.
When Chadwell purchased the property in 1962, she renamed it "Edna's Fashionable Ranch Boarding House." She turned what was already a profitable enterprise into something much more: an institution. She developed a good relationship with the sheriff, gave generously to local charities, and was careful about making sure her employees saw a doctor regularly. The money rolled in, until a TV station got word. The business was then shut down and an epic scandal erupted.
Apparently word about the Chicken Ranch's demise was slow to leak out. According to legend, customers were still showing up at the ranch two years after it shut its bedroom doors.
The place is now a restaurant. :leaving: