God Bless crazy ole Marvin.
Posted on 07/30/2007 6:31:49 AM PDT by Ready4Freddy
Marvin Zindler, the flamboyant pioneer of TV consumer reporting whose crusade against a rural brothel inspired The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, died Sunday from complications of pancreatic cancer, Houston television station KTRK said. He was 85.
Mr. Zindler, the bellicose consumer crusader for Channel 13, announced his illness in a report from his hospital room this month.
A former sheriff's deputy and the heir to a retailing fortune, he was one of the most widely recognized celebrities in Houston.
And, at a reported $1 million a year, he was one of the highest-paid local broadcasters in America.
"Marvin was one of the most valued and beloved people in Houston. For nearly 35 years he was welcomed into the hearts and homes of millions of local viewers," said Henry Florsheim, president and general manager of KTRK. "This is a deep loss for me, both personally and professionally. My prayers are with his family, friends and co-workers."
Mr. Zindler defied conventional wisdom with his success in TV news. He didn't begin his broadcasting career until 1973 at age 51. He wasn't telegenic, learned or eloquent, reflective or dignified. He was, instead, as garish as a street hustler's suit, as brassy as a half-lit Irishman on St. Patrick's Day.
"When people first see me on television, they can't believe it," he once told an interviewer. "They think I'm some kind of clown."
He wore blue tinted glasses and snowy pompadour wigs. He boasted of his 14 cosmetic surgeries, including four face-lifts, two nose jobs, an eye job and a chin implant.
Mr. Zindler landed at KTRK, soon after being fired from the Harris County Sheriff's Department. He wasted little time before making his mark by railing against "a bawdy house" near La Grange, Texas.
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
God Bless crazy ole Marvin.
Sliiime in the ice machine PING!
(saw y’all posted on the earlier Zindler thread July 5th)
Yes, I saw that this morning in the Comical. No more “sliiime in the ice machine!” May he rest in peace. It’s the end of an era [for those of us who grew up with him).
I lived in Houston 20 years...Marvin = Houston. RIP ole buddy.
The sock he stuffed in his shorts will be buried separately in a Masonic ceremony.
Mr. Zindler may there be no sliiiime in the ice machine and may all of the restaurants above score 100 because of perfect conditions.
RIP, FRiend. Even though I no longer live in Houston, I can hear your voice and carry that unique memory of Houston television with me. You, Dave Ward and Ed Brandon were like family in my living room nightly for many a year. God Bless!
He was truly an original! A real character but also a man who did a lot of people a tremendous amount of good.
I’ll miss him. Especially his restaurant rants. There are quite a few eateries/chains I refuse to go to on the basis of his reports. Yes, I know. It’s possible those places may have remedied their problems with filth and vermin. It’s also possible that they’ll revert to their old ways now that he’s gone.
R.I.P. Mr. Zindler. And thanks for the memories!
Of course, in some parts of Texas, there's a LOT of slime...(running for exits, ducking for cover)
Cheers!
What a career he had! I saw him in the hallway of old Jeff Davis Hospital where I worked in the late 70’s - he was clearly surprised to see me (why, I didn’t know, but suspected that a white hospital worker stood out in the crowd!).
Thanks to all for reminding this Houstonian-in-exile about the “Slime in the ice machine!” I always wondered if he was still around.
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