Monday, July 30, 2007

News Legend Dies

Marvin Zindler, age 85, passed away yesterday. Marvin was a colorful character and my introduction to the local news on KTRK in Houston, TX. First time I saw him I thought he was something of joke with an over the top delivery and bright blue tinted sunglasses. Dressed as he was I thought he was a parody of TV evangelists. As it turns out he was for real and I, who never watch consumer reports, started watching Marvin just because he was such a character. He made me laugh at a time when I was at my lowest, I was terribly homesick my freshman year of college. Those of you with a few years under your belt who are not from the Houston area might know him from a famous Broadway play turned Burt Reynolds - Dolly Parton movie The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. The play and movie were based on Marvin's first major news campaign the closing of the infamous Chicken Ranch, the site where the losing team treated the winners of the annual Texas-Texas A&M football game. While many will remember him because of these famous retellings, I will always remember him for his "Sliiiimme in the ice machine" reports. Well, Marvin I guess this is your last sign off "Marvin Zindler...Eyyyyyee Witness News!"

No comments: