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Marvin Zindler

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Template:Infobox actor television

Marvin Harold Zindler (August 10 1921 - July 29 2007), was an iconic and influential news reporter for television station KTRK-TV in Houston, Texas, USA. His hard-hitting investigative journalism, through which he mostly represented the city's elderly and working class, made him one of the city's most influential and well-known media personalities.

Early life

Zindler attended Pershing Middle School and Lamar High School in Houston[1], and went on to John Tarleton Agricultural College in Stephenville, Texas. In 1941, when the United States entered World War II, Zindler joined the United States Marine Corps and later received an honorable discharge.

Zindler's father, Abe Zindler, who founded and owned a successful clothing store in Houston, was disappointed in Marvin, whom Abe considered frivolous and irresponsible. Abe wanted his sons to inherit the store, a career course that Marvin was reluctant to take because of his father's sometimes angry behavior. When Abe died in 1963, Marvin's inheritance was instead allocated to a trust for Zindler's children.[2]

Early career

Zindler began his broadcasting career in 1943 as a part-time night radio disc jockey and spot news reporter at now defunct Houston radio station KATL-AM while working for his family's clothing store. In 1950, he became a reporter and cameraman for Southwest Film Production Company which produced the 6 P. M. news for KPRC-TV, but in 1954, he was fired by an executive who said he was "too ugly" to work in TV.[3] Two years later, Zindler joined the Scripps Howard Houston Press to work part-time as a crime reporter and photographer. While working for the newspaper and his father's store, Zindler became dissatisfied with the retail business and in 1962 took a career detour to join the Harris County Sheriff's Department. He handled Civil Process for two years and then joined the Fugitive Squad where his work took him all over the world to extradite fugitives.

Two years before joining KTRK-TV, Zindler was assigned by the Sheriff and District Attorney to establish a Consumer Fraud Division with the Harris County District Attorney's Office. This division is still in operation today. It was during this time of his career that he got his first taste of working on behalf of people. After Jack Heard was elected Sheriff of Harris County in 1972, Zindler was unceremoniously let go, a move that Zindler blamed on agitated car dealers who were alleged to have been rolling back odometers.[4]

At KTRK-TV

File:Marvin Zindler KTRK 2005.jpg
Zindler on KTRK-TV in 2005
File:Pics 020.jpg
Zindler with his coworkers on KTRK-TV's 6 P. M. edition of Eyewitness News in 2006. From left to right: Bob Allen, Dave Ward, Gina Gaston, Zindler, and Tim Heller.

Upon news of Zindler's departure from the Harris County Sheriff's Department, KTRK anchor Dave Ward recommended to the station's assistant news director that the station hire Zindler. On January 1, 1973, Marvin Zindler joined KTRK, a station that had languished in third place but was now looking to become the number one news team in Houston.

The "Chicken Ranch" story

Zindler made local and national headlines when he closed the Chicken Ranch in Fayette County, Texas, near La Grange, after he made a news report on it in 1973. The Chicken Ranch story was featured in two 1974 issues of Playboy magazine, was the basis for the Broadway and film musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and served as the basis of the song La Grange by ZZ Top. The closing did not go well with the sheriff of Fayette County, T.J. Flournoy, who later attacked Zindler in a fight that left Zindler with two fractured ribs, along with a snatched toupee; reportedly, Flournoy waved the hairpiece in the air as if it were a prized enemy scalp.[3]

Lifetime contract

The story, along with his trademark reporting style, was instrumental in Zindler signing an unprecedented lifetime contract with Capital Cities/ABC, Inc. and KTRK-TV in September 1988, which he honored.[3] The last story filed was to help an American citizen obtain a Social Security card.[5] Zindler had been a primary factor in KTRK's rise from a perennial third in the ratings to its usual number one position.

"Rat and Roach Report"

Zindler was also famed in Houston for his self-described Rat and Roach Report, where he read details from his controversial City of Houston Food Inspection Program restaurant reports on the air. These reports conclude with restaurants that were reported to have slime in their ice machines, which is referred to on the air by Zindler as "Sliiiime in the Ice Machine!"[6] [7]. Hundreds, if not thousands, of restaurants in Greater Houston have made at least one appearance on his reports. KTRK-TV's own commissary was cited on one occasion.

Zindler's Rat and Roach Reports were traditionally broadcast on Friday nights live during KTRK's 6 p.m. newscast and rebroadcast later during the station's 10 p.m. newscast.

Two spin-off segments resulted from these reports:

  • In the first spin-off, Marvin Zindler also rewarded restaurants for operating clean kitchens continuously with his "Blue Ribbon Awards," which was done in his final years with local beauty pageant contestants giving the envelopes of the winning restaurants to Zindler.
  • The other spin-off showcased places where Zindler preferred to dine, called "Where Marvin Likes to Eat...". Most of these restaurants were locally-based restaurants, while a handful of them were national chains, including McDonald's and Ruth's Chris Steak House. The one place Zindler preferred to eat, which was seen in the last segment of this spin-off feature, was at home.

On Friday nights, Zindler also gave viewers additional good wishes just before his traditional sign-off: "Have a good weekend - good golf, good tennis, or whatever makes you happy."

Zindler's reports on KTRK also included international stories, many involving trips to various third-world countries; segments in which local business owners (known as Marvin's Angels) provided services to a less fortunate person in dire financial or physical health; and stories focused on the elderly, including nursing home abuse reports that are similar to his trademark restaurant reports. On his Friday reports, Zindler had also reported birthday and wedding anniversary greetings on air, usually involving those celebrating their 100th birthday or at least a 50th wedding anniversary. The station has stated that over 100,000 requests for help from Zindler were received yearly. In choosing stories, Zindler focused on two factors - neediness and chance of success. While low income was a key factor, being selected for a story had more to do with an injustice than with income.

Marvin Zindler's trademark signoff at the end of each report was, nearly shouting: "Maaarvin Zindler..... Eeeeeeeyewitness NEWS!" To which the anchor, usually longtime KTRK newscaster Dave Ward, calmly replied "Thank ya, Marvin."

Honors

Zindler was the recipient of hundreds of awards from news organizations, charity groups, and medical professionals. The Plastic Surgeons of America honored Zindler for his openness and honesty in talking about his cosmetic surgeries and for the help he obtained for charity patients who desperately needed reconstructive surgery. He was a Freemason, and was particularly proud of the 33rd Degree that was conferred upon him by the Scottish Rite.[8]

Personal life

In 1941, he married his first wife, the former Gertrude S. Kugler (May 30, 1921 - November 28, 1997).[9] Zindler vowed he would never marry again, yet he fell in love with Niki Devine at a bat mitzvah[10], and married her in 2006. Before his death, Marvin and Niki Zindler lived in the Houston neighborhood of Meyerland, where Zindler had resided continuously for forty-eight years. They were the owners of a dog, Magic, a bichon frisé. Additionally, Zindler owned a cat, Sugar, who died in 2006. Zindler had five children, nine grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.[11]

At one point in the 1970s, Zindler considered running for Congress as a Republican, and the local GOP, unaware of Zindler's politically liberal viewpoints, commissioned surveys that predicted a Zindler victory. However, Gertrude was hesitant to leave Houston, and such plans were dropped. Despite being a Republican, Zindler described himself as a social liberal who supports universal health care. Prior to his switch to Republicanism, Zindler had been a Democrat and politically supported Lyndon B. Johnson.[12] Additionally, Zindler's father ran the family clothing business and was a four-term mayor of suburban Bellaire. He too was a liberal who opposed the Ku Klux Klan and was among a handful of Houston businesses who advertised in African-American newspapers and was a card-carrying member of the NAACP.

Zindler was also known for wearing makeup continually, his love of cigars, and was a frequent golfer. Additionally, Zindler had his own producer and cameraman, as well as his own editing suite at KTRK. Zindler was also noted for his seventeen cosmetic surgeries, the first of which took place in 1954 after the KPRC-TV firing. KTRK's longtime investigative reporter, Wayne Dolcefino, has described his egregious behavior in the office, including loud phone conversations (which can be attributed by Dolcefino to Zindler's poor hearing) and trademark zealous pursuit of reports.

Illness and death

In 1994, Zindler was diagnosed with prostate cancer, but he overcame the illness. In 1996, Zindler underwent heart bypass surgery.

On July 5 2007, it was announced on KTRK's 6:00 p.m. newscast that Zindler was diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer that had also spread to his liver.[13] [14] In a news conference, Zindler said he would continue to work.[15] Zindler stated that he planned to stay on the air as his illness was treated, even doing restaurant reports and greetings from his bedside. Zindler died from the cancer at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in the Texas Medical Center section of Houston on July 29, 2007, two nights after what would turn out to be his final newscast. [16] [17] [18]

Zindler's funeral took place on Wednesday, August 1, 2007 [19] at Congregation Beth Israel[20] in Houston. ABC-13 staff members and Houston-area religious figures, such as Joel Osteen, Former Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Houston Archbishop Joseph Fiorenza, Reverend Bill Lawson (Melanie Lawson's Father), and Reverend Kirbyjon Caldwell were among those presenting tributes to Zindler at the funeral.

Marvin Zindler is interred at Woodlawn Cemetery, Houston, Texas.

References

  1. ^ YouTube
  2. ^ Channel 13's Marvin Zindler dies at 85
  3. ^ a b c Channel 13's Marvin Zindler dies at 85
  4. ^ Marvin Zindler, 85, Crusader in ‘Whorehouse in Texas’ Case, Is Dead
  5. ^ Marvin helps man get Social Security number
  6. ^ YouTube Clip One
  7. ^ Youtube clip two
  8. ^ Agris, Joseph (2002). White Knight in Blue Shades. A-to-Z Publishing. ISBN 0-9712348-0-9.
  9. ^ http://ssdi.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi.
  10. ^ http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/tv/5009897.html "The loudest man on television" Houston Chronicle, July 29, 2007
  11. ^ Channel 13's Marvin Zindler dies at 85
  12. ^ Eric Harrison. "TV's white knight / At 84, Marvin Zindler is still fighting for the little guy", Houston Chronicle, June 2, 2006.
  13. ^ Dave Ward (July 5 2007). "Marvin Zindler health news". Eyewitness News at 6 pm. KTRK. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ "Marvin announces he has pancreatic cancer". KTRK/Houston. Retrieved 2007-07-05.
  15. ^ Marvin Zindler. "Marvin Zindler discusses his pancreatic cancer". Action 13 Video. KTRK, ABC 13. Retrieved 2007-07-05.
  16. ^ Twitter BreakingNewsOn. "Marvin Zindler dead at 85". BreakingNewsOn. Twitter. Retrieved 2007-07-29. {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  17. ^ Marvin Zindler passes away after battle with cancer.
  18. ^ Artists have the last word when end is near
  19. ^ View Clips of Marvin's Funeral
  20. ^ Many turn out to say goodbye to Marvin Zindler

Biography

Agris, Joseph (2002). White Knight in Blue Shades. A-to-Z Publishing. ISBN 0-9712348-0-9.

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