The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 18, 2025

Colin Higgins' "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" (1982) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include new audio commentary by critics Paul Anthony Nelson and Perri Cummings; new audio commentary by Bryan Reesman and Max Evry; archival documentary; several outtakes; and vintage trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Colin Higgins’ cinematic reimagination of Larry L. King and Peter Masterson’s popular play works well for two crucial reasons. The first is its ability to maintain a proper balance between the music content and the remaining material so that it can appeal to the largest audience possible. A conventional big musical, with the former dominating, would have easily attracted Dolly Parton’s fans and possibly just a fraction of Burt Reynolds’ fans, and there is an excellent chance that both groups would have been similarly underwhelmed by it. The second is its refusal to censor itself so as not to offend religious and feminist groups. This is not to imply that at the time of its release it was a special trailblazer willing to, if necessary, crash and burn in the name of artistic freedom. Rather, it is to clarify that it was determined to entertain with a casual yet biting adult sense of humor, of the kind that today is undetectable in conventional musicals and extremely rare even in the boldest R-rated comedies.

In Gilbert, Texas, Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd (Reynolds), all other public officials, and just about all residents agree that the Chicken Ranch, which is on the outskirts of town, is a landmark institution. They all know that it is a notoriously good brothel, which is why it frequently welcomes visitors from as far away as Dallas and Houston, occasionally even some neighboring states. They also know that its robust business operations have consistently brought in substantial sums of much-needed tax dollars, and its owner, Mrs. Mona Strangely (Parton), has become one of the area’s most generous philanthropists.

Virtually all of the male residents, young and old, have visited the Chicken Ranch at least once, and some are regular clients. Dodd frequently visits, too, but not to spend time with the working girls. Dodd is in love with Stangley, though he has never gathered the courage to reveal how he feels about her. Stangley loves Dodd too, but because of her profession, she has accepted that a proper romantic relationship between them could never work. However, as they have grown older, Dodd and Stangley have both come to realize each has a crucial role in the life of the other.

On a day like any other day in Gilbert, an outsider begins challenging the Chicken Ranch’s right to exist, and with it, Dodd’s willingness to bend the law and protect it. The outsider is Melvin P. Thorpe (Dom DeLuise), a slightly loopy televangelist-turned-consumer advocate with a surprisingly successful TV show out of Houston, where already no one dares to oppose him. When Dodd is informed about this most unexpected development, he phones a few old friends in Houston with a request for help, but ends up driving there and directly engaging Thorpe. The two instantly dislike each other and go to war to determine the fate of the Chicken Ranch. But in the ensuing chaos, while attempting to outmaneuver Thorpe, Dodd unintentionally compromises his relationship with Stangley, which in turn triggers a character transformation that genuinely surprises both.

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas has a wild production history that could easily inspire another equally entertaining film. Reynolds could have had a major part in this fictional film, too, because he was always present in some of the most salacious bits from it. For example, King’s notorious feud with Reynolds was so intense that at one point it looked like the two were set to engage in a public fistfight.

In its current version, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is a reimagination rather than an accurate cinematic adaptation of the successful Broadway play. (Some crucial relationships and character transformations from the original material are altered). However, the changes that are part of it do not in any way hurt the integrity of its story, which is still appropriately lighthearted and loaded with hilarious innuendo.

Parton delights with several lovely songs, the best of which has to be “I Will Always Love You”. However, Reynolds and DeLuise’s singing contributions are of entirely different quality.

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

In America, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas made its high-definition debut with this release, produced by Universal in 2016. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from an exclusive new 2K master sourced from an interpositive.

I have the original release in my library and like it quite a lot. It offers a very stable, attractive, organic presentation of the film that does not have any serious weaknesses. In a few areas, it is easy to tell that the visuals it produces can be slightly fresher and with a better dynamic range, but nothing is troubling or distracting there. Also, it is free of annoying age-related imperfections.

The new 2K master produces healthier and lusher visuals that look gorgeous on a big screen. While the dynamic range of these visuals is not drastically better, it is improved enough to notice a difference in areas where the previous presentation revealed small inconsistencies. I liked what I saw so much that I ended up upscaling a few sections of the film to 4K. I was equally pleased with the quality of the upscaled visuals. Color reproduction and balance are outstanding. All primaries look wonderfully saturated but never crushed, and all supporting nuances are perfectly set, ensuring that all visuals have a fantastic period appearance. I did not encounter any traces of problematic digital corrections. Grain exposure could be slightly better, but I liked what I saw a lot. Image stability is excellent. So, is there any room for meaningful improvements? I do not think so. The current presentation looks great and healthy, so even if some optimizations are to be made to introduce minor enhancements here and there, I do not think that the overall quality of the visuals will change. My score is 4.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

I chose the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track, but switched to the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track in a couple of different areas. The 2.0 track performs as well as possible. However, I must also immediately mention that it is not going to impress folks who appreciate the dynamic versatility and strength of contemporary 2.0 and 5.1 tracks. There is a simple explanation for this. The original soundtrack does not do a whole lot with the music and action to create a great deal of dynamic variety, so the 2.0 track simply replicates its limitations. The 5.1 track does not perform noticeably better either. In fact, in the areas that I tested, the dynamic variety was pretty similar. There is slightly more movement, but I did not think that dynamic contrasts were better.

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• The Making of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas - this archival documentary gathers clips from interviews with director Colin Higgins, Burt Reynolds, Dolly Parton, and Dom DeLuise, as well as raw footage from the shooting of the film. In English, not subtitled. (8 min).

• Outtakes - presented here are several hilarious outtakes. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a remastered original trailer for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Commentary One - this new audio commentary was recorded by critics Paul Anthony Nelson and Perri Cummings.

• Commentary Two - this new audio commentary was recorded by critics Bryan Reesman and Max Evry.

• Cover - a reversible cover with vintage poster art.

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The balance is just right. The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas has enough wonderful performances to meet the expectations of anyone who wants it to be a proper musical, and it is even more enjoyable as an old-fashioned '80s comedy. Also, a lot of the hilarious content is carefully polished yet feels remarkably casual, which is a quality that disappeared from contemporary comedies a long time ago. Kino Lorber's release introduces a lovely new 2K makeover of the film, so if it is one of your favorites, grab a copy for your collection. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.