What does Henry Winkler, “The Fonz” have to do with Corsicana, Texas?

Not much, but his son, Max Winkler is the director of a movie based on a multimillion crime commited in the northeast Texas city of 24,000. We are in Corsicana tonight on a mission to examine the filming and possibly meet/interview stars and crew! 

Will Ferrell and Julianne Moore are set to star in a film entitled ‘Fruitcake’. It centers on the true events of the world famous Collin Street Bakery. It’s so popular, they churn out over 800,000 (2 million pounds) cakes a year.

Ferrell, as the ultimate fruitcake, and Moore are cast as Sandy and Kay Jenkins, a married couple who embezzled more than $16 million from the fruitcake company.

The two earned themselves the nicknames “Fruitcake” and “Cupcake” from their personal Nieman-Marcus shopper after spending more than $1.2 million in Dallas. 

A preview of the movie script describes Highway 45, the major passthrough in Corsicana:  “A massive split lane chugging between the breast augmentations of Dallas and the refried smog of Houston.”

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It features dialogue such as: “Alright is a saddle on a donkey, Scott. I’m a four point harness in a Ferrari,” and “Arrived? We’re about to drive an eighteen wheeler of nitroglycerin right through the aristocracy of Corsicana!”

According to Texas Monthly and court documents,  Sandy’s personality was rated “zero,” and likened to that of an aged “Basset Hound.”

He would type out a $20,000 check payable to CitiCard. The software he was used would automatically sign the check as Bob McNutt, the owner of the bakery.

After printing the check, he voided it in the system and mailed it. Then he would type the next check payable to a legitimate bakery vendor for the same amount but never mailed it.

Soon the couple were joining and hosting social events, remodeling their home and became members of the Country Club. During a December 2006 shopping spree in Dallas,  he bought five Rolexes for $52,765, about his annual salary.

They even bought a home valued at  $784,380 (during time of his arrest in Corsicana) in Hondo Hills, southeast of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

In 2015, the Jenkins couple were sentenced. Sandy was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for mail fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and making a false statement to a financial institution. Kay was sentenced to 5 years probation for conspiracy to commit money laundering.

He died on March 15, 2019 in a Fort Worth federal prison.

When the two were arrested in 2014, authorities recovered 532 luxury items including 41 bracelets, 15 pairs of cufflinks, 21 pairs of earrings, 16 furs, 61 handbags, 45 necklaces, 9 sets of pearls, 55 rings, 98 watches valued at $3.5 million, a wine collection valued at $50,000; plus $580,754.90 in cash.

According to the president and CEO of Collin Street Bakery Bob McNutt, actress Laura Dern was originally attached to star in the film but had to drop out due to a scheduling conflict with the latest Jurassic World movie. 

Preliminary filming has begun. According to Corsicana Tourism Director Lauren Bedsole, crews will not be shooting much of the film in Corsicana, but we are trying to confirm rumors that Ferrell is in town. 

‘Fruitcake’ was written by Austin based screenwriter Trey Selman.

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