I really enjoyed The Dukes Of Hazzard when I was a kid. We recently started watching through season 3 on DVD, and I’m finding that it’s still really fun.
I’ve been trying to figure out why I enjoy it. The acting isn’t killer. It’s as fake as pro wrestling. I think it’s because it’s a caricature of happy country life, where the good guys always win. I grew up in a place where the roads really were primarily narrow dirt or gravel, with a few paved. We didn’t run from the law of course, but quite a few people used the law that says "if it’s unlabeled, it’s 55" on some mighty small roads.
Here’s some interesting trivia:
- Boss Hogg wore a fat suit. (more than one person has told me I’ve altered their view of world history with that bit)
- Sorrell Booke enjoyed playing the part of Boss Hogg so much that he used to dress up and go out that way, just because it was fun.
- James Best (Roscoe) had an acting workshop in LA. Director Quentin Tarantino has said that the work of Best "taught me how to act".
- During one of the famous jump sequences the stunt crew actually set a world record.
- Daisy made all of her own clothes for the first season.
- Ben Jones (Cooter) went on to become a US Congressman. During the Dukes reunion show, Cooter (the character) was a US Congressman, played by Ben Jones during his time in Congress.
- The original Georgia location of Cooters Garage was torn down in 1998 to make way for a church expansion, and the original Boar’s Nest is also now a church.
- During the first season, they didn’t have much budget, so they filmed in real places, not on sets. The Duke farm was a regular farm, and the Boar’s Nest was a real bar.
Ben Jones is the greatest Dukes fan, he has a chain of stores called Cooter’s Place. You can get a most excellent Tshirt. 🙂
i have to say that the appeal of the show is, for me, at least, crystal clear… two guys drive a car whose doors won’t open. WHAT COULD BE MORE FUN THAT GETTING IN AND OUT OF YOUR CAR THROUGH the WINDOW? i’m certain my brother and i tried to do this a billion times. every once in a while i look at my mazda and think about it. but since i’m rather attached to my head, i’ve not given it a go.
additionally, while a non-fan might be impressed to hear that Daisy “made her own clothes,” let me tell you how hard that really was. are you ready?
1. buy one pair of jeans, a tiny pair of skivvies, and a red bandana
2. lay the jeans on the floor. lay the skivvies on top of them.
3. use the skivvies as a pattern for how to cut the legs off the jeans. of the jeans.
4. throw your new “shorts”in the washer, so the edges will fray properly.
5. tie the bandana and your chest.
c’est fini!
I also read that the original Cooter is totally offended by the new movie. Says that it’s entirely against everything their family friendly show stood for: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050714/ap_on_en_tv/dukes_of_hazzard_complaint