Real Stuff in Hazzard

[RogerDuke]

This thread is to compile a list of real things that the actors used and put on the show and made them into Hazzard County things.

1)For example, in his book "Redneck Boy in the Promised Land" Ben Jones mentioned (page 33 and 65) that him and his Uncle worked for a mechanic named Stump Rountree when he was a young man living in Virginia. Stump Rountree was an unseen character that was mentioned on the episode "The Canterbury Crock"

2) Hard Labor Creek (page 154 of the same book) was mentioned in "Dukescam Scam"

3) Rosey Walker (page 232) is from "Enos and Daisy's Wedding"

4) Peach Tree Road (page 177) is from "Heiress Daisy Duke"

5) Jim Bronke was an attorney whose named appeared numerous times on the sign in front of the courthouse. It first appeared on "The Big Heist". In reality, Mr. Bronke was a friend of someone who worked on the show (a stage manager I think)

6) Enos's Uncle Odie (unseen on the show but mentioned by Enos on "Enos in Trouble") was really Sonny Shroyer's way of mentioning his real-life father, Odie Shroyer

Can anybody else think of any more? I bet there's a lot.

[dukefan]

there is no way for me to know that sadly, I have no idea what anyone contributed to the show, except Daisy.

When I seen the show "the life and times of the dukes of hazzard", in the interview with Catherine, it was mentioned when Catherine was hired for the part of Daisy, she would have to wear matching clothes to the table cloth at the Boars nest.

Catherine's answer to that was, "Daisy Duke is not wearing that...." That's when she suggest them short pants Jeans and producers of the show all excepted.

So , that's the only thing I know, catherine contributed them shorts.

[DaisyMaeDuke]

Widow Baxley...LOL no doubt she became a widow when whatever Baxley brother she was married to did a stunt that didnt go over so well!

[Meadowmufn]

Here's an easy one... Jimmie's paintings in "Dead and Alive".

[Sheriff_Rosco_P_Coltrane]

Ha! Oh my gosh!

Those were Jimmies? No wonder he looked at em proud. LOL

[HossC]

Here's one I spotted earlier. During the California episodes of season 1 the sign outside the Hazzard County Building lists "Axtell Bail Bonds" (this screengrab in from 'The Big Heist'). For all eight of those episodes the art director was Kirk Axtell. From season 2 onward the name was replaced with "Hogg Bail Bonds".

This is from a recent post in the Signs of Hazzard thread. In 'Coy vs. Vance' the motorcycle stuntwomen are called "The Famous Flying Baxley Sisters". Paul, Craig and Gary Baxley did a lot of the stunts on Dukes.

I've mentioned the last two in Hazzard Square and The Official Dukes of Hazzard Trivia Thread respectively, but I thought I'd list them here for completeness.

From season 3 onward there's a store in Hazzard Square called "Skipper Ward Surplus". Skip Ward was associate producer on many episodes of Dukes.

In 'How to Succeed in Hazzard' the name of the champagne that Dewey Hogg gets tricked with is "Chateau Neuf de Picard 1970". Paul Picard was executive producer on over half of the episodes of Dukes.

[P.J. Gathergood]

I almost explode with delight when I find these threads For so many years I've collected such bits of trivia, and finally have a place to share and exchange them.

One of my favourite "real life things" is in the second episode, "Daisy's Song". Near the start, as Daisy's song finishes playing on the radio, The Balladeer comments that "..for those of you ignorant of good music, Jessi Colter is one of the world's greatest singers - 'though I'm partial to June Carter myself." Jessi Colter was of course, Waylon's wife. As an in joke, possibly in keeping with the risque humour of the first couple of episodes, June Carter was the wife of Waylon's friend and collaborator Johnny Cash.

One of the fun things I loved spotting was the references to Burt Reynolds in the early episodes. In "One Armed Bandits", Luke comments that Burt Reynolds never seems to get lost, to which Bo responds "But he's got a moustache!"; and in "Repo Men", Cooter asks Luke what he thinks Burt Reynolds "would be doing at a time like this", to which Luke tells him whatever it was, it would be with someone better looking than Cooter! With 'Smokey and the Bandit' being a huge hit the previous year (and arguably helped the Dukes get on air), seems like they wanted to reference it quite a bit, and in my mind "Bandit" and "Dukes" have always inhabited the same universe! They certainly have similar adventures.

...'Course, Burt Reynolds would go on to play Boss Hogg in 2005's (terrible) Dukes film; not even Burt could save that mess!

(I won't mention Ben Jones / Sonny Shroyer / John Schneider appearing in 'Smokey' as surely we all know that; John also appears as a Sheriff in one of the 1990s TV Bandit movies, too)

But if you want "real stuff in Hazzard", look no futher than Jerry Rushing. He and his brother were the "original Duke boys" (Jerry claims he was the inspiration for Bo), had an Uncle Worley (spelling?) who became Uncle Jesse, and an attractive cousin who inspired Daisy. They used to hunt with crossbows, and their car was 'Traveler', named after General Lee's horse (also the name of the car in 'Moonrunners' and the name for what became the General Lee when the TV series was being conceived).

Between himself and Waldron collaborating on the series, apparently the likes of Swamp Molly and similar from first season episodes were based on real people and events they had known.

There has been contradiction over the years as to the original real life Boar's Nest. I've heard that Jerry (I think? Or was it Gy) claim that it was a place that they frequented; but I've also heard it cited as a music hangout that Waylon Jennings visited earlier in his career.

Finally, trying to remember if my memory is playing tricks, or maybe it was a myth doing the rounds on early Dukes web sites - there is an episode (probably fourth season) where John Schneider can be seen wearing his wedding ring, having just previously got married. If memory serves, he left it on as a little hidden on-screen "easter egg" to his new wife. Anyone?

Damn I gotta stop finding and catching up on these great threads, I have too much to contribute!!

[HossC]

(I won't mention Ben Jones / Sonny Shroyer / John Schneider appearing in 'Smokey' as surely we all know that; John also appears as a Sheriff in one of the 1990s TV Bandit movies, too)

Pictures of their appearances can be found here (scroll down for John).

[P.J. Gathergood]

Pictures of their appearances can be found here (scroll down for John).

Great job as always, Hoss. For some years, a couple of movie fan friends and I knew that John Schneider was said to be in the film somewhere, but could never find him (hardly surprising ) One friend-of-a-friend insisted he was the blonde car thief from Sheriff Justice's first scene in the film, which it quite clearly wasn't.

[RogerDuke]

You are a great asset to the HazzardNet P.J.

I'm not on here as much as I used to be since I don't have a computer at home anymore and my time on a computer is now limited so I end up reading more posts than I write but I'm very impressed with your love and knowledge of Hazzard County. Thanks for all your contributions.

[Roth Potter]

(I won't mention Ben Jones / Sonny Shroyer / John Schneider appearing in 'Smokey' as surely we all know that

Actually I didn't know beside Sonny.

[P.J. Gathergood]

Actually I didn't know beside Sonny.

I thought as soon as I had posted that maybe it's not as common knowledge as it might seem

Ben is the easiest to spot, he's right near the beginning of the film as the Enis brothers arrive at the fairground to see the Bandit. He has several lines and sports a huge moustache.

I've seen Ben in an interview where he said it was during his alcoholic days (which he triumphantly beat by the time of 'Dukes'), where he rose from a hard night's "honkey tonkying", did the scene, went back to sleep, and awoke later dreaming that he had done a scene in a movie!

[P.J. Gathergood]

You are a great asset to the HazzardNet P.J.

I'm not on here as much as I used to be since I don't have a computer at home anymore and my time on a computer is now limited so I end up reading more posts than I write but I'm very impressed with your love and knowledge of Hazzard County. Thanks for all your contributions.

That's very kind of you I feel I'm on information overload at the moment, as I find these old threads and suddenly 30+ years of 'Dukes' analysing comes spilling out!

My internet periods are sometimes patchy (I partly work/live on a boat so don't always have internet connection) but it's great to share the passion and swap stories with other such dedicated Dukes fans.

[ncDukeBoy01]

Speaking of real things in Dukes of Hazzard episodes, in the episode "Daisy's Song" in one of the Atlanta outdoor scenes there is clearly a Mellow Mushroom Pizza restaurant in the background near the recording studio. I never noticed this or even knew what it was until we got a Mellow Mushroom in my town a few years ago.  I wonder if its the original restaurant? 

[HossC]

Well spotted, ncDukeBoy01. Here's Bo across the street from Mellow Mushroom Pizza.

And here's a picture of their first store in Spring Street. While the Starr Records building is still standing, the other side of Spring Street has been obliterated by modern developments.

 

[Roth Potter]

That's cool! This has to be accidentall right? Cause there is not one form of real product placement during the show is there?

[Hobie Hartkins]

3 hours ago, Roth Potter said:

That's cool! This has to be accidentall right? Cause there is not one form of real product placement during the show is there?

I REALLY doubt it...remember in one episode, they had a truck that was supposed to be selling produce and it was called  " Grow and Sons" .....LOL!!! I always thought that was funny! 

[HossC]

I've just noticed that the name on the sign outside the church in some episodes (I saw it in 'The Runaway') is Rev. Bachman - a quick search shows that Roger mentioned this in passing on the Trivia thread. I wonder if this was a reference to Cathy, who shortened her surname from Bachman to Bach.

Edited August 23, 2017 by HossC
Typo.

[RogerDuke]

Hmmmm....that's pretty interesting Hoss. You might be on to something.