12/24 Wall Street Journal Article - Dukes Of Hazzard/Gen Lee

[LaNative]

Flag-Wavering

Adapting 'Dukes of Hazzard'

Proves Tricky for New Film;

Car as Old South Symbol?

By JOHN LIPPMAN

Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

December 24, 2004; Page W3

In the hit TV comedy "The Dukes of Hazzard," cousins Bo and Luke Duke tooled around the Georgia sticks, helping the downtrodden and getting into trouble. But for many people the real star of the show was an orange 1969 Dodge Charger named General Lee, with a Confederate flag painted on the roof.

Now "Dukes" is becoming a theatrical movie -- and that car has proved a sticking point.

It's hard to imagine "Dukes" without the General Lee. One survey of nearly 10,000 car enthusiasts by Hagerty Insurance, a Traverse City, Mich., specialist in the car-collector market, ranks it No. 1 in popularity, besting the 1968 Ford Mustang driven by Steve McQueen in "Bullitt," the Batmobile and James Bond's Aston Martin DB5.

The Internet has sites devoted to the General Lee, and the latest "Dukes of Hazzard" videogame, released in October, was titled "Return of the General Lee." Separately, DaimlerChrysler plans to revive the Charger nameplate with a new model next year.

Despite the car's enduring popularity, Warner Bros. executives were concerned about it -- or more specifically, about the giant Confederate flag painted on the roof of the Dukes' Dodge, a person involved with the film's production said. Some studio executives were afraid that a lot of potential viewers would see it as nostalgia for the old segregationist South.

The filmmakers' dilemma about how to handle the car shows the pitfalls of Hollywood's penchant for turning beloved TV shows into films -- something the industry has done regularly in recent years, from "S.W.A.T." in 2003 to this year's "Starsky & Hutch." A few decades can turn a joke into something dated and offensive. But studios keep dredging up the old shows, and must tread a line between offending modern viewers and alienating the old fan base by tweaking the old show too much

In the case of "Hazzard," the show was wildly popular: No. 1 in its time slot for six of seven seasons, beginning in 1979. "I don't remember any problems about the car," says Alan Shayne, then the head of Warner Bros. TV. "It was a spoof." Licensed merchandise connected to the General Lee generated more than $100 million in retail sales. But in the 19 years since the series was canceled, battles over the Confederate flag have grown more bitter: Georgia debated dropping the "stars and bars" insignia from its state flag for years before finally doing so in 2003. Recently, a Kentucky teenager sued her school district for barring her from a prom because she was wearing a dress styled as a Confederate battle flag.

Youth Appeal

The filmmakers didn't want to alienate any segment of the younger audience they sought for this major summer release. The movie, to come out next summer, stars three actors popular with teens and twentysomethings: Seann William Scott (of the "American Pie" films and "The Rundown"), Johnny Knoxville (one of the creators and host of the "Jackass" TV series and movie), plus MTV celebrity and publicity-swamped singer Jessica Simpson in her feature-film debut. The movie's Southern pedigree will get a boost from cast members Burt Reynolds and Willie Nelson.

The filmmakers fretted they'd lose the show's spirit and anger old fans by ditching the flag and the car's name (or the horn, which honks "Dixie"). So they struck a compromise with the studio: Show the flag, but include scenes where it's derided as an inappropriate symbol of the dark past, the person involved in the film said.

In the movie, a mechanic paints the flag on the roof of the car when it's being refurbished. A draft of the film's script has the Duke cousins, unaware of the flag's presence, trying to figure out why they're sometimes jeered, at other times cheered as they drive around. (The final release may vary, since scripts are subject to change during shooting, which is under way.)

Eventually, the Dukes pull into a college town and meet a group of African-American students. When Bo Duke asks them for directions, they stare in disbelief at the car. One of them asks, "Is this a joke? Some kind of reality show?" Bo doesn't understand why they're upset, and replies he thinks the flag is "cool." He explains that his friend Cooter, "a Civil War buff," repaired the car and painted on the flag.

It takes the savvier Luke to size up the situation and explain to Bo that some people find the flag "offensive... a symbol of slavery." Bo protests, "I don't want to oppress anybody," and his cousin affirms this. That's apparently enough to persuade the African-American students Bo is not a bigot. "No sweat," says a student, who lets him park the car.

A representative for Warner Bros. said the filmmakers intend to feature the Confederate flag on the Dodge Charger in a context that is "tongue in cheek," but added that studio executives weren't available for further comment.

'We're for the First Amendment'

Some civil-rights advocates take the adaptation in stride. Although the NAACP objected to South Carolina's display of the flag atop the statehouse building, it has no objection to the "Hazzard" movie's inclusion of the flag. "People can put it on their forehead, their car, or fly it on their lawn," says national NAACP spokesman John White. "We're for the First Amendment."

DaimlerChrysler, which is reviving the Dodge Charger next year, decided against a cross-promotional tie-in, although the company talked with the filmmakers. A spokeswoman said DaimlerChrysler isn't averse to "marketing risks" but was concerned that the movie's Old South symbols "can elicit a negative response.

[dukesfan1979]

Thanks for the very interesting article from the Wall Street Journal about the new Dukes movie. From reading it, I kinda see where possibly the new movie script is being written to handle the Conderferate Flag issue....thanks again...

[JESSI DUKE]

I don't see what is wrong with the flag on Gerenal or even calling the car the General Lee. People just want something to complain about. The confederate flag is just as much a part of our history as our flag (american flag) today. If you truly watched the Dukes of Hazzard you know that it never had racist bone in it. The one thing that Dukes always showed was family values. To them it didn't matter what color, religion or anything else. They excepted you no matter what and always treated anyone like family. Maybe people should sit down and watch dukes. Then they see how you are suppose to treat one another.

Jessi Duke 8)

[Brian Coltrane]

LaNative, thank you for posting that article. Much appreciated.

I didn't expect any part of the new Dukes movie to turn into a civics lesson. But I do find it interesting that an effort is being made in the script to appease both the longtime fans, along with those who may find the flag offensive.

I despair, tho', at the thought of the Dukes practically apologizing for the flag being on the car. Come on, now. Why not have them apologize for being white? Or for being from the south? Or for driving a car that is ecologically irresponsible because it's a gas-guzzler and doesn't have modern emission control equipment?

If the movie producers want to include a short bit to "explain" the flag, great. Have someone ask the Dukes if they're bigots or Klansmen or whatever. And have the Dukes simply say NO. The ol' response, "It's heritage, not hate," works just fine. And then a handshake. End scene, on to the car chase.

Now, on a good note - the new Dukes movie might accomplish something of a balance about the whole flag issue - which has been blown so far out of porportion the last few years, you'd swear there were no bigger concerns of the planet. WB simply needs to concentrate on the movie serving it's core purpose - to entertain, amuse, and make money. If , during all this, they can present the original spirit of the show, including the Duke's code of honor and morals, then the flag issue resolves itself. The behavior of the characters will speak louder than anything the car is painted.

Brian

[thomamon]

Oh man, this issue is totally making me sick... It all comes down to "Freedom of Speech" until you say the wrong thing. Then, Freedom of speech is out the window.

If someone doesn't like it, get over it. The only reason anyone is going to get offended is because of the stink they are making out of it.

On the other hand, has anyone actually considered that all the stink they are making is for free publicity? I mean look, they got an article in the WSJ. How much did it cost? Absolutely nothing! That is the best kind publicity you can get.

TM

[dukesfan1979]

Hey Ya'll

I think all of the posts here are right on the money, But I really have to go with Jesse Duke's post. Its what the Dukes are all about. Plain and simple. Hope ya'll had a had a nice Christmas!!!! See ya'll around Hazzard...

Daniel

[Capt_Redneck]

Thank you LaNative for sharing that. Very interesting article. I feel that since the article was in a very prominent and well read newspaper , it might carry on the debate over the hertiage/hate thing now.

Alot of people , outside of HazzardNet, might not have known that there will be a DOH movie, but they might now. I feel that it might cause some unwanted publicity for the rest of filming or for the Warner Bros for thier "compromise" in the use of the flag.

Unfortunately one person who takes offense to that can cause a lot of backlash . I hope and pray that this will not be the case.

All of us Dukes fans know what the show meant to us. JessiDuke said it in a post - Family Values .....Thank you for a great post Jessi Duke

Brian has some great counterpoints about having to explain about the falg in the movie. I have to agree 100% on that....

Darrell