Mary Kaye's Baby

Title screen

Season 1, Episode 3
Original Air Date: February 9, 1979
Directed by: Rod Amateau
Written by: William Putman (as William Putnam)
Created by: Gy Waldron

Plot Summary

A pregnant woman and a suitcase full of stolen money spells nothing but trouble for the Dukes. When Bo and Luke pick up Mary Kaye Porter on a back country road, they figure to no more than give her a little bit of money and see her on her way to Florida. But when they try to sneak it into her suitcase they find the money and eventually learn of Mary Kaye’s boyfriend’s ties and trouble. Things come to a head when Mary Kaye goes into labor just as Atlanta gangster Quint McQuade arrives at the Duke Farm to get his money back.

Commentary

Sheesh! No General Lee and no matter how many times I’ve seen the episode I can’t figure out WHY there’s no General! Nor can I figure out why Rosco’s chasing the boys at the beginning of the episode and how he knew it was them. Even the uncut Columbia House tape doesn’t give an explanation. It’s assumed that the boys borrowed the car from Cooter…which one can only guess that Cooter was working on the General for some reason.

The first five episodes each had a moment where Rosco the bitter lawman came face to face with the consequences of his decision. In this episode, Jesse takes Rosco to point on his “type of law.” Although the scene is comical, it showed that the show had a depth to the characters.

You have to enjoy Boss’s economic lesson. “I hate to see money leave Hazzard County. Bad for the economy. Mine!“ And his criminal lesson. “I say who steals what from whom and when.”

Rosco shows some semblance of a competent lawman in this episode. When Rosco and Enos show up at the Duke farm, McQuade’s hired help takes a couple of pot shots at them, taking out the window of Enos’s patrol car. The crook runs, but Rosco shoots him in the foot, making the mobster one of only two people ever shot on the show (Boss Hogg was the other one in the last episode, “Opening Night at the Boar’s Nest.”) James Best, however, had a hard time with Rosco having shot someone and then bragging about it. (“Ha! You think I’m just a hick Sheriff huh? I can part yer hair anytime!”) and Rosco’s ability with a handgun did seem to get worse after this episode.

Trivia

• The only episode in which the General Lee doesn't appear.
• Ben Jones' name gets promoted to the opening credits.
• Jeannie Wilson (Mary Kaye Porter) returned as Laura Bardsley in the season 2 episode Treasure of Hazzard.
• Cooter's car is referred to as "A 1975 blue Plymouth Fury"; one of only a few times that real makes/models are used in the show.

Bloopers

Motion picture money

• The money in Mary Kaye's suitcase has "MOTION PICTURE USE ONLY" clearly written across the top of each note.
• When Bo, Luke and Mary Kaye are being chased by McQuade and Leo, Luke is driving, but after Bo suggests throwing the money out, he is the one driving. Immediately afterwards, they hide under a bridge, and Luke is in the driver's seat again.

Regular Cast

• Tom Wopat as Luke Duke
• John Schneider as Bo Duke
• Catherine Bach as Daisy Duke
• Denver Pyle as Uncle Jesse
• James Best as Sheriff Rosco Coltrane
• Sorrell Booke as Boss Hogg
• Ben Jones as Cooter
• Waylon Jennings as The Balladeer (voice)
• Sonny Shroyer as Enos

Guest Cast

• Jeannie Wilson (as Jeanne Wilson) as Mary Kaye Porter
• Clifford A. Pellow (as Cliff Pellow) as Quirt McQuade
• Colby Chester as Leo

• 
  Jeannie Wilson as Mary Kaye Porter
• 
  Clifford A. Pellow as Quirt McQuade
• 
  Colby Chester as Leo

Crew

• Supervising Producer: Joseph Gantman
• Co-Produced by: Gy Waldron and William Kelley (as Bill Kelley)
• Executive Producers: Paul R. Picard and Philip Mandelker
• Associate Producer: Skip Ward
• Director of Photography: Robert C. Jessup (as Robert Jessup) A.S.C.
• Art Director: Charles L. Hughes (as Charles Hughes)
• Title Song Composed and Sung by: Waylon Jennings
• Music Performed by: The Waylors
• Music Produced by: Richie Albright
• Unit Production Manager: Albert J. Salzer
• First Assistant Director: Peter Gries
• Second Assistant Director: Fred Wardell
• Second Unit Director: Paul Baxley
• Second Unit Director of Photography: Allen Facemire (as Alan Facemire)
• Second Unit First Assistant Director: Scott U. Adam (as Scott U. Adams)
• Film Editor: Russell Livingstone (as Russ Livingstone)
• Music Editor: Abby Marable
• Sound Editors: Angel Editorial, Inc.
• Sound: Don Sanders
• Set Decorator: Frank Lombardo (as Francis Lombardo)
• Property: Ernie Sawyers
• Special Effects: Charles Spurgeon (as Charlie Spurgeon)
• Atlanta Casting: Stratton Leopold (as Stratton P. Leopold)
• Makeup: Guy Del Russo
• Hair Stylist: Irene Aparicio
• Wardrobe: Paula Lynn Kaatz (as Paula Kaatz)
• Additional Music by: Fred Werner
• Archery Equipment and Program Consideration Furnished by: Martin Archery
• Consultant: Fred Weintraub
• Casting: Linda Otto Associates
• Los Angeles Casting: Vivian McRae
• Location Facilities Provided by: The Burbank Studios
• Paul R. Picard Productions and Piggy Productions, Inc.
  in Association with Warner Bros Television

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