The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!

Title screen

Original Air Date: 27 April 1997
Directed by: Lewis Teague
Written by: Gy Waldron
Created by: Gy Waldron

Plot Summary

Homecoming banner

Many of Hazzard's former residents, including the Duke cousins and Cooter, are returning for the Hazzard Homecoming. The Balladeer explains that Bo is now a racecar driver on the pro circuit, Luke is senior smokejumper for the Forestry Service, and Daisy is getting a Ph.D. in ecology. Finally, Cooter had a shave and got himself elected to Congress. In Hazzard, Boss has passed away, leaving his empire to Rosco, with Cletus as his deputy.

Jesse is Grand Marshal of the homecoming, which includes such delights as 'The Great Possum Cook-Off' and a rattlesnake chili contest. As he shows Cooter around, Cooter senses that something is wrong because the townsfolk are ignoring Jesse. When Bo, Luke and Daisy return to the farm, Jesse reveals that Josephine 'Mama' Max wants to drain the swamp to build a theme park, and needs access across Duke property. Jesse is resisting Mama Max to protect the swamp, but others in town see him standing in the way of jobs and money.

At a gathering in Hazzard Square, Rosco announces an overland race, with Mama Max putting up the $1,000 prize. The race is to be between the General Lee and Mama Max's challenger. Mama Max also proposes that Jesse gives access to the swamp if the General loses. Luke senses a trap, but Bo can't resist the bait. Almost immediately, Mama Max's challenger appears: the Double Zero driven by Buzz Kilroy. The Double Zero is said to be the only car that's ever beaten the General in an overland race. Unbeknown to the Dukes, Mama Max has also hired disbarred racing driver Kam Cutler to help her win.

The first task for the Dukes is to find the General. They left him with Cooter, but when they look, the barn is empty. They eventually track him down to Red Perkins' barn where he's being used as a chicken house. With the help of Red's daughter, Mavis, Cooter and the Dukes set about fixing up the General. Meanwhile, Enos, just back from LA, calls in on Daisy. He gives her the 476 letters that he wrote her, but couldn't bring himself to send, and asks her out for a meal. Bo and Luke test the newly fixed General, and after evading Cletus, they get run off the road. Later, in the Boar's Nest, Bo recognizes the driver who ran him off the road as Kam Cutler. Bo and Luke confront Kam's group and start a fight which draws in Enos. Back in Hazzard, Rosco gets the first part of his pay-off from Mama Max (in couterfeit bills), and Mama Max shows him the duplicate Double Zero with a racing engine which she'll use to cheat in the race.

Out in the swamp, Daisy is picnicking with Enos when he finally plucks up the courage to ask her to marry him. In the excitement, Daisy drops the ring, and as she searches the ground, she finds a new plant. Quickly accepting Enos' proposal, she leaves to register her discovery. Mama Max's men see her picking something up and Mama Max assumes it's the gallium-arsenide ore that she's planning to extract from the area under the cover of building a theme park. Daisy decides to have the wedding on the finish line of the race on Saturday. She also gets some paperwork about her fern faxed through, and she goes to see Rosco about stopping development in the swamp. When Mama Max finds out about the possible delay, she tells Rosco to lose Daisy's form.

Mama Max decides to increase her chances of winning the race by kidnapping Daisy. She tells the Dukes that Daisy will be released unharmed right after they lose the race, and to explain her absence as flu. In captivity, Daisy tells Mama Max about her wedding plans and plays on her maternal emotions. She not only gets her kidnappers to help collect things for the wedding, but also gets Mama Max to agree to give her away. Meanwhile, the boys trace Daisy to the old cotton mill, and find that she has armed guards. Luke wants to attack when the kidnappers least expect it - during the race.

The day of the race arrives, and the cheating starts right away with the Dukes' 'shine boxes being taped together. Buzz takes an early lead and trades places with Kam. Meanwhile, Enos takes Luke's place in the General, allowing Luke to get into the cotton mill. After passing a check-point, Bo and Enos loop back to join Luke, but find that Mama Max has hired some mercenaries to guard Daisy. Looking for help, they find Bertha Jo and Bubba, a local couple who've just been involved in a controversial end to the 'Tough Person Contest'. Between them, they storm the cotton mill, knock out all the guards and rescue Daisy.

Remembering that there's a race to finish, Bo and Luke get back into the General with Enos and Daisy in the back and Riker in the trunk. In a clearing they spot both Double Zero cars parked up. Buzz explains to the Dukes how Mama Max planned to cheat, and says that his car won't start as he shows them the rotor. Kam runs off, and Buzz says that he wants to race the General one last time. They take different routes back to town, but the General pips the Double Zero at the line. Confronted with Riker and the kidnap plot, Rosco confesses to Mama Max that the gallium-arsenide ore was a hoax to sucker her in to giving him money - a scheme detailed in Boss' memoirs.

Daisy persuades Rosco to arrest Mama Max after the wedding as she's the matron of honor. Just as Rosco's about the conduct the service, a tour bus pulls up and Daisy's ex-husband, L.D., steps out, apparently lost. Daisy faints, and tells Enos she's not yet ready to marry again. In the end, it's Bertha Jo and Bubba who get hitched.

Commentary

After more than a 10-year break, the Dukes were back on our TV screens for this feature-length outing. Right from the opening credits, it's clear that the makers wanted us to think of this as a continuation of the series. However, instead of Waylon's familiar vocals, viewers were greeted by Tom and John singing "Carrying on like we did before! Ten in the tank, four on the floor. V8's screamin, we're back for more. Carrying on like we did before."

There have been many changes since the original show, but what many fans found hard to take was that all three cousins would've left Uncle Jesse to run the farm alone, especially as he looks so frail. This would be Denver's last appearance as Jesse - he died on Christmas day the year this movie was released.

Hazzard is sadly missing Boss Hogg (Sorrell Booke passed in 1994), although his portrait watches over Rosco in his office. Waylon Jennings' role as Balladeer has been taken over by Don Williams. Meanwhile, Cooter's backstory of making it to Congress parallels what happened to Ben Jones in real life. Despite returning from Los Angeles during the original show, Enos is back with the LAPD for this movie and the following Hazzard in Hollywood movie.

One thing that didn't change was the stunts, because most of them were recycled footage from the original series.

Trivia

• The building used as the new Duke Farm is actually the back of the Boss Hogg's house from the original show.
• The car that Bo arrives in is an Acura NSX.
• Jennifer Lyons (Tammy) is James Best's niece.
• Cynthia Rothrock (Bertha Jo) was world women's karate champion in "forms" and "weapons" for five years in a row between 1981 and 1985.
• Riker is reading a newspaper called Hazzard Outlook. During the original series, the only local newspaper shown was the Hazzard Gazette.
• Despite this movie being set more than a decade after the series, Hazzard's police department is still using late-70s patrol cars. This is presumably so they can reuse stunt footage such as the head-on mid-air crash which originally appeared in The Return of Hughie Hogg.
• The old Boar's Nest is said to have been destroyed during a wedding reception, so a new one opened up across town. The new building was actually next to the cotton mill seen later in the movie.
• In the swamp, Enos tells Daisy that his infatuation with her has been going on since the seventh grade, and that it's been 32 years. This puts their ages at 44 or 45 in this movie.
• During the filming of this movie, John Schneider made a half-hour video called Behind the Scenes With Bo, which he released through his short-lived FaithWorks production company. It includes interviews with other cast members, a few brief explanations of filming techniques and lots of commercials for other FaithWorks products.

Bloopers

Orange rear panel

• In some scenes the panel around the General Lee's rear lights is orange instead of the usual black.
• The Double Zero is said to be the only car ever to beat the General in an overland race, but the car never appeared in the original show. The General was once beaten by Amy Creavy's Lucifer in Luke's Love Story. Coincidentally, Lucifer was also a 1968 Ford Mustang.
• When Daisy walks up the steps with Enos' unposted letters, a mystery shadow moves into the doorway in the background. It's possibly Denver getting into position for his entrance.
• Daisy's Environmental Impact Study appears to be a retitled real document about subdivisions in Paso Robles City, CA. The names on it are also real.
• During the fight at the cotton mill, as Luke's asking Bo if he needs help, the number of buttons undone on Bo's shirt changes between shots. Also, some blood on Bo's mouth disappears and reappears.
• The "In Loving Memory" end credits misspell Sorrell Booke's name as Sorrel Booke.

Quotes

• Before Mama Max announces the race:
  Rosco: "Ladies and gentlemen. Today, our honored guest is a famous developer. Now, she doesn't need any introduction, so I'm gonna introduce her..."

• When he hears that Luke is considering dirty tricks:
  Jesse: "You start acting like your enemy, what makes you any better?"

• As Daisy explains that she needs help getting thing for her wedding:
  Daisy: "Mama Max, have you ever been married?"
  Mama Max: "Sure, lots of times."
  Daisy: "Really, so you like weddings?"
  Mama Max: "My favorite things... after Jeopardy."

• As Bo, Luke and Enos are trying to find Daisy:
  Balladeer: "...and the general store had everything for a wedding, including invitations and shotgun ammunition."

• Seeing Daisy making her wedding dress:
  Mama Max: "But how will the bridesmaids' dresses be ready by Saturday?"
  Daisy: "Oh, a Hazzard gal can buy the material and the pattern, do her nails and her hair and be in the dress when the fella picks her up that night."

• After Bubba gets counted out:
  Balladeer: "...back at the fight, it was pande-doggone-monium. Most folks could see a better fight by just staying home any Saturday night."

Cast

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 P. Coltrane
• Ben Jones as Cooter Davenport
• Sonny Shroyer as Enos Strate
• Rick Hurst as Cletus Hogg
• Don Williams as The Balladeer (voice)

• 
  Luke Duke
• 
  Bo Duke
• 
  Daisy Duke

• 
  Uncle Jesse
• 
  Cooter Davenport

• 
  Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane
• 
  Enos Strate
• 
  Cletus Hogg

Guest Star

• Gary Hudson as Riker

Special Guest Stars

• Cynthia Rothrock as Bertha Jo Barlow
• Stella Stevens as Josephine Mama Max

• 
  Gary Hudson as Riker
• 
  Cynthia Rothrock as Bertha Jo
• 
  Stella Stevens as Mama Max

Co-Starring

• Daniel Anderson as Buzz Kilroy
• Travis McKenna as Bubba
• Ann Walker as Sara Jane
• Emily Procter as Mavis

Featuring

• Jennifer Lyons as Tammy
• Craig Branham as L.D.
• Mark Murphy as MoJo
• Michele Edison as Fight Fan Waitress (uncredited)
• Steven Boe as Kam Cutler (uncredited)
• Tony Boldi as Scott Loud (uncredited)
• Jeanette McMahon as Baker's Assistant (uncredited)
• Mark Newsom as Nate the Thug (uncredited)
• Michael Raines as Mama Max Thug (uncredited)
• Rocco Salata as Mama Max Thug (uncredited)

• 
  Daniel Anderson as Buzz Kilroy
• 
  Travis McKenna as Bubba
• 
  Ann Walker as Sara Jane

• 
  Emily Procter as Mavis
• 
  Jennifer Lyons as Tammy

• 
  Craig Branham as L.D.
• 
  Mark Murphy as MoJo
• 
  Steven Boe as Kam Cutler

Stunts

• Stunt Coordinator: Paul Baxley
• Stunts: Kenneth John Borland Jr. (uncredited)
• Stunt Driver: Eddie Braun (uncredited)
• Stunt Player: Danny Epper (uncredited)
• Stunt Driver: John Borland (uncredited)
• Stunts: Bret Davidson (uncredited)
• Stunt Double: Marian Green (uncredited)
• Utility Stunts: Sonny Martinez (uncredited)
• Stunt Performer: Bob McGovern (uncredited)
• Stunt Double: Carrick O'Quinn (uncredited)
• Stunt Double/Stunts: Michael Owen (uncredited)
• Stunt Performer: Marc Schaffer (uncredited)
• Stunts: Monty L. Simons (uncredited)
• Stunts: Lance Turner (uncredited)
• Stunt Double: Gary J. Wayton (uncredited)

Crew

• Production Designer: Jerry Fleming
• Edited by: Russell Livingstone
• Director of Photography: Barry M. Wilson, A.C.S.
• Original Score by: Steve Wariner
• Producer: Skip Ward
• Produced by: Ira Marvin
• Based on Characters by: Gy Waldron
• Executive Producer: Gy Waldron
• Unit Production Manager: Dennis L. Judd II
• First Assistant Director: Jeffrey M. Ellis (as Jeffrey Ellis)
• Second Assistant Director: Sharon Gerhard
• Executive in Charge of Casting: Barbara Miller, C.S.A.
• Casting by: Leslie Litt, C.S.A.
• Associate Producer: Russell Livingstone
• "Carryin' On"
  Composed by: Archie Jordan and Larry Bastian
  Produced by: Steve Wariner
  Performed by: Tom Wopat and John Schneider
• Costume Designer: Betty Pecha Madden
• Set Decorator: Betty Berberian
• Property Master: David Moll
• Key Make Up Artist: Tom Elligwood
• Make Up Artist: Raqueli Dahan (uncredited)
• Key Hair Stylist: Dianne Roberson
• Hair Stylist: Alicia M. Tripi (uncredited)
• Sound Mixer: David Yaffe
• Additional Music by: Fred Werner
• Music Editor: Chris McGeary
• Co-supervising Sound Editors: Walter Newman (as Walt Newman) and Catt LeBaigue (as Catherine LeBaigueo)
• Re-recording Mixers: Carlos Delarios (as Carlos de Larios) and Gary D. Rogers (as Gary Rodgers)
• Foley Mixer: Al Gomez (uncredited)
• Sound Editor: George Nemzer (uncredited)
• ADR Mixer: Troy Porter (uncredited)
• Sound Effects Editor: Kenneth Young (uncredited)
• Electrician: Michael J. Schwartz (uncredited)
• Assistant Editor: Chad Mochrie (uncredited)
• Location Manager: David Berthiaume (uncredited)
• Administrator: Ran Barker (uncredited)
• Coordinator: Hobart Lundt (uncredited)
• Assistant Production Coordinator: Joe A. Riley (uncredited)
• Key Craft Service: Andrew T. Rothmund (uncredited)
• Production Coordinator: Christopher Stark (uncredited)
• Weapons Specialist: Mike Sudrow (uncredited)

In Loving Memory

• Philip Mandelker (as Phil Mandelker)
• Sorrell Booke (as Sorrel Booke)
• Paul R. Picard (as Paul Picard)
• Jim Mohlmann

Own The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!

The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!
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