Jude Emery

Title screen

Season 2, Episode 19
Original Air Date: 15 February 1980
Directed by: Rod Amateau
Written by: Gy Waldron
Created by: Gy Waldron

Plot Summary

John Shearin as Jude Emery

While changing a flat tire mid-chase, Bo and Luke pick up Texas Ranger Jude Emery whose truck has broken down. They soon get boxed in by Grady Byrd and Enos, and all three are arrested before Jude is allowed to reveal his identity. Back in Hazzard, Jude tells Boss and Grady who he is and that he's in Hazzard to arrest Russel "Snake" Harmon for hijacking and running contraband. "Snake" is supposed to be hiding out in Yuchee Swamp, but the Dukes warn Jude about going in alone as he could easily get lost. With that in mind, he decides to take Bo and Luke along as guides. Meanwhile, Boss is entertaining thoughts of running Harmon's contraband business for himself.

Jude isn't the only one interested in Bo and Luke, and it's not long before two of Harmon's gang are trying to recruit them (they know about the Dukes working with Jude, but figure they can keep an eye in them if they're close by). Bo and Luke's initiation into the gang is a driving test, complicated by a snake placed in the General, and Jude Emery hidden in the rear seat (complete with guitar!).

Daisy falls for Jude's charms, and is disappointed when he won't let her help to capture "Snake". Never one to take "no" for an answer, she borrows a car from Cooter and follows them. She later returns to the gang's hideout to rescue Bo, Luke and Jude with Jesse and Cooter hidden in her back seat.

After a short chase, all the gang members are arrested. Grady wants to arrest "Snake", but has to concede that he's just over the county line in Placid County, so Jude gets his man. After a farewell to Daisy, Jude heads off with his prisoners in his truck that Cooter's fixed. Grady and Enos do get to capture two of the wanted men, but Boss is left with some explaining to do to his associates about the promised contraband deliveries.

Trivia

Police sign over Bo's shoulder

• Pete Munro, who plays Willie in "Snake" Harmon's gang, was a bootlegger named Zeebo in Dukes precursor Moonrunners.
• Although he played a police officer in The Rookies TV series, Sam Melville ("Snake" Harmon) seemed to excel at playing intense, dark and memorable bad guys. He would return to guest star on the Dukes again in The Great Hazzard Hijack and Happy Birthday, General Lee. Sadly, he passed away in 1989 at the age of 52.
• Cooter's line, "Oh what a tangled web we weave, When first we practice to deceive!" is taken from Marmion, A Tale of Flodden Field, a poem by Sir Walter Scott. He follows it up with, "Man, that's obtuse."
• The night scene at Cooter's shows the police sign lit up in the background. This is the only time it was seen illuminated, and the neon was removed in later seasons.

Bloopers

• When we first see Grady Byrd in his mama's car, he passes a dark pickup near Cooter's which has Uncle Jesse's license plate (CL 7634), even though no plate swapping occurs in this episode.
• The wanted poster for Snake spells his first name "Russel", but the closed captions spell it "Russell".

Regular Cast

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

Guest Cast

• Dick Sargent as Sheriff Grady Byrd
• John Shearin as Jude Emery
• Sam Melville as Russell Snake Harmon
• Pete Munro (as C. Pete Munro) as Willie
• George 'Buck' Flower (as Buck Flower) as Coy Randolph
• Ben Davidson as Patch Loring

• 
  Dick Sargent as Sheriff Grady Byrd
  (in disguise)
• 
  Sam Melville as Russell "Snake" Harmon
• 
  Pete Munro as Willie

• 
  George 'Buck' Flower as Coy Randolph
• 
  Ben Davidson as Patch Loring

Crew

• Supervising Producer: Rod Amateau
• Co-Produced by: Gy Waldron and Ralph Riskin
• Executive Producer: Paul R. Picard
• Executive Story Consultants: William Raynor and Myles Wilder
• Story Editor: Bruce Howard
• Associate Producer: Skip Ward
• Director of Photography: Jack Whitman
• Art Director: James Martin Bachman (as James-Martin Bachman)
• Title Song Composed and Sung by: Waylon Jennings
• Music by: Fred Werner
• Unit Production Manager: John H. Burrows (as John Burrows)
• First Assistant Director: Kurt Baker
• Second Assistant Director: Nicholas Batchelor
• Second Unit Director: Paul Baxley
• Second Unit Director of Photography: Arthur R. Botham (as Arthur Botham)
• Second Unit First Assistant Director: Jon Paré
• Supervising Editor: Russell Livingstone (as Russ Livingstone)
• Film Editor: Robert M. Ross
• Music Editor: Jay Alfred Smith
• Sound Editors: Ed Scheid and Richard Taylor
• Sound: Victor Goode
• Set Decorator: Rochelle Moser
• Property: Daniel Stoltenberg (as Dan Stoltenberg)
• Special Effects: Michael Wood
• Makeup: Ray Brooks
• Hair Stylist: Virginia Darcy
• Men's Costume Supervisor: Bob Christenson
• Women's Costume Supervisor: Darlene Engle (as Darleen Engle)
• Casting: Vivian McRae
• Creative Consultant: Philip Mandelker
• Location Facilities Provided by: The Burbank Studios
• A Lou Step Production in Association with Warner Bros Television

Own Jude Emery

Jude Emery
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