One Armed Bandits

Title screen

Season 1, Episode 1
Original Air Date: January 26, 1979
Director: Rod Amateau
Writer: Gy Waldron
Creator: Gy Waldron

Plot Summary

Sheriff Rosco Coltrane of Hazzard County figures to use illegal slot machines to fund his re-election. But when cousins Bo and Luke Duke steal them with the help of their pretty cousin Daisy, they give them to the civic organizations, take the proceeds and donate them to the orphanage. Rosco figures to nail the boys and Daisy for stealing the slot machines, until he learns that the donations to the orphanage were made in his name, thus securing his re-election.

Commentary

“Welcome, to Hazzard County.” And what a welcome! Balladeer Waylon Jennings made it clear that things were done different in Hazzard, and he wasn’t kidding. The episode opens with a patrol car flying into the air, followed by the General Lee. At the end of the chase we find out it’s Cooter Davenport who took the Sheriff’s car “because he impounded mine. Thought it was only fair to take his.”

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  Cooter Davenport! You ain’t got the sense the good Lord promised a turkey!
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  Cooter, do you realize what it’s gonna take to straighten all this out?

This, the first of the five episodes filmed in Covington, Georgia, introduced us to the Duke family, Jesse, Bo, Luke and Daisy, Boss Jefferson Davis Hogg, Sheriff Rosco Coltrane, Deputy Enos Strate and town mechanic Cooter Davenport, and of course The General Lee, characters who would remain with the show through out it’s entire 7 year run. However, the family oriented tone had not been established yet. In fact, the first episode was quite risqué in some aspects. Bo’s comment to Daisy about if they weren’t cousins, he’d marry her. To which she replied, “That never stopped anybody in this family before!” certainly would raise an eyebrow or two. Rosco called Enos “jackass” and said “Damn!” as freely as he would later say “Judas Priest on a Pony!” Another scene shows Jill, the young girl Bo has taken an interest in, visiting the farm in her quest to get donations for the orphanage. Luke shows no interest in helping out the cause, to which Bo says, “What do you mean nope? It’s your civic duty. Why, at least two of them kids at that orphanage could be yours.”

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  Well we gotta change his mind!
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Many new fans to the show, who never saw the original run of the series, have to make due with the ‘chopped’ episodes as they run on TNN. Several scenes are cut from this pilot (and plenty other episodes to make room for more commercials) enough that watching the TNN version, it doesn’t make any sense! By watching the TNN version all we know is that Rosco brings in the slots, thinking he’s going to fund his reelection. The boys steal them, give them to the civic clubs and all and take 30% of the proceeds, which they turn around and give to the orphanage. Sure, you figure “Okay, they’re messin’ up Rosco’s chance for reelection.” Well, not quite, the donations are done in Rosco’s name (which wins him a lot of brownie points with the voting public. So much so, he gets reelected). Boss has a fit because the slot machines were really his and he wanted the orphanage shut down so he could put in a shopping center! Thus, the Dukes spoil Boss’s plan.

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Trivia

• The red Ford Torino that Cooter drives in the race through the junk yard looks a lot like the Starsky and Hutch car don’t it?
• Yes, Sorrell Booke really ate that raw liver. Blech!!
• Daisy’s red bikini, along with the first pair of daisy dukes were sewn by Catherine Bach.

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  Gimme dirty ruthless any day!
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Bloopers

• Pay attention to the chase scene through town near the end of the episode. There’s another orange Dodge Charger parked in front of one of the stores. No ‘01’ on the door but some of the early publicity shots for the show showed a General with no ‘01’ on the door. Perhaps this was it?

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
• Sorrell Booke as Boss Hogg
• Waylon Jennings as The Balladeer (voice)
• Ben Jones as Cooter Davenport
• Sonny Shroyer as Deputy Enos Strate

Guest Cast

• Tisch Raye as Jill Rae Dodson
• Ernie Lively (as Ernie Brown) as Dobro Doolan
• Dan Fitzgerald as Driver
• Gillaaron Houck as Shotgun
• Lou Walker as Workman
• Dennis Haskins as Moss
• Sandra Dorsey as Hazel
• Ralph Pace as Harvey
• Jason Lively as Rudy
• Jerry Campbell as Jerry - Bartender (uncredited)
• Rocky Laidler as Brodie (uncredited)
• Jack Gordon as Honest John Ledbetter

Stunts

• Stunt Driver: Craig R. Baxley
• Stunt Coordinator: Paul Baxley
• Stunt Driver: Jack Gill (uncredited)
• Stunt Driver: Bob Orrison (uncredited)

Crew

• Supervising Producer: Joseph Gantman
• Co-Produced by: Gy Waldron
• Co-Produced by: William Kelley (as Bill Kelley)
• Executive Producer: Paul R. Picard
• Executive Producer: Philip Mandelker
• Associate Producer: Skip Ward
• Director of Photography: 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: Bill Baker
• 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: Donald Harris (as Don Harris)
• Sound Editors: Angel Editorial, Inc.
• Sound: Don Sanders
• Set Decorator: Francis Lombardo
• Property: Ernie Sawyers
• Special Effects: Charles Spurgeon (as Charlie Spurgeon)
• Makeup: Guy Del Russo
• Hair Stylist: Irene Aparicio
• Wardrobe: Paula Lynn Kaatz (as Paula Kaatz)
• Additional Music by: Fred Werner
• Harmonica: Tommy Morgan (uncredited)
• Archery Equipment and Program Consideration Furnished by: Martin Archery
• Casting: Linda Otto Associates
• Atlanta Casting: Stratton Leopold (as Stratton P. Leopold)
• Los Angeles Casting: Vivian McRae
• Lighting Technician: James Kibbe (uncredited)
• Second Assistant Camera: John C. Moulds (uncredited)
• Key Grip: Dan Reilly (uncredited)
• Electrician: Michael J. Shwartz (uncredited)
• Assistant to Mr. Waldron: Mark Martin (uncredited)
• 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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