The Ghost of General Lee
Season 2, Episode 6
Original Air Date: 26 October 1979
Directed by: Jack Starrett
Written by: Martin Roth
Created by: Gy Waldron
Plot Summary
When Bo and Luke manage to lose Rosco, they decide to go skinny-dipping to cool off. Meanwhile, Sweetwater County's Chief Lacey leaves a pair of pool hustlers/conmen at the county line. He destroys their crooked gambling equipment and tells them they'll be looking at 10 years of "pounding mountains into molehills" if they ever return. The pool hustlers soon stumble across the General, with the keys in the ignition, and make off before Bo and Luke can get out of the water. Rosco, thinking he's back on the tail of the Duke Boys, gives chase and watches in disbelief as the General jumps straight into the pond.
Enos is quickly on the scene, and dives in to try and rescue Bo and Luke, but can only find their clothes. Assuming the worst, Rosco has to inform Boss and then Jesse that the boys are dead. Oblivious to these events, Bo and Luke try to find some clothes and make it back to the farm. Along the way they get shot at by a farmer, and ignored by Becky Mae's mother – Luke: "A man ain't truly been insulted till he's stood buck-naked in front of a woman and she didn't even notice." When they finally make it home, they find their wake in full swing.
Jesse soon spots them out of the window, and takes them to the barn for a good tongue-lashing. Before long he's joined by Daisy and Cooter who both go a bit weak when they discover that Bo and Luke are still alive. Once everyone's calmed down, Jesse informs the boys that Boss is trying to frame them for stealing a $20,000 antique pocket watch that once belonged to Jefferson Davis so that he can claim the insurance money. Back in town Cooter gives Luke the idea that they can scare the truth out of Rosco, and he helps them rig the General with a few gadgets and luminous paint.
Back at the Boar's Nest, the pool hustlers tie up Daisy when she discovers them stealing Boss's safe (containing the supposedly stolen watch). A multi-car chase ensues, and they all end up in Sweetwater County.
Commentary
Trivia
- When Enos asks for help in looking for Bo and Luke in the pond, Rosco has to admit that he can't swim.
- The "luminous paint" on the General Lee is actually a General painted white, with a colorized "cloud" added to the film in post-production.
- This is John Schneider's favorite episode.
Bloopers
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
- James Best as Sheriff Rosco Coltrane
- Sorrell Booke as Boss Hogg
- Waylon Jennings as The Balladeer (voice)
Guest Cast
- Caskey Swaim (as Caskey Swain) as Ernie
- Russ McCubbin as Phil
- Norman Alden as Chief Lacey
- Dixie K. Wade (as Dixie Wade) as Mother
- Debra Feuer as Becky Mae
- Sunshine Parker as Sunshine
Stunts
- Stunt Coordinator: Paul Baxley (uncredited)
- Stunt Driver: Jack Gill (uncredited)
- Stunt Driver: Bob Orrison (uncredited)
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 Producers: Skip Ward and Albert J. Salzer
- 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: Albert J. Salzer
- First Assistant Director: Kurt Baker
- Second Assistant Director: Jon Paré
- Second Unit Director: Paul Baxley
- Second Unit Director of Photography: Arthur R. Botham (as Bud Batham)
- Second Unit First Assistant Director: Jack W. Cash (as Jack Cash)
- Supervising Editor: Russell Livingstone (as Russ Livingstone)
- Film Editor: Marty Bram
- Music Editor: Jay Alfred Smith
- Sound Editors: Ed Scheid and Gary Vaughan (as Gary Vaughn)
- 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
- Casting: Vivian McRae
- Creative Consultant: Philip Mandelker
- Location Facilities Provided by: The Burbank Studios
- A Lou Step Production in Association with Warner Bros Television
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