The Canterbury Crock
Season 3, Episode 23
Original Air Date: 10 April 1981
Directed by: Dick Moder
Written by: Bruce Howard
Created by: Gy Waldron
Plot Summary
Old Widow Partridge needs to sell her late husband Simon's collection of antiques to pay her mortgage, but the Dukes arrive late to the barn sale, and find that Boss has bought nearly everything for $250. The only thing left is an old vase which they buy for $25. Soon after they leave, an out-of-town antiques dealer arrives and announces that he'll pay up to $1,000 for it. Spotting a chance to make big money, Boss heads off to the Duke Farm to blackmail the vase from them by claiming it was paid for with fake bills.
While this is going on, the vase has been filled with flowers by Daisy. She was going to take it to the Boar's Nest, but gives it Cooter when she finds out that it's his birthday. Cooter then gives it to Cletus, who's trying to get a raise from Rosco. When Boss sees the flowers, Rosco passes them off as his idea and gives them to Boss. Due to the flowers covering the vase, Boss is unaware that it's right under his nose.
After a mystery explosion in their barn, the Dukes learn that the vase is supposed to be 2,000 years old, and was commissioned by Cleopatra to give to Mark Antony. Hoping to find out where it is, they go into town to ask Cletus, but he arrests them. With the antique dealer now offering $50,000 for the vase, Boss is happy to see the Dukes, but they demand that he drops the charges against them, pays for the damage to the barn, and tears up Widow Partridge's mortgage before they give away its location. Boss begrudgingly agrees, but immediately reneges when they remove the flowers to reveal the vase on his desk. The antiques dealer also goes back on his word, and escapes with the vase.
The chase is then on, but when the antiques dealer's car overheats, it signals the start of a whole lot of car swapping. Things are complicated further when the dealer realizes that he's left the vase in the car they abandoned, and which is now being driven by Bo and Luke. Three of the cars end up reversing into a pond, and the negotiations start again.
Commentary
Trivia
- David Graf (Maury) is probably best known for playing weapons-obsessed Tackleberry in the Police Academy movies. Ironically, Waylon keeps making comments about what a bad shot he is in this episode.
Bloopers
- The vase is said to have come from "the little village of Canterbury, England". Canterbury is not a village, it's a cathedral city in south-east England which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- While pursuing Bo and Luke, just before Rosco says "Bad news, Boss. I think we lost them.", there's a shot showing his patrol car drive by with only a driver and no sign of Boss.
- When Bo, Luke and Rosco are driving backwards in the earlier reversing scene, some shots show the General's reverse/back up lights illuminated, but others show them off.
- The end chase is heading back in the opposite direction when they get to Jesse's roadblock, so if the bad guys hadn't had car trouble, they'd never have got to it.
Regular Cast
- Tom Wopat as Luke Duke
- John Schneider as Bo Duke
- Catherine Bach as Daisy Duke
- Denver Pyle as Uncle Jesse
- Rick Hurst as Cletus
- Ben Jones as Cooter
- James Best as Sheriff Rosco Coltrane
- Sorrell Booke as Boss Hogg
- Waylon Jennings as The Balladeer (voice)
Guest Cast
- Byron Webster as Beckman
- Elizabeth Kerr as Widow Emma Partridge
- David Graf as Maury
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Byron Webster as Beckman -
Elizabeth Kerr as Widow Emma Partridge -
David Graf as Maury
Crew
- Supervising Producer: Rod Amateau
- Produced by: Myles Wilder and Ralph Riskin
- Executive Producer: Paul R. Picard
- Executive Story Consultants: William Raynor and Myles Wilder
- Executive Story Editor: Martin Roth
- Executive Story Supervisor: Si Rose
- Story Editor: Bruce Howard
- Creative Consultant: Gy Waldron
- Associate Producers: Skip Ward and Gilles de Turenne (as Gilles A. de Turenne)
- Director of Photography: Jack Whitman
- Art Director: Robert I. Jillson (as Bob Jillson)
- Title Song Composed and Sung by: Waylon Jennings
- Music by: Fred Werner
- Unit Production Manager: Gilles de Turenne (as Gilles A. de Turenne)
- First Assistant Director: Kelly A. Manners
- Second Assistant Director: Nicholas Batchelor
- Second Unit Director: Craig Baxley
- Second Unit Director of Photography: Arthur R. Botham (as Arthur Botham)
- Second Unit First Assistant Director: Kurt Baker
- Supervising Editor: Russell Livingstone (as Russ Livingstone)
- Editor: Murray Jordan
- Music Editor: Abby Marable
- Sound Editor: Ron Tinsley
- Sound: Victor Goode
- Set Decorator: Tom Bugenhagen
- Property: Beverly Hadley
- Special Effects: John James
- Makeup: Ray Brooks
- Hair Stylist: Virginia Darcy
- Men's Costume Supervisor: Bob Christenson
- Women's Costume Supervisor: Linda Hickman
- Casting: Melissa Skoff
- Creative Consultant: Philip Mandelker
- Some Automobiles Supplied by: AMC
- Location Facilities Provided by: The Burbank Studios
- A Lou Step Production in Association with Warner Bros Television
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Season 3 Episode 23 |
Next Episode: Mrs. Daisy Hogg |