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Names Behind the Dukes of Hazzard

Everybody knows The Dukes of Hazzard is based on a popular television series of the same name. What's not generally known is that the "original" television series was based on a 1975 movie called Moonrunners.

So, The Dukes of Hazzard movie is based on a television series that was based on another movie with a different name. So what? The problem was, the rights to make a television show based on the original movie didn't include any rights to make another movie based on the story. Oops, what would that cost?

The original movie, Moonrunners, was based on the real life adventures of Jerry Rushing, an outlaw moonshiner.
In 1958, something wonderful happened for moonshine runners. The Chrysler 300D appeared! A behemoth capable of running 140 mph with a full load of shine. In those days the top speed of the fastest police car on the road was 100 mph. The stage was set for many chase scenes.

Jerry Rushing and his brother bought a 300D, modified it, and a legend was born. Jerry always named his cars, and he gave this one a special name, Traveler. Traveler was General Lee’s horse, believed to be one of the fastest horses of the time. It's no coincidence that the Charger used in The Dukes of Hazzard was named The General Lee.
The General Lee from the television series is back in the new movie, but the big name associated with The Dukes of Hazzard today is Jessica Simpson, reprising the role of the eye-catching cousin, Daisy Duke.

Moonrunners was directed by Gy Waldron, who went on to create the TV series using several elements of his film in the TV show, including Waylon Jennings as narrator. The Dukes of Hazzard television series was a treasure trove of creative naming and branding.
In the tradition of Li'l Abner's Daisy Mae hillbilly garb and the hot pants introduced in the 1960s, Daisy Duke wore super-short shorts as she served up drinks and barbeque ribs to old Boss Hogg (Sorrell Broook) at the Boar's Nest bar or when she washed her yellow Road Runner (and later white Jeep) in Hazzard County, Georgia. The pants (known as "Daisy Dukes") later inspired the 1992 song "Dazzey Duks" by rap artist Duice. The album cover exhibited the rear end shots of four beautiful babes decked out in extremely short cut-off "Daisy Duke" style jeans.
Ben Jones, a former Georgia congressman who played the wisecracking mechanic "Cooter" on the popular television series from 1979 to 1985 and now owns Cooter's Place, a "Dukes" memorabilia shop, is getting a lot of press attention off the new movie buzz by saying that profanity and sexual content in The Dukes of Hazzard movie makes a mockery of the family-friendly television show. Hardcore fans would probably like to see more Cooter and less Daisy Dukes. Yeehaw!
Posted by abnu on Wednesday, August 10, 2005 @ 12:42 AM [ + ]

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