James Best Archives - Page 4 of 5

Happy Birthday Rosco!

Yes, another birthday! July 26 marks the 85th birthday of James Best, known to Dukes of Hazzard fans the world over as Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane. In addition to delighting us as Rosco since 1979, Jimmie is also a reknown actor, director, screenwriter, painter, fisherman, animal lover, poet, military veteran, teacher, mentor, online gamer, and all-around cuss.

If you had told Jimmie in 1979, that in 2011, he’d still be dressing up as Rosco and going “khee khee khee” to amuse people, or be autographing yet another General Lee, or greeting fans by the thousands at Dukes of Hazzard events…he’d probably have said you were crazy. Out of your mind.

After all, James Best has nearly 300 film credits to his name through his roles in movies and television. He has co-starred with Hollywood legends like Paul Newman, Jimmy Stewart, Burt Reynolds, and Jerry Lewis. He has taught motion picture technique to scores of successful actors. He remains active in film making, starring in the sequel to the cult classic Killer Shrews.

Why then, would the role of Rosco P. Coltrane remain so prominent?

Because The Dukes of Hazzard itself would remain an international sensation, with a fan base that continues to grow with every syndicated re-run of the series. From airing on CBS, to TNN, to CMT, to home release on DVD’s, to references in pop culture, The Dukes of Hazzard is as popular today as it was over 30 years ago.

Rosco P. Coltrane, the inept, gleefully corrupt, yet dedicated Sheriff of Hazzard County would prove to be one of the most iconic characters of the show. This speaks to the talent and creativity of James Best, who breathed life into the role with trademark inflections, utterances and expressions that gave Rosco an unforgettable persona.

Rosco’s goofball style reminds us of the kid in all of us. Rosco never completely grew up, with every “hot pursuit” as exciting as the first. He made being Sheriff look like a helluva good time. And despite his human failings of greed and dishonesty, he remained loyal to his dog, his sister, and his brother-in-law. Underneath that badge of graft and cowardice, there was a heart.

Fans have a special affection for Rosco P. Coltrane, and they always will. That affection translates into an honest reverence and affection for James Best. We love ya, Jimmie. Happy Birthday, and God Bless.

Will “Enos” Series Be Next for DVD?

You can’t say we haven’t been patient. The Enos series first aired on November 12, 1980. It lasted 18 episodes, ending on May 20, 1981. Despite guest appearances by several Dukes of Hazzard cast members, Enos didn’t place high enough in the ratings to please CBS. The short-lived spinoff was canceled and never seen again.

Many long-time Dukes of Hazzard fans have asked about the Enos series. When Warner Bros. released The Dukes of Hazzard on DVD, there was hope that Enos would follow. It didn’t. But in 2010, WB unexpectedly released The Dukes animated series via DVD-on-demand. Happy as we are to have The Dukes available, we’re still looking for Enos.

Recently, we reached out to Warner Bros. and asked them if Enos would be available in the future. WB would only say this: “While we can’t comment on release plans for specific titles, we can tell you that each month, more and more films and TV series will be made available.”

Possum on a gumbush! No promises, but there’s hope. We’d love to see WB offer a DVD-on-demand release for Enos that would include Sonny Shroyer’s autograph. The first 500 copies of The Dukes animated series featured an autograph by James Best, and this allotment sold out quickly. (You can still order The Dukes, without the autograph.) A similar marketing promotion for Enos would make sense.

We’ll keep our ears on for Enos news. Meanwhile, console yourself by meeting Sonny Shroyer in person at the Johnny Lightning Fest in Dyersville, Iowa! He’s scheduled to appear July 16 only from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event is free, but autographs usually run five or ten bucks depending on the item. Remember to watch our Forums and homepage for more cast news and upcoming events. You can also catch us sleeping on Facebook and one of these days we’ll make real use of Twitter, ya never know!

Dukes of Hazzard on CMT Update

CMT continues the late-night airings of the Dukes of Hazzard, but this week they’ve shook up the broadcast days. No Dukes Monday or Tuesday, but you’ll have Dukes Wednesday through Friday, with a double feature o’ Dukes on Thursday.

Set your TiVo, or pull an all-nighter, and watch the following episodes:

The Canterbury Crock
Wed, July 06, 1:00 a.m. Eastern

Mrs. Daisy Hogg, & Double Dukes
Thurs, July 07, 1:00 a.m + 2:00 a.m. Eastern

Diamonds in the Rough
Fri, July 08, 1:00 a.m. Eastern

Notable in this week’s episodes: “The Canterbury Crock” features one of the zaniest chase scenes in the Dukes of Hazzard series, where everyone switches cars and then the chase runs backwards. If you’ve never seen Rosco drive the General Lee, you won’t want to miss this episode. Does Rosco crash the General? Watch and find out!

The episode “Diamonds in the Rough” was directed by James Best, ol’ Rosco P. Coltrane himself. Does the episode itself crash? You’ll have to watch and decide on your own!

We should also mention that in the episode “Mrs. Daisy Hogg,” Daisy Duke has another romance go completely down the tubes. You’d think a girl this pretty would have better luck landing a man.

Meanwhile, we continue to hope that CMT will air The Dukes of Hazzard during a family viewing hour. So far, they’re airing the Dukes very randomly and the pleas of fans have fallen on deaf ears. We are making our own appeal to CMT concerning this and we’ll let you know if we get a response.

Speed Into Summer with The Dukes of Hazzard!

Officially, summer just started, but it already feels like it’s flying by! One thing you don’t want to skip this summer is the good ol’ fashioned family road trip, especially when you can meet some of the original cast members of The Dukes of Hazzard! Here’s a quick list of what’s going on and who’s gonna be there:

July 01 – Rick Hurst, otherwise known as Deputy Cletus Hogg, will be at Cooter’s Place in Gatlinburg TN!

July 02 – Catherine Bach, Daisy Duke herself, will be at Cooter’s Place in Gatlinburg TN!

July 04 – Ben “Cooter” Jones will be at…no, not Cooter’s Place! Fooled ya. He’ll be at the community 4th of July shindig in Sperryville VA!

July 08-10 – John Schneider, known around here as Bo Duke, will be at the Carlisle Chrysler Nationals in Carlisle, PA!

July 16 – Sonny Shroyer, a/k/a Deputy Enos Strate, will be at the Johnny Lightning collectibles shindig in Dyersville, IA!

July 30-31 – John Schneider will be at the Marilla Car, Truck & Cycle Show in Marilla, NY!

Aug 13-14 – James Best, ol’ Rosco P.Coltrane, makes his only summer appearance scheduled thus far, at the Hazzard Homecoming in Sperryville, VA! Hazzard Homecoming is the big Dukes shindig of the summer, organized by Ben Jones and the lovely Miss Alma. Catherine Bach, Sonny Shroyer, and Rick Hurst will also be joining Ben Jones at this event. This is the place to see a General Lee, and to enjoy bluegrass music, all surrounded in the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

*UPDATE* John Schneider will also be at Hazzard Homecoming but *ONLY* on Sunday, August 14th!

What about Tom Wopat, of Luke Duke fame? He’s given his regards – and time – to Broadway! You can see him in the Tony-award winning musical, “Catch Me if You Can.”

Note, many of the above events, such as Hazzard Homecoming, and the car shows, require an admission fee. We will be adding more event details and links to our Forums section for each cast member. Also, please be aware that cast members generally do not give “free” autographs. An autograph may be included if you make a merchandise purchase from them, but if you bring an item of your own to have signed, be prepared to pay. Cast members each have their own rules n’ deals on these matters, and generally reserve the right to restrict their autographs to approved merchandise.

Being a Dukes of Hazzard Fan

This gem from YouTube shows the passion and dedication of Dukes of Hazzard fans who gathered in Hazard, Kentucky, in 1981. Some folks call this the first, true Dukes fan event and they may be correct.

Much has changed since 1981. Sorrell “Boss Hogg” Booke is no longer with us. Nor is the terminally ill child in this video, who referred to herself as “JoJo P. Coltrane.”

What remains, is the passion and dedication of Dukes of Hazzard fans around the world, of all ages, of all walks of life. We are fortunate that we have many cast members still with us, who are willing to meet and greet fans at appearances and events. People like Ben Jones, James Best, Rick Hurst, Catherine Bach, Sonny Shroyer, John Schneider and Tom Wopat. Who would have thought, that 32 years after The Dukes of Hazzard hit the air, people would still be talking about Cooter, Rosco, Cletus, Daisy, Enos, Bo and Luke? Or lining up to meet them whenever the opportunity arose?

In the upcoming days we will be posting more news and info about upcoming cast appearances. For now, enjoy this look back in time. This is what it was like – and is like – to be a Dukes of Hazzard fan.