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This was something I wanted to point out three years ago but either didn’t have the technology at the time to make the screen caps, didn’t have that particular season of the Dukes to make the caps or my laptop at the time was just a piece of crap and I couldn’t upload the darn things somewhere.

As you know, in 2005 Warner Brothers released the big screen version of the Dukes of Hazzard with Johnny Knoxville, Sean William Scott and Jessica Simpson. Also with Willie Nelson as Uncle Jesse, Burt Reynolds as Boss Hogg and M.C. Gainey as Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane.

Although Burt Reynolds’ connection to the Dukes is via working with James Best on some films back in the 1970’s, M.C. Gainey was the only actor in the 2005 movie who actually appeared on an episode of the original Dukes of Hazzard back in 1982.

Here he is from that episode (Bad Day in Hazzard), looking menacing as usual…

What’s interesting to note, and was the big deal I wanted to make three years ago, is the irony of all this. As he was in a few scenes with the original Rosco…

The best part tho’ is when Daisy gets the upper hand against him…

Heheheheh, you go girl!

Anyway, at the time of the ‘05 movie I remember being a little put out that the Rosco in the film wasn’t a bumbling idiot but was a ruthless, evil, SOB.  Played by a guy who’s made his entire career by playing ruthless, evil, SOBs. I was especially put out when I read somewhere that Gainey said something about how the original Rosco was “cornball” or something like that. Well, duh! That was the whole idea! You were on the show, man, weren’t you paying attention back in ‘82?!

I took the cornball remark as disparaging at the time (the whole thing about the movie seemed disparaging at the time). However, as I was putting this blog post together, I found the following statement by Gainey speaking of himself. He says…

“With a face like this, there aren’t a lot of lawyers or priest roles coming my way. I’ve gotta face that was meant for a mug shot and that’s what I’ve been doing for the past thirty years. If I play a cop, it’s always a racist cop, or a trigger-happy cop or a crooked cop – but by and large I play cowboys, bikers, and convicts.”

And not bumbling Sheriffs.  Gainey elaborated on that further in this interview done sometime around the time the Dukes movie came out. I wish I had seen this interview instead of the “cornball” comment three years ago, perhaps I wouldn’t have been feeling quite so critical.

Of course, after three years it’s all moonshine under the bridge right? Right. Still, I feel better having got this off my mind now. Better late than never. Heh!