Famous Basset Hounds: Smokey And The Bandit, Spider Man 2 And The Dukes Of Hazzard

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Published: September 13, 2007

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The basset hound is a special breed of dog that is known for its long body and short legs. The feature that most people identify with basset hounds is their droopy skin, which gives them an almost permanent sad facial expression. Basset hounds are known to be very friendly and lovable dogs, but they also have a very strong sense of smell that they use for hunting. Most famous basset hounds that have been in films are not extraordinary, but the same lovable canines that many people keep as household pets.

Basset hounds got their first taste of fame in 1928 at the 52nd annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. It was at this event that Time magazine photographed a basset hound for their front cover. Since then, famous basset hounds have popped up in all different forms of media, including television, movies and comic strips. One of the most famous basset hounds ever in a major motion picture was Fred from “Smokey and the Bandit.”

Fred was the loyal companion of truck driver Cledus Snowman Snow in the movie. One might remember the familiar face of Fred as he sat along side Snowman, who drove a semi-truck full of Coors beer from Texas to Georgia. While “Smokey and the Bandit” is normally remembered for its intense chase scenes, Fred wasn't a scene stealer during such scenes. Fred was more prominent in scenes that were slow-moving or calm, much like the personality traits of basset hounds in general. While Fred was a pioneer for famous basset hounds in movies, other canines made it big on the television screen.

As far as television goes, among the most famous basset hounds is Flash from “The Dukes of Hazzard.” Flash's owner on the show was Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane, who was always trying to get rid of the Duke boys before they could ruin another of Boss Hogg's schemes. Flash, who was a female, came onto the scene in the third season and was known for her love for the Duke boys and her hatred for Boss Hogg. The dog that played Flash was really named Sandy and was bought at an animal shelter. The actor who played Sheriff Coltrane on “The Dukes of Hazzard,” James Best, was actually the one that suggested to the show's producers that his character have a dog as his companion. Good old Flash probably could have never even imagined that she would one day be at the top of the list for famous basset hounds on television.

Like many famous basset hounds, Flash was somewhat of a comical character. In the show, the sheriff bought her under the impression that she was an attack dog only to discover that she required doggie treats as motivation for movement. While Sandy was responsible for making Flash the popular character that she was, she was only one of the two famous basset hounds on “The Dukes of Hazzard.” In fact, many people often would confuse Flash with her stunt double, Flush. Flush was the name of a stuffed replica of Flash, which was used for filming scenes that may have otherwise been dangerous for the real dog. One might wonder which of the two famous basset hounds received the bigger paycheck.

Flash and Fred did a good job of paving the dog trail for famous basset hounds of the future. Since the days of “The Dukes of Hazzard” and “Smokey and the Bandit,” famous basset hounds have shown up everywhere from movies like “Spider Man 2,” “American Werewolf in Paris” and Disney's “Nanny McPhee.” Famous basset hounds have also become stars from their roles in advertising like the Maytag repairman's companion in the Maytag commercials or the dog's face on the logo for Hush Puppies shoes. Like most dogs, basset hounds are great companions, and from what we have learned about famous basset hounds, they are not too camera shy either!


Sources:
"Basset Hound." Wikipedia. 8 Sept. 2007. 12 Sept. 2007.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basset_Hound

"Smokey and the Bandit." Wikipedia. 9 Sept. 2007. 12 Sept. 2007.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smokey_and_the_Band it

"The Dukes of Hazzard." Wikipedia. 11 Sept. 2007. 12 Sept. 2007.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dukes_of_Hazzar d

Basset Hounds: Flash. TV Acres. 12 Sept. 2007.
http://www.tvacres.com/dogs_bassett_flash.htm