DAVID BIANCULLI

Founder / Editor

ERIC GOULD

Associate Editor

LINDA DONOVAN

Assistant Editor

Contributors

ALEX STRACHAN

MIKE HUGHES

KIM AKASS

MONIQUE NAZARETH

ROGER CATLIN

GARY EDGERTON

TOM BRINKMOELLER

GERALD JORDAN

NOEL HOLSTON

 
 
 
 
 
'Pass the Biscuits' Part of the Hatfield-McCoy Pop-Culture Legacy
June 3, 2012  | By Noel Holston  | 10862 comments
 

All the hoo-hah about History Channel’s hit miniseries Hatfields & McCoys got me thinking about Pass the Biscuits, Mirandy. The bloody Hatfield-McCoy feud that went on for several decades after the Civil War has been an enduring inspiration to makers of popular entertainment. Its pop-culture legacy includes everything from an Abbott and Costello feature to a 1975 TV flick with Jack Palance in fine, malevolent form, from Huckleberry Hound and Scooby Doo episodes to the game show Family Feud. History Channel’s new series may well be the best and most accurate take on the notorious rivalry, but Mirandy is surely the funniest.

It’s a cartoon. I saw it two, maybe three times when I was about, oh, 10 years old. It was shown occasionally on the Cactus Jack show, an afternoon kidvid extravaganza on WDAM-TV (Laurel-Hattiesburg, Miss.) that served up old theatrical cartoons, older B-grade Westerns and interviews in the Art Linkletter mold with studio-audience kids. I once embarrassed my folks on live TV by telling Cactus Jack (Goldman, I think his off-camera last name was) that I and most of my fellow Cub Scouts thought our den mother provided lousy snacks.

But I digress. Pass the Biscuits, Mirandy stuck in my mind for decades. I remembered a lively animated musical in which an elaborate shooting war among mountain folk involved using the titular matriarch’s rock-hard baked goods in place of bullets. I have been known on occasion to break out in the theme song’s yodeled refrain: “Paasssssss the biss-kits……”

Once, after we’d entered the Internet age, I attempted to find it online, but all my search turned up was a 1942 live-action short based on the song and starring Spike Jones and his City Slickers, a “Soundie” produced to be played on special, visual jukeboxes.

Not that Mr. Jones’ version isn’t pretty dang cool in its own right, but what I really wanted to experience again was the cartoon.

And now I have. My memories rekindled by the History Channel, I did a search and found the animated Pass the Biscuits, Mirandy on YouTube. It turns out it was a “Swing Symphony” produced at Universal in 1943 by Walter Lantz, the producer best known for his Woody Woodpecker series. It runs almost seven minutes, and it’s even better than I remembered, not the least of the reasons for which being that it’s in glorious Technicolor. When last I saw it, everything on my TV was black and white.

In Lantz’ Appalachian operetta, the barefoot, snaggle-toothed mountaineers,  renamed the Foys and the Bartons, are so stereotypical they make Jed Clampett and his kin look like Dynasty’s Carringtons. If this toon was produced now, West Virginia or Kentucky would probably sue for defamation. But the long-bearded, flop-hatted rubes are funny from the first frame, and they move with a lithe and nimble grace, almost like dancers.

Mirandy, first lady of the Foy clan, looks kind of like Popeye in drag. And her petrified biscuits aren’t just used as blunderbuss bullets; one of them, errantly thrown away by a Foy, destroys a rickety cabin that belongs to the Barton family, thus starting the war. Animator Paul Smith made Mirandy’s baking routine an inventive hoot, and he comes up with some wild variations on the back and forth fusillades. Even a baby gets his shot in.

What I didn’t remember after all these years was how the feud turns out — how the animosities (and the deadly biscuits) are repurposed. I’m not about to give the twist away, other than to say it is very much a product of its time.

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.

 
 
 
 
 
Leave a Comment: (No HTML, 1000 chars max)
 
 Name (required)
 
 Email (required) (will not be published)
 
JYKEI
Type in the verification word shown on the image.
 
 
 Page: 1 of 544  | Go to page: 
10862 Comments
 
 
I left this post feeling motivated and more informed.
May 10, 2025   |  Reply
 
 
More than 80,000 men are already taking advantage of this technique to make everything stand up - and are reaping the rewards of unforgettable nights. Now it's your turn to try it and transform your sex life!
May 10, 2025   |  Reply
 
 
The Salt Trick involves placing a pinch of natural salt under your tongue.
May 10, 2025   |  Reply
 
 
Doctors are stunned. Research shows that a key compound found in Pink Himalayan Salt can help balance hormones, detox the body and supercharge fat-burning overnight.
May 10, 2025   |  Reply
 
 
Did you know there's a 15-second Pink Salt trick that’s helping women and men burn stubborn belly fat fast — even while they sleep? This natural method is going viral on TikTok, YouTube and health blogs because of how shockingly simple it is.
May 10, 2025   |  Reply
 
 
Look no further than the Salt Trick, a game-changing technique that’s taking the internet by storm.
May 10, 2025   |  Reply
 
 
In this video, we break down the 15-second Himalayan Pink Salt Method, how it works, and if it’s worth the hype or not.
May 10, 2025   |  Reply
 
 
I admire your ability to make content engaging and informative.
May 10, 2025   |  Reply
 
 
I admire your ability to make content engaging and informative.
May 10, 2025   |  Reply
 
 
Packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to support overall health.
May 10, 2025   |  Reply
 
 
Prime Biome is a cutting-edge probiotic supplement that enhances gut health and skin vitality from within. By balancing the microbiome, it improves digestion, boosts immunity, and promotes a clearer, more youthful complexion.
May 10, 2025   |  Reply
 
 
What am I doing without you? This article means a lot to me!
May 9, 2025   |  Reply
 
 
What am I doing without you? This article means a lot to me!
May 9, 2025   |  Reply
 
 
Mitolyn’s natural formula is designed to support mitochondrial health, leading to improved metabolism and energy levels.
May 8, 2025   |  Reply
 
 
The Salt Trick is a natural technique that involves using specific salts, such as Blue Salt, to enhance male performance.
May 8, 2025   |  Reply
 
 
Appanail is a cutting-edge fungus-fighting supplement designed to eliminate toenail fungus, strengthen nails, and promote overall foot health.
May 8, 2025   |  Reply
 
 
Arialief is a nutritional support supplement designed to relieve nerve-related discomfort, such as tingling, numbness, and burning in the hands and feet.
May 8, 2025   |  Reply
 
 
Prime Biome is a dietary supplement designed to enhance skin health and overall well-being by focusing on the gut-skin connection.
May 7, 2025   |  Reply
 
 
LeanBiome is a weight loss supplement designed to support gut health and boost fat-burning processes naturally.
May 7, 2025   |  Reply
 
 
If you're someone who's always looking for ways to improve your life, attract more money, and stay focused, you've probably come across the Billionaire Brain Wave.
May 7, 2025   |  Reply
 
 
 
 Page: 1 of 544  | Go to page: