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  | 429 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)
 
UNDPR
Type in the verification word shown on the image.
 
 
 Page: 1 of 22  | Go to page: 
429 Comments
 
 
What a fantabulous post this has been. Never seen this kind of useful post. I am grateful to you and expect more number of posts like these. Thank you very much.
Sep 28, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
Nice Informative Blog having nice sharing..
Sep 27, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
Quality posts is the crucial to invite the visitors to visit the web page, that's what this web page is providing.
Sep 27, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
Truly, this article is really one of the very best in the history of articles. I am a antique ’Article’ collector and I sometimes read some new articles if I find them interesting. And I found this one pretty fascinating and it should go into my collection. Very good work!
Sep 27, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
Interesting topic for a blog. I have been searching the Internet for fun and came upon your website. Fabulous post. Thanks a ton for sharing your knowledge! It is great to see that some people still put in an effort into managing their websites. I'll be sure to check back again real soon.
Sep 26, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
Love to read it,Waiting For More new Update and I Already Read your Recent Post its Great Thanks.
Sep 26, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
 
 
I found this post to be quite helpful and intriguing. We appreciate you sharing your unique opinions with us. I will most certainly share this with my peers.
Sep 26, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
Love to read it,Waiting For More new Update and I Already Read your Recent Post its Great Thanks.
Sep 25, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
Really a great addition. I have read this marvelous post. Thanks for sharing information about it. I really like that. Thanks so lot for your convene.
Sep 25, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
Thank you for this one. Your writing is so beautiful because you always know the right word for the right moment.
Sep 25, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
Best Color Prediction Game Based platforms promise to earn money quickly by allowing users to place bets and win good returns for predicting the right color.
Sep 24, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
Instantly this web site will irrefutably frequently end up being notable regarding all weblog consumers, due to diligent reviews as well as checks
Sep 24, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
Feel free to get in touch with us for any queries, concerns, or feedback. We value your input as it helps us provide an even better service.
Sep 22, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
If you're looking for the Goku.to Movie APK for iOS, it's essential to note that APKs are meant for Android. For iOS devices, Goku.to would likely offer an app through the Apple App Store. This app would bring a vast movie collection to iPhone and iPad users, ensuring high-quality streaming and frequent updates. Always download from official sources like the App Store to ensure safety and the best user experience.
Sep 22, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
i really like this article please keep it up.
Sep 22, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
This is excellent article, thank you for the share! This is what I am looking for, hope in future you will continue sharing such an superb work.
Sep 22, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
I actually like reading all of the blog posts on your website, sir. In general, this essay is pleasant and informational. Everything has a purpose and exists for a reason. Your article is really good.
Sep 22, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
this is really nice to read..informative post is very good to read..thanks a lot!
Sep 21, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
Cheers from our best Medicare FMO Companies
Sep 20, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
 
 Page: 1 of 22  | Go to page: