", "The Bandit Run Brought to you by Restore A Muscle Car", "Stewart plays off 'Smokey and the Bandit in Mobil 1 ad", "Smokey and the Bandit: 40th Anniversary Edition", "Smokey and the Bandit II, Box Office Information", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Smokey_and_the_Bandit&oldid=1142751918, Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images, Album articles lacking alt text for covers, All articles that may contain original research, Articles that may contain original research from April 2022, Articles needing additional references from September 2018, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, "Incidental CB Dialogue" (Voice ["Bandit"] , "Incidental CB Dialogue" (Voice ["Bandit"] Burt Reynolds, Voice ["Smokey"] , "Incidental CB Dialogue" (Voice ["Bandit"] Burt Reynolds, Voice ["Smokey"] Jackie Gleason), George Reynolds as Sheriff George Branford, This page was last edited on 4 March 2023, at 04:45. I imagine that they borrowed some of the character from Sheriff JW Pepper from the 1973 and 1974 James Bond movies, Live and Let Die and The Man with the Golden Gun. That girl from the McCoys video probably looks like Paula Deen now. I ended up buying a 1969 Cadillac ambulance a year later! I had a 78 Trigger lookalike for a while in the mid 90s, until a wrist pin went out, ended up selling it to one of my brothers buddys uncles. a custom mandrel bent dual exhaust, and the Mondello bottom end plate to stabilize the windowed mains. At the time, Reynolds was the top box office star in the world. Gotta love that guy! We stopped in that same Safeway later on the way back home from southern Cal, and they had a huge display of cases of Coors out on the floor near the checkstands. The next movie, Smokey and the Bandit II, featured the same cast and an updated version of the Trans Am.The second version of the Smokey and the Bandit car was a 1980 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am that had a similar paint job, the updated front end, and gold "Turbine" style wheels.The 1980 models featured a turbocharged 4.9L Pontiac V8, but that still wasn't enough power for the stunt personnel. The three original films introduced two generations of the Pontiac Trans Am and the Dodge Stealth in the television movies. So why did they go with sound effects instead of the Trans Am's actually exhaust noise? The soundtrack album was released in 1977 on vinyl, cassette, and 8-track through MCA Records. Many of the film's original sounds were replaced. The original film had correct sounds that were usually recorded live as the action took place. Even when the 2nd gen was already coasting on fumes, and defanged, and after the reasonably shitty Smokey and the Bandit sequel, Pontiac managed to pump out 107,000 Trans Ams in 1980 and 70,000 for the 2nd gen Trans Ams swan song in 1981. I still regret selling mine almost 30 years ago. That parking lot was full of Trans Ams! Chevy almost did the same with its counterpart, the Camaro. Arguably the most iconic Pontiac Firebird in history. Theres really nothing like an old cop car. [9] Though the film Moonrunners (1975) is the precursor to the television series The Dukes of Hazzard (19791985), from the same creator and with many identical settings and concepts, the popularity of Smokey and the Bandit and similar films helped get the Dukes series on the air. A diablo sammich from my understanding is a like a Sloppy Joe but with taco seasoning added in for spice. It had not been used for some time and was repainted for the film. Conversely, I could go to Paducah and be asked where up north I was from. The remaining Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am is currently owned by Florida car collector John Staluppi. January 24, 2019 100 comments. . Stroker Ace is after S&B, 1983, and features the then new for 83 aero Fox Body Thunderbird. As a former Club Wagon pilot, I happen to like his Econoline. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Please to note I didnt say _I_ didnt like them as I was in my 20s then (early 1970s) so I hustled my self and my Russian girlfriend right on down to the cinema every time Burt Reynolds had a new flick , I personally loved his movies even the chick flicks like The Man Who Loved Women , I just had to hear earfuls from everyone else about how awful he / those movies were.. We even bought one of those Pontiac Police Specials on auction from. Needham saw an advertisement for the soon-to-be-released 1977 Pontiac Trans Am and knew right away that would be the Bandit's car, or, as Needham referred to it, a character in the movie. The Trans Am used in the movie was a 1976 model with the front end of a 1977 car. Car movies are notorious for being tough on the very vehicles that give them their allure. S&B is one of my all-time favorite movies and Im not apologizing. With that in mind, Ill go with what Ive heard from my Georgia friends, to wit Sheriff Justices diablo sandwich is the Macon version, which is made with fried eggs and red hots. During a Q&A session on Saturday, filmed by ComicBook.com, a fan asked how many Trans Ams they burned through during production. [12] The area around Helen, Georgia, was used for some locations. These were the cans with the two circular push buttons on top instead of pull tabs. I have to admit, thats a pretty fantastic story, and as a major movie star, Im sure Burt Reynolds was able to figure out another way to acquire a means of transportation. I am indeed a fan. 2-Smokey and the Bandit II-Pretty bad, still has some funny campy crap, the Dom DeLuise Italian Dr. bit is ok, Gleason is still pretty funny, the Turbo T/A is pretty weak, but still cool to see. Round and dumpy, just like the Colonnade LeMans! You will receive a verification email shortly. I will confess, however, that it was a fun movie to watch and I have caught it on TV a time or two in recent years with my kids. (first posted 2/28/2014) The fourth highest grossing film in the United States in 1977 was the Academy Award nominatedSmokey & The Bandit. You can see in some shots in the movie that the Bandit Trans Am has 1976 style gold honeycomb wheels instead of the gold snowflake wheels from the 1977, I think at least one of the cars used in filming was a 1976 converted with a 1977 front clip. Olds 88. The updated version of the film features sound inaccurate for what would be produced by the Trans Am or the numerous other Pontiac vehicles in the film. How did any bra manufacturers survive the 70s? I have always loved this movie, watched it dozens and dozens of times on TV, video, DVD, laserdisc, almost any form of media. After the movie came out, Firebird sales increased even more, but the Trans Am was now the most popular one. A dastardly scoundrel? HotCars covers all things automotive: the latest auto news and informative reviews on the car, pickup truck and motorcycle industries. With this, the Sheriff begins his pursuit of the Mann Act-violating Banditall the way to Georgia. A group of Trans Am owners and fans of the movie take part in an annual road trip from Texarkana to Jonesboro, recreating the route taken by the characters in the film. He obtained the attention of studios and aimed the film at a more mainstream release after his friend Reynolds read the script and agreed to portray the Bandit, with Reed now portraying the Bandit's friend the Snowman. I dont know if Ive ever seen the unedited version though, so I never realized the orignal phrase was sum bitch, I always assumed it was worse. His automotive adventure started reporting on various motorsport events as a sports writer before moving onto a full-time auto career with various sites, including This Week In Motors and Autoevolution. In its place was the nonsensical scum bum. The voice over actor? 1-Smokey and the Bandit-The classic, the original, and the best one by FAR. However, as our heroes were successful in delivering their truckload of Coors, the writers effectively poised themselves for a sequel. [31] Smokey and the Bandit was released in the United Kingdom on August 28 and was a success there, garnering positive reviews. The uncut version is the best. The Pontiac Trans Am seems like a natural choice for Smokey and the Bandit, but the car was only a few inches close to not being used in the movie. That is an excellent question. how many cars were destroyed in smokey and the bandit 2 how many cars were destroyed in smokey and the bandit 2 (No Ratings Yet) . The differences between the two are major. The worldwide gross is estimated at over $300 million. I looked at a Bluesmobile worthy 1977 Plymouth Grand Fury, the big ones, it was an ex Florida Highway Patrol car, but it had a pretty good amount of rust and it was pretty beat. I think more of Smokey and the Bandit II and the awful part 3 were filmed largely in Florida, I dont know if I-75 construction was started by 1976-77, at least the section down to Miami part, when they filmed. Dodge pitchman Sheriff Joe Higgins. They destroyed all those cars in the films he said. The commercials were produced after Stewart mentioned that the movie was one of his favorites.[39]. WildI watched this for the first time in years after watching the latest Archer.the whole thing is an homage to S&B. Jesus, did you just call Carmine a car novice? I really enjoyed this discussion. He claimed that the Bandit is never made aware of Frog's leaving Junior at the altar, which is why the Bandit continually asks why a Texas sheriff is chasing him. Out of four Trans Ams used for the filming of Smokey And The Bandit, three were completely totaled in the process. While Sheriff Justice doesnt deal well with the pressures of high speed pursuit, as seen above, his Pontiac LeMans (CC here) withstands the most abuse of any car in this entire movie. Now, having only three Trans Ams to wreck for a movie is minimalist, to say the least. In my area, nearly every one listed is an ex cop car. The roundup sequence in the desert shows many new Pontiac Le Mans sedans decorated as police cars being destroyed. Some people have ripped this film as being thin on plot; others have called it a documentary about life south of the Mason-Dixon Line. Here in Canada they didnt censor it, so we always got the sumbitch version. Producer Hal Needham intended Smokey and the Bandit to be one of the best product placement films of all time. Many hardcore fans of Burt Reynolds' most iconic movie, 1977's "Smokey and The Bandit," know that none of those cool black Pontiac Trans Ams with gold trim survived the stunts in the film. [4] Reynolds said in 2015 that he most enjoyed this film, and had the most fun making it, of his career.[26]. Smokey and the Bandit was the second highest-grossing domestic film of 1977 in the United States. The movie, in fact, caused sales of the . Were they dummies? One guy did a while ago a fan-made trailer of Smokey & the Bandit 4. [38], In 2014, petroleum company Mobil 1 produced television commercials, featuring then-NASCAR driver Tony Stewart, closely based on the film. Misconception by casual novice car fans is that the Trams Am didnt sell well until S&B. The value of their stock rose a startling 70 percent after the films release, and to show their appreciation to Reynolds, the president said they would give the actor a new car each and every year. This movie just showed how much an urban legend the supposed unobtainability had become. This reminds me of the classic introduction (actually written by Dick Cavett) said by Jack Paar on The Tonight Show: I was 3 years old when the original came out, and do not remember any of these details but, supposedly this was the first movie my parents ever took me to. Jane Russell hawked bras on television for full-figured gals like her, a line that evoked snickers among my high-school classmates. That is why there are not any left. Somewhere along the line, the company acquired a new president who told Reynolds: Im the new president, and I dont like your movies. For instance, the diesel engine start and run-up sequence in the opening sequence of the film were completely dubbed over with a new sound. When I was a kid I thought they were the same person. Some weren't that lucky and were discontinued altogether. A strike at General Motors in 1972 limited the production of the Trans Am to less than 1,300 units that year, and Pontiac almost canceled the nameplate. Now then you mentionned Sheriff JW Pepper, I decided to post some Youtube clips of him. I thought at the time that it was a newer version of White Lightning (also with Burt Reynolds) and that Smokey would be forgotten just as soon. Of course, we could argue that Needham could have used the engine note of a Pontiac GTO from the golden muscle car, but the 1955 Custom recordings were probably readily available, and he just didn't need the hassle. However, the scene where they drive through the Shell gas station was filmed in Ojai, California, on the corner of Ojai Avenue and El Paseo Road. The unrestored car reportedly showed up on eBay back in 2015, but no one wanted to buy it. The film's editors, Walter Hannemann and Angelo Ross, were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing. You might think that seeing their cars routinely destroyed on movie screens across the country would give the manufacturer pause, but that is not the case at all. The $%&#* Germans got nuthin to do with it!, Such a great movie I grew up in the 80s, so it was comforting to watch this, Blues Brothers, or Animal House once a week on TBS/TNT. Mrs Jason wont let me sell the sumbitch. Sally Field and Burt Reynolds began a relationship after meeting on set. Neither Buford nor any other lawmen know of Snowman's illegal manifest, while Bandit is likewise unaware that Buford is chasing him because of Carrie, whose jumpiness inspires Bandit to give her the CB handle "Frog". Smokey and the Bandit II is a 1980 American action comedy film directed by Hal Needham, and starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, . At the drive-in of all places. Gleason has a treasure trove of hilarious lines and it was this movie that started my love affair of cars back in the early 1980s. Three Kenworth W900A short-frame semi trucks, driven by Reed, were each equipped with 38-inch sleepers. We gonna do what they say cant be done J.J. & The Dixie Dance Kings was a milder one that had (I think) a 56 Buick Century . That song often pops into my head at the start of long drives. Its W.W. Two cars were reportedly badly damaged in early stunts in the film, while a third car was completely destroyed during the famous bridge jump scene. I did help a friend rebuild a late 60s 400 to replace the anemic 301 in his 79, Trans Am. When it is finally torn off along with the car's roof in the impact with the girder, the missing fender still reappears later on in the film. Despite growing up next to Cape, most of relatives are from the Mid-South. Ironically I never really cared all that much for Coors, I dont think it has much flavor, but it was well received when we got to Kentucky. I was to be paid a salary plus own 7% of the profits. Reynolds was the top box office draw from 1975 to 1982, then his movies really started to go downhill. Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox would bring several cases after playing on the West Coast, by stashing them in the equipment trunks on the team's plane. Want proof? However, in more recent years, the original version has been shown (on ITV, a commercial channel), usually with the stronger language edited out, often quite awkwardly. Smokey and the Bandit is a 1977 American road action comedy film starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jackie Gleason, Jerry Reed, Pat McCormick, Paul Williams and Mike Henry. And the 400 Pontiac or 403 Olds versions could be made to run well. It follows the adventures of a couple of truck drivers bootlegging Coors, which couldnt legally be sold East of the Mississippi River at the time. Coors was legal in Missouri and illegal in Illinois. If you watched any of these clips, you heard a goodly number of phrases that still cannot be used on television in the United States. [22] It premiered at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, where it performed badly. If you watched the second clip above, this truck should look familiar. In response, Needham told Reed that he liked the song so much that if Reed changed even a word or a note, Needham would "choke him". As a feature-length car chase, the car was as much of a star as Burt Reynolds, and the film gave birth to the cult of the Trans Am. [10], Principal photography of the film began on August 30, 1976. I fondly remember lots and lots of terrible B grade movies @ the drive in in the early to mid 1970s all featuring cars racing , smashing and so on . Needham and assistant director David Hamburger spent 30 hours revising the shooting schedule.[4]. Musicians such as Beegie Adair and George Tidwell[20] played on the soundtrack. Burt Reynolds plays truck driver Bo Bandit Darville. There definitely was a halo cast around the 2nd gen F-body from its appearance in the movie, which I believe even did extend to the Camaro, which was probably the cheapest way to at least get some of the Bandit vibe, where there other factors too, probably, the 70s, disco, cocaine, mustaches and probably a bunch others.many thought that these car would be the last hurrah for anything performance oriented. And Burt may be from GA originally, but he calls Florida home, which is another reason I heard the movie was filmed here. He is hired by Big Enos Burdette and his son Little Enos to transport a truck load of Coors beer from Texarkana, Texas, back to Georgia in 28 hours. Nuts about any form of classic motorsport and muscle cars, Ciprian's currently working on a time machine that would take him back to the 1960s for a long vacation alongside Dan Gurney and Jim Hall. Of course, it's difficult to asses whether these small decals did something to change buyer perception about the Trans Am, but it's an interesting part of the Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am's history. Apparently the engine sounds were lifted from another movie, I think two lane blacktop? It just seems wrong to see that car in any fashion without hearing that song. I was 10 when this movie came out and I loved it then and I still do. Although 1977 models also featured 6.6-liter engines, they were rated at only 200 horses. Additionally, he can give you several reasons why theres still no replacement for displacement. It was his idea to have Junior alongside him throughout the film. [37], The first run in 2007 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the movie, The Bandit Run was the brainchild of Dave Hall, owner of Restore A Muscle Car. Wanting to promote the aesthetically modified 1977 model, but lacking cars owing to delays in production start-up, GM modified four 1976 Trans Ams with '77 spec bodywork and decals for the film. Gleason probably wanted too much money to provide the dubbing, which is a shame because it ruins the TV version. and the Dixie Dance Kings, and Burts car was a 57 [56?] I also own a Etrl replica of the Pontiac Bonneville Buford T. Justice drove in Smokey and The Bandit II. Five-string banjo player Bobby Thompson is prominent toward the end of "East Bound and Down". Burt Reynolds is originally a Georgia boy. His father was also the inspiration for the word "sumbitch" used in the film, a variation of the phrase "son-of-a-bitch" that, according to Reynolds, he uttered quite often. Soon as I get home, first thing Im gonna do is punch yo mamma in da mouth!. Gleason was a genius, but this was not one of his better outings I prefer the Hustler and Gigot. Ive always loved this movie. A 1977 special-edition model once owned by the late actor Burt Reynolds recently wound up on the car auction website Bring a Trailer. Just like the exaggeration sales went up 700%. Seven: (Three with Burt Reynolds and Crew, and Four without) Smokey and the Bandit - 1977 Smokey and the Bandit II - 1980 Smokey and the Bandit III . The Bandit's car was a second-generation Trans Am and the prize for completing the run was a new truck rather than $80,000. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, I still think its more entertaining than Star Wars. Further, as Pontiac has deliciously obvious product placement, anyone who delights in 70s era Pontiac iron will experience visual ecstasy. The advertisements lampoon the film and feature a Pontiac Trans Am and a cover version of the song East Bound and Down. Sales almost doubled in two years, which is a very big deal given that the Trans Ams 1978 facelift was rather minor save for the front fascia. Oh, and a hooker girlfriend that looked like Annie Potts. At the time, it was illegal to transport Coors east of the Mississippi River and a series of other truckers had been apprehended for trying to accomplish this feat for the Burdettes. The story replaced the Coors beer with Mobil 1 products. Hal Needham did pass away as someone earlier said. AWESOME! Got Greyhound cutout decals on the rear side windows. The hood scoop on these cars says "6.6 LITRE", which, in 1977, would have denoted an Oldsmobile 403-equipped car or a non-W-72, 180 hp version of the 400 Pontiac engine. His personaround, dumpy, and clipping wordsreminds one of another fictional southern sheriff. Because of the popularity of the film and the sales success of the Trans Am, the president of Pontiac Alex Mair promised to supply Reynolds with a Trans Am each year. I dont know whose idea was to replace the wicked Two Lane Blacktop Chevy sourced engine sound effects with an authentic 200 horsepower muffled smogger 400, but that sumbitch is a scumbum!!! And lets not forget the Trans Am rental car Steve McQueen drove in his very last movie, The Hunter from 1980. Likely this isnt any rare engine venting package, but I could be wrong. The man does get around. The remaining Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am is currently owned by Florida car collector John Staluppi. . Burt Reynolds once claimed in an interview that there were actually 12 Trans Ams featured in Smokey and the Banditand he wrecked every one. This movie was filmed in Georgia as well. On the DVD, there is a brief interview with both Burt Reynolds and Hal Needham, who directed this film. Behind Sheriff Justices Pontiac, there is a nice looking 1965 or 1966 Ford Mustang fastback and a Toyota pickup. [original research?] "Smokey and the Bandit" stars Burt Reynolds, Sally . The directorial debut of stuntman Hal Needham, the film follows Bo "Bandit" Darville (Reynolds) and Cledus "Snowman" Snow (Reed), two bootleggers attempting to illegally transport 400 cases of Coors beer from Texarkana to Atlanta. One time a friend and I drove back to Kentucky on leave rather than flying; no particular reason, we had plenty of time and wanted to see some of the country. Supposedly there was a stick car for the burnouts and an automatic car for other shots. (it did taste a lot better than Bud as I recall). Weve got a long way to go and a short time to get there "Buford T. Justice" was the name of a real Florida Highway Patrolman known to Reynolds' father, who was once Police Chief of Riviera Beach, Florida. It became Reed's signature song and is on multiple albums, including Country Legends and his live album Jerry Reed "Live!" Lets take a look at some more cars found in the movie. Burt Reynolds himself drove the car on stage to the song "East Bound and Down" and signed it. It was something regarding distribution limits. The sound came from a 1955 Chevrolet Custom, the same car that was used in Two-Lane Blacktop and American Graffiti, films launched in 1971 and 1973, respectively. The most noted change made for network broadcast was the replacing of Buford's often-spoken phrase "sumbitch" (a contraction of "son of a bitch"; usually in reference to the Bandit) with the phrase "scum bum". I actually remember the construction of that segment of I-75, as it stopped around Tampa prior to that time. Jason, Using the words nuance, subtlety, complexity and intellect to describe this movie, is, as they say, trs amusant! Both sequels used another Trans Am, not a Cadillac Eldorado, as seen below. She is a runaway bride, sitting on the side of the road in her 1973 Chevrolet Impala coupe. I will confess that by the time this movie was out, I was a Mopar guy. Id been driving for years by the time I was 15, so I just wanted to complete the course with as little static as possible. [21], Smokey and the Bandit was a sleeper hit. The sticker read "T/A 6.6," which was a reminder of the engine's 6.6-liter displacement. Actor Henry Corden, who voiced Fred Flintstone after original performer Alan Reed died the same year the film was released, was used to replace a considerable amount of Sheriff Justice's dialogue. I have only seen pieces of the second and none of the third; I plan to keep it that way. I had no idea that it was going to become a 70s classic. Sonny Shroyer (Enos) was the motorcycle cop who was given the 1-finger salute by Sally Field. The cars were wrecked on purpose to create the illusion of a high-speed chase. He has no less than four movies listed as coming out, and they run the gamut from romantic drama to family comedy to horror mystery to action thriller. . It was the second highest-grossing film of the year, trailing only Star Wars: A New Hope, and it made Burt Reynolds into a certifiable superstar. The checker, not batting an eye, Do you want that chilled?. The roller coaster in the movie was the Greyhound. An effort to recreate a jump from Smokey and the Bandit doesn't go perfectly when the car takes a rough course off the ramp. With Reynolds' salary at $1 million, Needham was left with only $3.3 million to make the film.