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. Have the movie, cheesy as hell, but does have appearances by several NASCAR drivers of the day, including Dale Earnhardt (Senior, not Jr) Kyle Petty, Harry Gant, and one of my favorites of the era, Tim Richmond. Henry Corden, the voice of cartoon character Fred Flintstone. So, for years one, two, and three, he got a shiny new Pontiac. Today, Smokey and the Bandit remains one of the most popular car action films ever made, and the 1977 Pontiac Trans Am will forever be wed to the movie. In October 2020, a Smokey and the Bandit TV series was revealed to be in development, with a pilot written by David Gordon Green and Brian Sides and also executive produced with his Rough House confederates Jody Hill, Danny McBride and Brandon James, as well as Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins of Fuzzy Door.[44]. Though no authoritative source identifies the composition of the sandwich, there are several possibilities. Actually, there were 2 future Dukes stars in the movie: Ben Jones (Cooter) was in an early scene helping Big Enos find Bandit. After the movie did well, Pontiac gave Burt a free Trans Am to drive for a few years. I have worked a long time to eradicate the one I had but it still crops up periodically from exposure, like you experienced. 5. My family did all grocery shopping in Cape. The film features the custom clothing and costuming of Niver Western Wear of Fort Worth, Texas. As I did Steve McQueen and Paul Newman. In a rare public appearance, Burt Reynolds revealed how many cars they wrecked making Smokey and Burt Reynolds' 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Sold for $240,000. Trigger had a big impact on my taste in cars with the Trans Ams of the late 70s being my favorite. Smokey and the Bandit II is a 1980 American action comedy film directed by Hal Needham, and starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, . I did help a friend rebuild a late 60s 400 to replace the anemic 301 in his 79, Trans Am. Most of the dialogue was improvised on set. The theme music "East Bound and Down" was sung and co-written by Reed (credited under his birth name, Jerry Hubbard) and Dick Feller. how many cars were destroyed in smokey and the bandit 2. A 1977 special-edition model once owned by the late actor Burt Reynolds recently wound up on the car auction website Bring a Trailer. While I have read undocumented accounts of there being more than three Trans Ams, Needham stated three is all that were used. 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 was 10 when this movie came out and I loved it then and I still do. Gleason probably wanted too much money to provide the dubbing, which is a shame because it ruins the TV version. 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. Great write up. But that doesnt make for an interesting movie premise. Reynolds was the top box office draw from 1975 to 1982, then his movies really started to go downhill. If it wasnt for Smokey & the Bandit, the Dukes of Hazzard TV series would not exist. Even today when I stumble across this cinematic masterpiece being rerun on cable tv, Ill watch the entire thing. [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. The comedy has been remastered to DVD standards. Field enjoyed making the film, but remembers that virtually the entire project was improvised. As luck and script writing would have it, Frog has left her groom at the altar. Its amazing, you should watch it. A 1975 Pontiac Grand Ville, seen toward the end of the movie. Likely this isnt any rare engine venting package, but I could be wrong. At one point in the movie, the Bandit wrecks a police car. The unrestored car reportedly showed up on eBay back in 2015, but no one wanted to buy it. In 1978, Pontiac delivered 93,351 Trans Ams and 93,944 regular Firebirds for a grand total of 187,295 cars. During this time, the Firebird also surpassed sales figures of the Chevrolet Camaro. Duarte or maybe ir was Arcadia , it was white with a red & blue pinstripe , we dropped $400 (an ungodly sum back then) on a re paint and pin striping but could _not_ sell that wretched POC , it took us two years IIRC . Out of four Trans Ams used for the filming of Smokey And The Bandit, three were completely totaled in the process. 1-Smokey and the Bandit-The classic, the original, and the best one by FAR. That came out in 1981. The differences between the two are major. Of course, it wasnt hard to wake them up. At the time, Reynolds was the top box office star in the world. Thank you for signing up to CinemaBlend. It seems Plymouth was in a distant second for product placement. Learn how your comment data is processed. American Brands: AMC, Jeep and All Others, Tractors, Lawn Mowers, Off-Road Equipment, CC Outtake: The CC House, and With a New Recent Exotic Addition, CC TV Outtake: This Used Car Commercial Didn't Make It On The Air, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cODPt3T0cHE. I have since moved on from them, mainly because in stock form, they were not particularly great cars (though good enough for the times). Filmmakers destroyed 230 cars in the filming of 'Furious 7.' Smokey And The Bandit: A Car-chase Classic. In 1976-78, while a high school student in Norwalk, CT, me and a few buddies would routinely drive up to Vista, NY, which was just over the state line. Originally, the film was going to be a B-movie played only in the Southern United States. Three actors from the main cast of The Dukes of Hazzard appear in small uncredited roles in Smokey and the Bandit: Ben Jones, John Schneider, and Sonny Shroyer (who played a police officer in both). What were the police cars in Smokey and the Bandit? The 1977 model wasn't out yet when filming began, so General Motors provided 1976 cars with front clips from the soon-to-be-released 1977 update. Anyone with insight is encouraged to share their knowledge on this. But would the black and gold T/As be as desirable today without the movie? In its place was the nonsensical "scum bum." . Free shipping for many products! Needham served as the driver for the stunt (in place of Reynolds), while Lada St. Edmund was in the same car (in place of Field). It became Reed's signature song and is on multiple albums, including Country Legends and his live album Jerry Reed "Live!" The roundup sequence in the desert shows many new Pontiac Le Mans sedans decorated as police cars being destroyed. Yet when I think of a 70s T/A, thats the one I and Im sure millions of other folks think of. NY 10036. As I am finishing this article while Big Truck Week is winding down, here is a Kenworth with a 1973 Dodge Polara patrol car. Earlier DVD releases and the 40th Anniversary Blu-ray of the film have the original soundtrack intact. A blackguard? Sales of the coupe exploded after the film hit the silver screen and set unprecedented records for both Pontiac and the Firebird nameplate. That's because the Trans Am in Smokey and the Bandit didn't sound like a Trans Am. The decals were changed to 1977-style units, as evidenced by the engine size callouts on the hood scoop being in liters rather than cubic inches, as had been the case in 1976. Reed would eventually play the Bandit in Smokey and the Bandit Part 3, in which Reynolds only appeared in a cameo near the end. The muscle car market reached a peak in the late 1960s, as the car was becoming larger, more powerful, and more aggressive by looks. The cashier never batted an eye as she sold us the mass quantities of suds. Smokey and the Bandit star Burt Reynolds passed away in 2018 . 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. Smokey and the Bandit was all realistic and non fictional, and it still was a big hit that brought a lot of money to Hal Needham and the actors, to pay Pontiac back. The rub? And lets not forget the Trans Am rental car Steve McQueen drove in his very last movie, The Hunter from 1980. The new Hot Pants scene had to quickly be refilmed as a part of a second unit in the San Fernando Valley and was shot at a drive-in restaurant near Hansen Dam named Baby Beef Burgers, which has since been demolished. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Reynolds is referenced by name in several early episodes of the series. The original film had correct sounds that were usually recorded live as the action took place. No, the T/A was selling fine before the movie, and the black/gold package dates to 1976, a full year before the movie was out in summer 77. They called out equipment like Radial Tuned Suspension, Calibrated Speedometer, and Power Disc Brakes. Maybe even the dual exhausts and the 400-4 merited badges. Gas was a buck a gallon at the time so fuel economy wasnt a major issue. It is now sold in all states as Coors ships it in refrigerated train cars and bottled locally and sold in different parts of the country including the eastern US states. The movies are rated PG with a run time of 282 minutes and released to video by Universal Studios. 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 only got one of them LOL. For this purpose, they overdubbed dialogue deemed offensive, which was common practice. Now then you mentionned Sheriff JW Pepper, I decided to post some Youtube clips of him. Please refresh the page and try again. This same restaurant was used for a scene in the 1983 Stephen King Movie Christine, which was ultimately cut in the final film (it can be viewed as a deleted scene on the DVD release of the film). If you watched the second clip above, this truck should look familiar. [11] The movie was primarily filmed in Georgia, in the cities of McDonough, Jonesboro, and Lithonia. 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. [24] With an original budget of $5.3 million (cut to $4.3 million two days before initial production),[4] the film eventually grossed $126,737,428 in North America,[25] making it the second-highest-grossing movie of 1977 (only Star Wars earned more, with $221.3 million). This movie trailer gives you an taste of this provocative film, but fails to effectively capture all the subtleties and nuances it contains. Jackie Gleasons Buford T. Justice character is a supposedly an amalgamation of a few characters, including the real Buford T. Justicethere is obviously the Dodge safety sheriff from the 1970s ads, Burt Reynolds father was chief of police of Jupiter Florida, and a friend of his fathers, a Florida Highway Patrol officer was actually the REAL Buford T. Justice. The Trans Am was a high-performance package for the Firebird, Pontiac's take on the Chevrolet Camaro. Here is the LeMans; Gleason literally drives the wheels off: As an aside, heres a curious bit of trivia. The man does get around. Probably the most famous TV edit of all time is I have had it with these monkey-fightin snakes on this Monday-to-Friday plane!. How many smokey and the bandit movies are there? Cause theyre thirsty in Atlanta Ive since read on the internet that it wasnt illegal so much as a practical thing with it being shipped in refrigerated trucks. WildI watched this for the first time in years after watching the latest Archer.the whole thing is an homage to S&B. That said, an uncomplimentary accent does exist. . Remember that Smokey and the Bandit was the 2nd biggest movie of the year, right after Star Wars. For Smokey and the Bandit II (1980), Needham asked for and received 10 Trans Ams and 55 Bonnevilles with no trouble. As Frog leaves, we are introduced to Sheriff Buford T. Justice, played by Jackie Gleason. They retained the white steering wheels until 72 or so , just the thing to preveny burned fingers in the Desert sun . A couple of years ago, I was sitting around on a lazy Saturday afternoon and it was on TV. So why did they go with sound effects instead of the Trans Am's actually exhaust noise? Needing a fast set of wheels to distract law enforcement, Reynolds character purchases this 1977 Pontiac Trans-Am. On top of Burt Reynold's top-notch acting, Smokey and the Bandit is also famous for the Pontiac Trans Am that the actor drove throughout the film. During their run, they are pursued by Texas county sheriff Buford T. Justice (Gleason). Here in Canada they didnt censor it, so we always got the sumbitch version. 3-Smokey and the Bandit 3-A crime against humanity, not even LSD can make it watchable since you spend the whole night fighting imaginary flying cobras with Jackie Gleasons head on them. Some differences included the use of a supercharged 454-CID (7.4-liter) Chevrolet-sourced engine that put out 840 HP, and four round headlights, which appeared on the 196769 Firebirds/Trans Ams only; the actual 197781 models had rectangular headlights. Nice article Jason I was a fan of this movie when it came out I look back now and think, wow, did I really think this was entertainment?????? Lets take a look. Bandit attracts more police attention across Dixie as Snowman barrels on toward Atlanta with the contraband beer, but they are helped en route by many colorful characters via CB radio. 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. Nah, they survived by coming up with bras with very thin cups. The third-generation Firebird was introduced in 1982, a full two years later than planned. Somebody locally is selling a Regis Plymouth Fury ex Florida Police with gasping 318 V8, he will for the right money toss in a 440 with it. The checker, not batting an eye, Do you want that chilled?. Nothing annoys him more than car electronics, and he just hates it when performance cars lack a third pedal. That's because Pontiac almost canceled the Firebird in the early 1970s. Tragically, every Trans Am used in filming was destroyed. They quickly escape in one of Big Enos's 13 Cadillacs as police flood the racetrack. [4] Reynolds said in 2015 that he most enjoyed this film, and had the most fun making it, of his career.[26]. With Reynolds' salary at $1 million, Needham was left with only $3.3 million to make the film. This movie just showed how much an urban legend the supposed unobtainability had become. Burt Reynolds once claimed in an interview that there were actually 12 Trans Ams featured in Smokey and the Banditand he wrecked every one. Also up for auction was a go-kart replica of the car, which sold for nearly $14,000. The paint code for each truck was coffee brown with gold trims and the 48-foot (15m) mural trailer used was manufactured by Hobbs Trailers in Texas with a non-operational Thermo King Refrigeration unit. The whereabouts of the remaining Smokey and the Bandit car, the one that was used to promote the movie, remained a mystery for years. 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. A black Trans Am is parked in my garage because of this movie. Sales jumped even higher in 1979 when Pontiac moved 117,108 Trans Ams. There was still a market for bras in the 1970s. The Bandit Run quickly became a fixture, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the movie with a special 2017 screening of the film attended by Reynolds and a recreation of the jump undertaken by the Bandit and Frog across a river. Jana, another oddity was that I could go to Carbondale and be asked where down south I was from. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. While it is doubtful Pontiac sold very many LeMans police packages, if one views this show as realistic, it would seem nearly every county and highway patrol in five states purchased one of Pontiacs heavy duty offerings. The site's consensus states: "Not much in the head but plenty beneath the hood, Smokey and the Bandit is infectious fun with plenty of car wrecks to keep your eyes glued". [38], In 2014, petroleum company Mobil 1 produced television commercials, featuring then-NASCAR driver Tony Stewart, closely based on the film. She is a runaway bride, sitting on the side of the road in her 1973 Chevrolet Impala coupe. The Kenworth even achieves a trifecta of sorts, as it gave the first dent to Sheriff Justices LeMans. Justice. This was the lull between Gas Crisis I and II, 1976-78, and Boomers were wanting stylish cars. 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!!! 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. The remaining Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am is currently owned by Florida car collector John Staluppi. 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. [32], After the debut of the film, the Pontiac Trans Am became wildly popular, with sales almost doubling within two years of the film's release. The 403 Olds T/A was a dog, stock, but with some easily obtained parts, could be turned into a very nice low 13 second tire melter. Jason, Using the words nuance, subtlety, complexity and intellect to describe this movie, is, as they say, trs amusant! I was just tweaking Jason. I also own a 1:18 scale version of the Bandit Trans Am. If you notice there are several different angled skid marks on the road in the scene where the Bandit picks up Frog, you can see that they did a couple of takes of the T/A skidding to a stop and taking off again. The film was a sleeper hit, and following a poor initial performance, it went on to gross $126.7 million in North America, versus a budget of only $4.3 million. My drivers ed driving range car was an ex-patrol colonnade Pontiac LeMans Enforcer. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1975 Plymouth Fury Police Pursuit Arkansas State Police "Smokey and The Bandit" at the best online prices at eBay!
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