At the time, Reynolds was the top box office star in the world. 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. The dubbed version isnt as bad as the Remastered Blu-ray. Get ready to tear up the highway with the Bandit (Burt Reynolds), a fun-loving, fast-talking trucker who takes on his craziest haul yet - delivering 400 case. When it was over, I cried and cried and cried because I didnt want it to end. In the 1977 movie Smokey and the Bandit, a high-speed chase ensues between the police and the Bandit (Burt Reynolds). I always think scumbum because when I watched it as a kid in the early 90s, it was usually on TBS. And all of us easterners suddenly discovered it was nothing more than another Budweiser/Miller/etc. Unfortunately he passed away a few months ago or that would have been a great question to ask. However, the U.S. government introduced new emission controls in 1972, and automakers had to step back. This movie just showed how much an urban legend the supposed unobtainability had become. [15] All four of the cars were badly damaged during production,[16] one of which was all but destroyed during the jump over the dismantled Mulberry bridge. It was his idea to have Junior alongside him throughout the film. Reynolds replied: We went through 12. Smokey & The Bandit was the first of three movies in that franchise. thebandit77transam 2009-04-14 14:04. andre1969 wrote Pontiac supplied 5 brand-new cars for "Smokey and the Bandit". "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. Thanks for this, Jason. Check out the entire video below. The secrets behind the cars and stunts in 'The Italian Job'. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 1979 was equally successful for the brand, joining 1978 to create Pontiac's best sales years ever. I also own a Etrl replica of the Pontiac Bonneville Buford T. Justice drove in Smokey and The Bandit II. ARRGH! 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. It cornered amazingly well for such a large car, but the posi rear end emitted ominous sounds so I passed on it (I was in college and didnt have any place to do major repairs). Television censorship and alternative versions, second highest-grossing domestic film of 1977, AFI's 100 Years100 Heroes and Villains, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Smokey and the Bandit at 35: A Case for the Genius of Hal Needham", "Greyhound Lakewood Park (Atlanta, Georgia, USA)", "Burt Reynolds' old Pontiac Trans Am replica sold for $317,500", "An Interview With Jim Wangers: Pontiac and the 1970's", "How the Bandit, Coors and a bunch of Makers changed the course of booze history", "Various Smokey And The Bandit (Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)", "Smokey and the Bandit, Box Office Information", "Burt Reynolds at the 2015 Macon Film Festival", "Seven Quirky Lowbrow Favorite Films of Highbrow Directors", "Remembering Hal Needham and the Birth of Redneck Cinema", "Smokey and the Bandit Film from RadioTimes", "Burt Reynolds' Bandit Trans Am sells for $450,000", "See a "New" Vintage Bandit Trans Am Approved by Burt Reynolds Himself", "Diablo Sandwich Recipe from CMT's Reel Eats", "Diablo Sandwich / "Diablo & Doc" From Smokey & the Bandit, Identified! Probably the most interesting thing about this movie and Burt Reynolds is that he is not originally a Southern boy at all he was actually born in the Wolverine State Lansing, Michigan to be precise. Smokey and the Bandit II is a 1980 American action comedy film directed by Hal Needham, and starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, . I also own a 1:18 scale version of the Bandit Trans Am. [10], Principal photography of the film began on August 30, 1976. [11] The movie was primarily filmed in Georgia, in the cities of McDonough, Jonesboro, and Lithonia. The roundup sequence in the desert shows many new Pontiac Le Mans sedans decorated as police cars being destroyed. How much did the Smokey and the Bandit car sell for? They destroyed all those cars in the films he said. The 79-year-old 70s and 80s heartthrob made a rare public appearance over the weekend at Wizard World Chicago. Pontiac should have made a radio that played that song automatically simply by pushing a button, or maybe made it the horn sound. 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 . He enlists the help of fellow truck driver Cletus The Snowman Snow, played by country music singer Jerry Reed. Conversely, I could go to Paducah and be asked where up north I was from. Oh, and a hooker girlfriend that looked like Annie Potts. . 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. 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) . Director Hal Needham convinced Pontiac to feature the Pontiac Trans Am in the movie. Burt Reynolds once claimed in an interview that there were actually 12 Trans Ams featured in Smokey and the Banditand he wrecked every one. 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. Free shipping for many products! The cars were originally ordered by a car rental agency in Phoenix, who refused to accept the . These Furys, as well as some of the LeMans units, have hood scoops. I have worked a long time to eradicate the one I had but it still crops up periodically from exposure, like you experienced. Im east bound, just watch ol Bandit run.. Wouldnt the accent give you away? The gag with the overpass being blown up was actually a bridge built for the movie on the unfinished highway, and AFAIK, the truck driver who jumps the void ended up breaking his back in the stunt. 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. (it did taste a lot better than Bud as I recall). . Ask him to choose between a BMW M4 and an Audi RS5, and hell gladly trade both for a beat-up Cuda. A CC for a 1973 Grand Ville convertible can be found here. Future President Gerald Ford, after a trip to Colorado, hid it in his luggage to take it back to Washington, D.C. President Dwight D. Eisenhower had a steady supply airlifted by the Air Force to Washington. The rub? The sticker read "T/A 6.6," which was a reminder of the engine's 6.6-liter displacement. 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. The Trans Am used for said jump was equipped with a booster rocket, the same type that was used by Evel Knievel during his failed Snake River Canyon jump. The scenes set in Texarkana were filmed in Jonesboro and the surrounding area and many of the chase scenes were filmed in the surrounding areas on Highway 54 between Fayetteville and Jonesboro for a majority of the driving scenes, Mundy's Mill Road, Main Street in Jonesboro, Georgia State Route 400, I-85 (Pleasant Hill exit) and in McDonough. I started cruising through EBay and the next thing I knew I won the auction for a clean 400/4 speed/T-Top 78 Trans Am. Because sales were so high, Pontiac decided to delay the third-generation model. That's because the Trans Am in Smokey and the Bandit didn't sound like a Trans Am. And he succeeded as far as the Pontiac Trans Am is concerned. Dodge pitchman Sheriff Joe Higgins. A series of four made-for-TV spin-off films (Bandit Goes Country, Bandit Bandit, Beauty and the Bandit, and Bandit's Silver Angel) were produced in 1994 for Universal Television's Action Pack with actor Brian Bloom playing a younger version of the Bandit. Further, as Pontiac has deliciously obvious product placement, anyone who delights in 70s era Pontiac iron will experience visual ecstasy. Its weird how it works. For Smokey and the Bandit II (1980), Needham asked for and received 10 Trans Ams and 55 Bonnevilles with no trouble. In its place was the nonsensical scum bum. The voice over actor? When Smokey & The Bandit first aired on television in the early 1980s, the Gleason phrase "sum bitch"-a regional butchering of "son of a bitch"-had to be dubbed out. In the Reynolds portion of the interview, he stated the movie prompted Trans Am sales to jump around 700%. While they did jump, from 46,700 in 1976 to 69,000 for 1977 with another 93,300 for 1978, it wasnt exactly 700%. . The differences between the two are major. Many people believed beforehand that the film was not right for . A diablo sammich from my understanding is a like a Sloppy Joe but with taco seasoning added in for spice. In return, Reynolds portrayed Boss Hogg (originally portrayed by Sorrell Booke) in the film adaptation The Dukes of Hazzard (2005). The scoops were added by the department because the engines ran so hot. That came out in 1981. I recall a big smokey burnout right after they left Snowmans house that looked 455-worthy and also after Bandit picked up Fields he left two strips after nailing second (right before the tire thieves crossed the road), which makes me think there was also a 4 speed car used. Everything You Should Know About The The Trans Am From Smokey And The Bandit, 10 Most Potentially Unreliable Electric Vehicles According To Consumer Reports, 10 Reasons Why It's Time You Should Buy A Bagger, Here's How Solid-State Batteries Will Change EVs Forever. Needing a fast set of wheels to distract law enforcement, Reynolds character purchases this 1977 Pontiac Trans-Am. The theatrical release has a few lines deleted, including an edit in which Sheriff Justice tells a state trooper to "fuck off" after the sheriff called his vehicle "a piece of crap". 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. Cinemablend is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. I remember reading somewhere that one of the cars was equipped with a 455 for some of the higher speed scenes. 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. If it wasnt for Smokey & the Bandit, the Dukes of Hazzard TV series would not exist. With Reynolds agreement to do the movie, and his insistence upon casting Gleason as Sheriff Justice, the movie became a larger venture. Sales of the coupe exploded after the film hit the silver screen and set unprecedented records for both Pontiac and the Firebird nameplate. I'm afraid I was responsible for a good few of those. 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 . In particular, the scene where Sheriff Justice unknowingly encounters the Bandit in the "choke and puke" (a roadside diner) was not in the original story but was rather Gleason's idea. Great fun! I was 10 when this movie came out and I loved it then and I still do. 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 worldwide gross is estimated at over $300 million. Some of the more recent DVD releases of it redid all of the engine sounds and it sounds much more mellow than the original(not happy about that). I did help a friend rebuild a late 60s 400 to replace the anemic 301 in his 79, Trans Am. Free shipping for many products! I think thats another line theyve edited out for the television version. After passing Buford's badly damaged cruiser on the roadside, Bandit gets on the CB and initially directs him to the Burdettes, but then respectfully gives his real locationright behind Buford, who continues his chase leaving Junior behind, and with more parts falling off his cruiser as he limps off after Bandit. Since mentioning the Kenworth, it must be noted it was a redecorator of the highest fashion. Movies like Mad Max: Fury Road and Furious 7 may ruin a lot of cars, but they were far from the first. From living there for my first two decades, I noticed the accent didnt get going good until around Sikeston (not Saxton as it would seem) and it progressed as you went deeper into the Bootheel. A dastardly scoundrel? 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]. I certainly hope the guy hired to drive that 74 Ford Torino wagon was paid well for his work. The cars were 1976 models, the engines fitted to them were 455ci powerplants, the last year these engines were offered for sale before withdrawal. We also learn that every launched satellite will eventually fall back to Earth, such as this 1972 Plymouth Satellite (CC here). Jason, Using the words nuance, subtlety, complexity and intellect to describe this movie, is, as they say, trs amusant! Just after re-entering Georgia, Snowman is rescued by Bandit after being stopped by a Georgia State Patrol motorcycle trooper, and state and local police intensely pursue Bandit with roadblocks and a helicopter to track his movement. The side vents give it away. J.J. & The Dixie Dance Kings was a milder one that had (I think) a 56 Buick Century . But while the cars shown in the movie look like 1977-model-year Trans Ams, they were actually 1976 models. Smokey & The Bandit is the greatest movie of the 20th Century! Now, having only three Trans Ams to wreck for a movie is minimalist, to say the least. . Watching TV and Movies you would think that sales dropped to nil. On the DVD, there is a brief interview with both Burt Reynolds and Hal Needham, who directed this film. Only one survived, and it's priceless. With four miles left, Bandit, discouraged by the unexpected mounting attention, is ready to give up, but Snowman, who initially thought they would fail, takes the lead and smashes through the roadblock at the fairgrounds' main entrance. They retained the white steering wheels until 72 or so , just the thing to preveny burned fingers in the Desert sun . When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. January 24, 2019 100 comments. The Trans Am was already pretty popular in the mid-1970s, with sales hitting 68,745 units in 1977. But would the black and gold T/As be as desirable today without the movie? 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. 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. The little packy there had Coors and even though it was horribly expensive, we thought it was the elixer of the Gods. She is a runaway bride, sitting on the side of the road in her 1973 Chevrolet Impala coupe. I ended up buying a 1969 Cadillac ambulance a year later! The redesign was originally planned for 1980, but 1978 and 1979 became record years for GM's division, so the new model was pushed back. [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. It became Reed's signature song and is on multiple albums, including Country Legends and his live album Jerry Reed "Live!" [22] It premiered at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, where it performed badly. Learn how your comment data is processed. Here's everything you should know about one of the most iconic movie cars ever. Reed also penned and performed the song for the opening credits, entitled "The Legend", which tells of some of the Bandit's escapades before the events of the film, and the ballad "The Bandit", which is in several versions in the movie and on the soundtrack. In the movie . Producers of Smokey and the Bandit wrecked 26 cars while filming the movie in 1977. Her groom? A blackguard? Im still trying to get clarification on what a diablo sandwich is though. I developed a pretty good bootheel accent during my time in New Madrid. The scene where Sheriff Justice's car has the door knocked off by a passing . About two seconds after this picture was taken, these motorcycles were doing their best imitation of a stack of pancakes. As I did Steve McQueen and Paul Newman. For Smokey and the Bandit II (1980), Needham asked for and received 10 Trans Ams and 55 Bonnevilles with no trouble. As a publicity stunt, the Trans Ams used in the movie had different decals on the hood scoop. Starring Bob Hope, that comedic star of the screen, and the lovely Jane Russell boy what a pair! I never forgot that one. The T/A is just as quick as my present Challenger is, but the Challenger doesnt have anything close to the throttle response it had, and I miss it. [31] Smokey and the Bandit was released in the United Kingdom on August 28 and was a success there, garnering positive reviews. Its lack of additives and preservatives meant that Coors could spoil in one week without refrigeration, explaining the film's 28-hour deadline. Im probably in the minority as usual, but I prefer the Black and Gold 50th Anne. That's because Pontiac almost canceled the Firebird in the early 1970s. It had the Modello cam kit, ported 69(I think) heads with upsized valves, headers, aftermarket intake, 3.21 gears (Up from 2.41 stock!) Additionally, he can give you several reasons why theres still no replacement for displacement. . The Burdettes' car is a 1974 Cadillac Eldorado convertible painted in a "Candy Red" color scheme and is seen briefly at the beginning of the movie and in the final scene as the Bandit, the Snowman, Fred the dog, and Frog use it to make their escape. 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". Stroker Ace is after S&B, 1983, and features the then new for 83 aero Fox Body Thunderbird. That said, an uncomplimentary accent does exist. It had amazing throttle response, with a hit that either scared people, or made them giggle. Burt Reynolds is originally a Georgia boy. Regular film-goers might not pay much attention to the car's engine sound, but gearheads will quickly notice that something is off. In addition to the four Trans Ams, Needham also received two Pontiac LeMans models to serve as patrol cars in the movie. As the 1969 classic 'The Italian Job' turns 50 years old, TG.com caught up with David Salamone, the man who piloted the red Mini in . [5], Universal Studios bankrolled Smokey and the Bandit for $5.3 million, figuring it was a good risk. Back in 1984, I went to look at a late 1970s Plymouth cop car as well. Burt Reynolds may be 79, but he shows no signs of slowing down. It had an AM transmitter and you would tune in the sound on your AM car radio, or on my case, on a transistor radio. But 1978 returned sales of 93,351 examples, a jump of around 25,000 cars. As I am finishing this article while Big Truck Week is winding down, here is a Kenworth with a 1973 Dodge Polara patrol car. I beg to differ Mr -Nate. 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. 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. [27] In his review in the Chicago Tribune, Gene Siskel gave the film two stars and complained that the film failed to tell the audience when the clock started on the beer run, thus reducing suspense. 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. I remember borrowing my brothers red 1976 T/A to take a girl to the theater to see Smokey and the Bandit. I am still drawn to the shape of these cars, and others that have that long and low look about them. The film's theme song, "East Bound and Down", was written virtually overnight by Reed. Anyone with insight is encouraged to share their knowledge on this. When I was a kid, there was an old record from the 50s around the house that was a collection of radio and tv bloopers. One was a radio ad for a movie that went something like: . AWESOME! Gleason probably wanted too much money to provide the dubbing, which is a shame because it ruins the TV version. Not everything was Pontiac, as evidenced by this 1973 Plymouth Satellite coupe (CC here). 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. Olds 88. Anyway, on the trip east, we stopped at a grocery in Topeka, Kansas and bought 16-18 cases of Coors, all that we had room for in the car. And back then what I wanted most of all was a highly customized Vette with exposed headlights. As a kid that T/A, the General Lee, and KITT were largely responsible for defining my taste in cars and that carries through to today. It seems Plymouth was in a distant second for product placement. 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. Thank you for signing up to CinemaBlend. I was in the Air Force during this era, stationed in California. I own all three films on a dvd called the Smokey and The Bandit Pursuit Pack. I was in West Plains the other day and there is yet another variation of it there. The movies are rated PG with a run time of 282 minutes and released to video by Universal Studios. I am pretty sure it was filmed in Florida, when I-75 was under construction so they could use the highways while empty. I am indeed a fan. Other sources in East Texas (from whence Sheriff Justice hails) are familiar with the popular regional delicacy known as the Diablo Sandwich. [5] Reynolds revealed in his autobiography that Needham had written the first draft script on legal pads. 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. I was a junior high school age kid when this film came out. Gas was a buck a gallon at the time so fuel economy wasnt a major issue. Trigger had a big impact on my taste in cars with the Trans Ams of the late 70s being my favorite. This phrase achieved a level of popularity with children and the 2007 Hot Wheels release of the 1970s Firebird Trans Am has "scum bum" emblazoned on its tail. East bound and down, loaded up and truckin The scene featuring the racetrack was filmed at Lakewood Speedway at the old Lakewood Fairgrounds on Atlanta's south side. The production team wrecked three for the four cars it received from Pontiac. 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. In Smokey and the Bandit, there were eight 1977 Trans-Am cars and approximately the same number of police cars (but some said ten). [21], Smokey and the Bandit was a sleeper hit. They quickly escape in one of Big Enos's 13 Cadillacs as police flood the racetrack. I think you may be confusing the movie Honky-Tonk Freeway with the filming done during I-75 construction near Sarasota. And Burt may be from GA originally, but he calls Florida home, which is another reason I heard the movie was filmed here. How did any bra manufacturers survive the 70s? and the Dixie Dance Kings, and Burts car was a 57 [56?] Your email address will not be published. Chevy brought back the Z28, and cant say S&B was reason. The cashier never batted an eye as she sold us the mass quantities of suds. I will confess that by the time this movie was out, I was a Mopar guy. Pontiac gave Needham a total of four cars, three to use in the movie, and one as a promotional vehicle to drive around and advertise Smokey and the Bandit following its release. I think even the 2nd gen Camaro enjoyed some of the blast wave from Smokey and the Bandit, 1979 was the best year ever for Camaros as well, with over 280,000 Camaros being sold. 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. how many cars were destroyed in smokey and the bandit 2. Some of the original sound effects (such as Cledus's dog Fred barking) and music (such as the final chase to the Southern Classic) were removed and not replaced. The film features the custom clothing and costuming of Niver Western Wear of Fort Worth, Texas. High estimates for the car were up to $80,000, but the actual sale price was $450,000. 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. A black Trans Am is parked in my garage because of this movie. 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. It wasnt distributed in Washington in those days either. 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. 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. Most of the shots that show Reynolds and Field in the car talking were filmed with the T/A being towed along on a lowboy trailer. Of the many cars saved from the fire was the only surviving Knight Rider KITT Super Pursuit Mode car created by Jay Orberg. My favorite would have been an ex-WSP 1970 Plymouth they were all Fury IIIs, white on blue with factory air and 440s under the hood; but none ever turned up when I was buying. Rockford Files also featured Firebird, and was on since 1974, and Fs sold well despite gas crunch I and inflation. 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. Of course, nobody else cared if it was in the trunk of the car when heading back home.