As I am finishing this article while Big Truck Week is winding down, here is a Kenworth with a 1973 Dodge Polara patrol car. 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. [22] It premiered at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, where it performed badly. 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. Plus , I loved those late 1960s through mid 1970s Plymouths even though Im a Bowtie Guy by default . The secrets behind the cars and stunts in 'The Italian Job'. One of those things that will make my kids think Im crazy some day. Director Hal Needham convinced Pontiac to feature the Pontiac Trans Am in the movie. If they werent burning candles to an image of a cowboy hatted Burt Reynolds at Pontiac headquarters. Of course, it wasnt hard to wake them up. 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. 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. The Trans Am was already pretty popular in the mid-1970s, with sales hitting 68,745 units in 1977. You will receive a verification email shortly. Frog not included. According to director Hal Needham in the DVD documentary, Pontiac gave them three Trans-Ams and two LeMans (Sheriff Justice's patrol car) for the film. 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! Apparently the engine sounds were lifted from another movie, I think two lane blacktop? That is why there are not any left. 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). They retained the white steering wheels until 72 or so , just the thing to preveny burned fingers in the Desert sun . . When it was over, I cried and cried and cried because I didnt want it to end. Smokey and the Bandit was one of the most iconic movies of the 1970s. And he succeeded as far as the Pontiac Trans Am is concerned. The Trans Am was a high-performance package for the Firebird, Pontiac's take on the Chevrolet Camaro. I have always loved this movie, watched it dozens and dozens of times on TV, video, DVD, laserdisc, almost any form of media. [34] In 2015 a Florida-based automobile customization company built 77 Trans Ams modeled after the car that Reynolds drove in the film. The commercials were produced after Stewart mentioned that the movie was one of his favorites.[39]. I distinctly remember my mother buying Coors and being asked if she lived in Missouri or Illinois by the cashier. East bound and down, loaded up and truckin I think you may be confusing the movie Honky-Tonk Freeway with the filming done during I-75 construction near Sarasota. 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. Whaddya expect outta a guy what drives a conversion van? 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. [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). 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. Burt Reynolds is originally a Georgia boy. And lets not forget the Trans Am rental car Steve McQueen drove in his very last movie, The Hunter from 1980. Thank you for signing up to CinemaBlend. Sonny Shroyer (Enos) was the motorcycle cop who was given the 1-finger salute by Sally Field. 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. 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. 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! A dastardly scoundrel? 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. After the movie came out, Firebird sales increased even more, but the Trans Am was now the most popular one. Im still trying to get clarification on what a diablo sandwich is though. As such, it took a lot of sweet talking by former stuntman Needham for Pontiac to cough up three Trans Ams and three LeManses. Behind Sheriff Justices Pontiac, there is a nice looking 1965 or 1966 Ford Mustang fastback and a Toyota pickup. This is obvious, because there is no fuel tank on the underside of the trailer to power the refrigeration unit, and the unit is never heard running. And all of us easterners suddenly discovered it was nothing more than another Budweiser/Miller/etc. The third-generation Firebird was introduced in 1982, a full two years later than planned. Smokey and the Bandit star Burt Reynolds passed away in 2018 . As if GM owes them something. It was destroyed in Smokey and the Bandit II and in a flashback scene in Part 3. The other range car was a Chevette for people that wanted to learn on a manual transmission. Some weren't that lucky and were discontinued altogether. The man does get around. February 27, 2023 . Lets take a look. The scene where Sheriff Justice's car has the door knocked off by a passing . I think Stroker Ace is after Smokey and the Bandit, though there was Hooper, which was about a stuntman, it also had Sally Field, it was from 1978 or so. Mr. Reynolds made a bunch of low budget films before this , all had wild chase scenes with cop cars crashing & going into swamps . [17], In 1977, Coors was unavailable for sale east of Oklahoma. How many police cars were wrecked in Smokey and the Bandit? Ive always wanted some sort of de-commission/ex unmarked cop car, something from the 70s preferably. These Furys, as well as some of the LeMans units, have hood scoops. I ended up buying a 1969 Cadillac ambulance a year later! Was it a heathen? In its place was the nonsensical "scum bum." . . They quickly escape in one of Big Enos's 13 Cadillacs as police flood the racetrack. Despite growing up next to Cape, most of relatives are from the Mid-South. The film was followed by two sequels: Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) and Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983). Gleason probably wanted too much money to provide the dubbing, which is a shame because it ruins the TV version. 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. Needham had great difficulty getting any studios or producers to take his project seriously, being better known in the film industry as a stuntman. AWESOME! 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. The theme music "East Bound and Down" was sung and co-written by Reed (credited under his birth name, Jerry Hubbard) and Dick Feller. I did help a friend rebuild a late 60s 400 to replace the anemic 301 in his 79, Trans Am. 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. . Ive always loved this movie. That is an excellent question. That song often pops into my head at the start of long drives. 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. Both sequels used another Trans Am, not a Cadillac Eldorado, as seen below. The scene where Sheriff Justice's car has the door knocked off by a passing semi-truck was shot on Georgia State Route 75, 3 miles (4.8km) north of Helen. Here in Canada they didnt censor it, so we always got the sumbitch version. This movie just showed how much an urban legend the supposed unobtainability had become. Several other groups, such as the U.S. rock band Tonic and U.K.-based country cover band We Be Ploughin' have also covered it. Three Kenworth W900A short-frame semi trucks, driven by Reed, were each equipped with 38-inch sleepers. [31] Smokey and the Bandit was released in the United Kingdom on August 28 and was a success there, garnering positive reviews. We just watched this with the kids the other week, along with Cannonball Run. Many nameplates lost their performance credentials, and some of them, like the Ford Mustang, were redesigned without a V-8 engine. All I know is, at the time, if you lived in the east, Coors was some really special beer not unlike microbrews are now. Haul my wife and four shelter adoptee mutts in it. I only got one of them LOL. Film critic Leonard Maltin gave the film a good rating (3 stars out of a possible 4) and characterized it as "about as subtle as The Three Stooges, but a classic compared to the sequels and countless rip-offs which followed". While the Snowman drives the truck carrying the beer, the Bandit drives a Pontiac Trans Am to distract law enforcement (called blocking) and keep the attention off the Snowman. Most reports of his death still didnt have that right! I am still drawn to the shape of these cars, and others that have that long and low look about them. These were the cans with the two circular push buttons on top instead of pull tabs. He had quite a few orders for Coors beer, and when he stopped in Weed, CA, on the way home, he went into the Safeway and asked for twenty-four cases of Coors. [40] Major portions of the audio background have been modified with different engine sounds or tire squeals from the original film. The Kenworth even achieves a trifecta of sorts, as it gave the first dent to Sheriff Justices LeMans. I guess the Trans Am proved to have more staying power than the hot 71 Ford in the earlier movie. 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. One of our favorite movies. A black Trans Am is parked in my garage because of this movie. I'm afraid I was responsible for a good few of those. While watching the movie (yes, I did have to diligently research this article), one shot seemed to indicate this may be a dummy scoop. 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. Alan Reed was the original voice of Fred Flintstone; Henry Corden only took over after Reeds death in 1977. A blackguard? 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. Also up for auction was a go-kart replica of the car, which sold for nearly $14,000. The area around Helen, Georgia, was used for some locations. Along the way they tussle with tough as nails Texas Sheriff Buford T. Justice (Jackie Gleason), pick up a runaway bride nicknamed Frog (Sally Field), and have all kinds of awesome times on the highway. 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. I still regret selling mine almost 30 years ago. Her groom? I was to be paid a salary plus own 7% of the profits. Learn how your comment data is processed. 1975 PLYMOUTH FURY HIGHWAY PATROL "SMOKEY & THE BANDIT" 1/18 BY . At the drive-in of all places. While it's sad that the other two cars were destroyed . Mr. Reynolds elevated the dreck that he appeared in to a higher level, that is, enjoyable. But that doesnt make for an interesting movie premise. Depends upon what he converted it from. Ive since read on the internet that it wasnt illegal so much as a practical thing with it being shipped in refrigerated trucks. In my area, nearly every one listed is an ex cop car. Back then if Ida wanted an ex Police Car its be a CHP salvage Dodge or Plymouth ~ BIG roomy and _comfy_ , handled well and went like stink . How many police cars were wrecked in Smokey and the Bandit? 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. Justice. (Still). 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. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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. A 1977 special-edition model once owned by the late actor Burt Reynolds recently wound up on the car auction website Bring a Trailer. http://www.leelofland.com/wordpress/john-fedack-my-days-as-a-dekalb-county-police-officer/. Additionally, he can give you several reasons why theres still no replacement for displacement. Burt Reynolds may be 79, but he shows no signs of slowing down. Olds 88. Burt Reynolds recently revealed the ridiculous number of Pontiac Trans Ams they went through filming 1977s Smokey and the Bandit. So many classic quotes in this movie. Before Gleason was cast in the film, Richard Boone was originally considered for the role of Buford T. It became Reed's signature song and is on multiple albums, including Country Legends and his live album Jerry Reed "Live!" The films are indeed classic and very funny to this day. The original film had correct sounds that were usually recorded live as the action took place. Misconception by casual novice car fans is that the Trams Am didnt sell well until S&B. A 1975 Pontiac Grand Ville, seen toward the end of the movie. The dubbed version is awful. 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. The Bandit takes the bet on the risky and unprecedented task, and recruits his partner Cledus "Snowman" Snow to drive the truck, while Bandit drives a black Pontiac Trans Am bought in advance from the Burdettes as a "blocker" to divert attention away from the truck and its illegal cargo. Many of the film's original sounds were replaced. Trigger had a big impact on my taste in cars with the Trans Ams of the late 70s being my favorite. WildI watched this for the first time in years after watching the latest Archer.the whole thing is an homage to S&B. 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: . That's because Pontiac almost canceled the Firebird in the early 1970s. In Smokey and the Bandit, there were eight 1977 Trans-Am cars and approximately the same number of police cars (but some said ten). The movies are rated PG with a run time of 282 minutes and released to video by Universal Studios. How many cars destroyed Blues Brothers 2000? 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. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cODPt3T0cHE, We got a cage strong enough to hold you 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. "Smokey and the Bandit" stars Burt Reynolds, Sally . For this purpose, they overdubbed dialogue deemed offensive, which was common practice. 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). This movie trailer gives you an taste of this provocative film, but fails to effectively capture all the subtleties and nuances it contains. The dubbed version isnt as bad as the Remastered Blu-ray. Smokey and the Bandit II is a 1980 American action comedy film directed by Hal Needham, and starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, . Heres how it works. I actually remember the construction of that segment of I-75, as it stopped around Tampa prior to that time. Just do a search for Crown Victorias on your local CL. And theres beer in Texarkana.. Dont let his grumpiness fool you though; hes more than excited to provide the latest news and reviews on the most interesting cars in the industry. 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. Im east bound, just watch ol Bandit run.. radio to help him out. a custom mandrel bent dual exhaust, and the Mondello bottom end plate to stabilize the windowed mains. And the 400 Pontiac or 403 Olds versions could be made to run well. Nice job, I know its cheesy as heck but I love this movie and still tend to watch it when I see its on TV. Good silly fun. It was something regarding distribution limits. 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. During their run, they are pursued by Texas county sheriff Buford T. Justice (Gleason). 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 roundup sequence in the desert shows many new Pontiac Le Mans sedans decorated as police cars being destroyed. "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. Let me get the popcorn for this one. . [5] Reynolds revealed in his autobiography that Needham had written the first draft script on legal pads. 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!!! So lets explore this car (and truck) heavy flick, all while giving those who have not seen it a glimpse into a movie whose complexity and intellect remains unparalleled within the history of cinema. I agree, despite people saying you sound cute, it seems like they think Ellie Mae Clapett or Jethro Bodean. Pontiac should have made a radio that played that song automatically simply by pushing a button, or maybe made it the horn sound. 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. A Pontiac wagon from earlier in the decade. In the movie . Id be surprised. If it wasnt for Smokey & the Bandit, the Dukes of Hazzard TV series would not exist. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. He enlists the help of fellow truck driver Cletus The Snowman Snow, played by country music singer Jerry Reed. That said, an uncomplimentary accent does exist. That's because the Trans Am in Smokey and the Bandit didn't sound like a Trans Am. Great article! For a little visual variety of sorts, and possibly an indicator of what car was about to be wrecked, the producers did branch out to use the 1975-era Plymouth Fury as another police car. The cars were wrecked on purpose to create the illusion of a high-speed chase. 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. Id like to hear from Mr. Needham why so many of those police cars had what look like shaker hood scoops. Thats all true. The remaining Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am is currently owned by Florida car collector John Staluppi. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 78% rating based on 32 reviews. and the Dixie Dance Kings, and Burts car was a 57 [56?] Sales of the coupe exploded after the film hit the silver screen and set unprecedented records for both Pontiac and the Firebird nameplate. 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.