I remember reading somewhere that one of the cars was equipped with a 455 for some of the higher speed scenes. It became Reed's signature song and is on multiple albums, including Country Legends and his live album Jerry Reed "Live!" Reed would eventually play the Bandit in Smokey and the Bandit Part 3, in which Reynolds only appeared in a cameo near the end. Buford, with Junior along, ignores his jurisdiction and doggedly chases Bandit all the way to Georgia to retrieve Carrie while various mishaps cause his cruiser to disintegrate on the way. [18] A 1974 Time magazine article explains that Coors was so coveted for its lack of stabilizers and preservatives, and Coors Banquet Beer had a brief renaissance. This movie just showed how much an urban legend the supposed unobtainability had become. [14] The Trans Ams were actually 1976-model cars with 1977 front ends (from 1970 to 1976, both the Firebird/Trans Am and Chevrolet Camaro have two round headlights and in 1977, the Firebird/Trans Am was changed to four rectangular headlights, and the Camaro remained unchanged). The movie is responsible for something, by 1979 Pontiac was selling 100,000 plus Trans Ams, not the whole Firebird line, JUST Trans Ams, Pontiac sold more T/As in 1979 than any of the cheaper Firebirds combined, Smokey and the Bandit had to have a hand in that. [36] Another proposal, based more closely on images from the film and the shooting location of the scene (at an Old Hickory House restaurant in Georgia), is pulled pork and hot sauce on a hamburger bun. I have since moved on from them, mainly because in stock form, they were not particularly great cars (though good enough for the times). . . [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. WildI watched this for the first time in years after watching the latest Archer.the whole thing is an homage to S&B. It airs on cable tv all the time. via iconic premier. 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 . However, as our heroes were successful in delivering their truckload of Coors, the writers effectively poised themselves for a sequel. 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. So many classic quotes in this movie. Smokey & The Bandit Police Cars. 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. I dunno about the Foley sounds, I have a T/A with a 400 and an open/no catalytic true dual exhaust, and it sounds really close to how the Bandit car sounds at idle during some scenes from the movie. Most of the dialogue was improvised on set. The sticker read "T/A 6.6," which was a reminder of the engine's 6.6-liter displacement. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. In my area, nearly every one listed is an ex cop car. 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". 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. Producers of Smokey and the Bandit wrecked 26 cars while filming the movie in 1977. How many police cars were wrecked in Smokey and the Bandit? 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. In its place was the nonsensical "scum bum." . Chevy almost did the same with its counterpart, the Camaro. 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. In the movie . Nothing annoys him more than car electronics, and he just hates it when performance cars lack a third pedal. During a Q&A session on Saturday, filmed by ComicBook.com, a fan asked how many Trans Ams they burned through during production. Additionally, he can give you several reasons why theres still no replacement for displacement. 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. And then they made the biggest mistake of their lives and went to national distribution. So, for years one, two, and three, he got a shiny new Pontiac. With the Smokey and the Bandit actor gone, and the impact the actor had on the Trans Am community, having one of the few connections to him destroyed is too much. I agree, despite people saying you sound cute, it seems like they think Ellie Mae Clapett or Jethro Bodean. I know, Ive owned a 75 for 23 years. What were the police cars in Smokey and the Bandit? Want proof? The films are indeed classic and very funny to this day. The pair arrive in Texarkana one hour early and load up the truck, but just as they head back, Carrie, a runaway bride, intercepts Bandit and jumps in his car, unwittingly making him an indirect target of Sheriff Buford T. Justice, a career Texas lawman whose witless son Junior was to have married Carrie. Just like the exaggeration sales went up 700%. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). 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!!! I was in West Plains the other day and there is yet another variation of it there. Launched on the big screen in 1977, Smokey and the Bandit revolves around two bootleggers as they attempt to illegally transport 400 cases of Coors beer from Texarkana to Atlanta. It just seems wrong to see that car in any fashion without hearing that song. The film was followed by two sequels: Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) and Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983). 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. He paid $550,000 for it, likely a record for any Pontiac Firebird. They find local legend Bo "Bandit" Darville at a roadeo at Lakewood Fairgrounds and offer him US$80,000 (equivalent to $357,738 in 2021) to haul 400 cases of Coors from Texarkana (the closest place it could be legally sold at that time) to Atlanta in 28 hours. ARRGH! [5] Sally Field only accepted the part after her agent advised her that she needed a big movie role on her rsum. . I remember that it had a bunch of trim badges on the center of the dashboard. At the time, Reynolds was the top box office star in the world. He contacted Pontiac and an agreement was made that four 1977 Trans Ams and two Pontiac LeMans four-door sedans would be provided for the movie. Hes fodder enough for his own article at some point. One of those things that will make my kids think Im crazy some day. And back then what I wanted most of all was a highly customized Vette with exposed headlights. 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. 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: . For this purpose, they overdubbed dialogue deemed offensive, which was common practice. 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. 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!. The truck at the shell station is actually a 75 or 76 Toyota Hilux. These were the cans with the two circular push buttons on top instead of pull tabs. 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. There was still a market for bras in the 1970s. Im gonna barbecue your ass in molasses., Re: The picture with 4 ladies and the wagon and van. http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_301466-Ford-LTD-II-1977.html. Of course, nobody else cared if it was in the trunk of the car when heading back home. I think you may be confusing the movie Honky-Tonk Freeway with the filming done during I-75 construction near Sarasota. As such, it took a lot of sweet talking by former stuntman Needham for Pontiac to cough up three Trans Ams and three LeManses. Burt Reynolds as the Bandit can always count on the truckers on the other end of his C.B. I had no idea that it was going to become a 70s classic. Its weird how it works. Ive always loved this movie. 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. In 1991, it was arranged for orchestra by Crafton Beck and recorded by Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra for their album Down on the Farm. Cledus "Snowman" Snow (Jerry Reed) drives the truck while his good buddy Bo "Bandit" Darville (Reynolds) serves as the "blocker," a fast car used to divert police attention away from payload. It was a powerful car, and I was glad to be issued it as my range car instead of one of the new but already disintegrating 1985 Oldsmobiles supplied by a local dealer that most people had. The secrets behind the cars and stunts in 'The Italian Job'. However, the scene and the obscured expletive were played for comedy value and written as such, with the passing truck being the gag of the scene more than a way to avoid the censors. The story replaced the Coors beer with Mobil 1 products. And all of us easterners suddenly discovered it was nothing more than another Budweiser/Miller/etc. The scoops were added by the department because the engines ran so hot. The 1977 features rectangular quad headlamps instead of only two round lights, a unique slanted and V-shaped nose, and a center-mounted hood scoop. As Frog leaves, we are introduced to Sheriff Buford T. Justice, played by Jackie Gleason. 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! I own all three films on a dvd called the Smokey and The Bandit Pursuit Pack. Mrs Jason wont let me sell the sumbitch. I have always loved this movie, watched it dozens and dozens of times on TV, video, DVD, laserdisc, almost any form of media. Hal Needham did pass away as someone earlier said. They destroyed all those cars in the films he said. The Trans Am was already pretty popular in the mid-1970s, with sales hitting 68,745 units in 1977. In 2006, a DVD re-release was issued of Smokey and the Bandit featuring a digitally remastered audio track with 5.1 Dolby-compatible surround sound. Bill Justis is the first name on the credits for the soundtrack, as he composed and arranged original music throughout the film. Good silly fun. How many smokey and the bandit movies are there? A CC for a 1973 Grand Ville convertible can be found here. Great fun! 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". Car movies are notorious for being tough on the very vehicles that give them their allure. Always loved this movie growing up. Frog not included. ", "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. 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. Learn how your comment data is processed. Please refresh the page and try again. During their run, they are pursued by Texas county sheriff Buford T. Justice (Gleason). I only got one of them LOL. 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. 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. I really enjoyed this discussion. 12 A Total Of 3 Trans Ams Were Destroyed During Filming. Every idiot with more money than brains wanted a Trans Am. That is an excellent question. I drive a conversion van. I was to be paid a salary plus own 7% of the profits. Anyone with insight is encouraged to share their knowledge on this. It was the second-highest-grossing movie of 1977 after Star Wars. Banzai! I guess the Trans Am proved to have more staying power than the hot 71 Ford in the earlier movie. Reynolds actively pushed for her casting after Universal initially resisted, claiming Field was not attractive enough. Its lack of additives and preservatives meant that Coors could spoil in one week without refrigeration, explaining the film's 28-hour deadline. I also own a Etrl replica of the Pontiac Bonneville Buford T. Justice drove in Smokey and The Bandit II. I ended up buying a 1969 Cadillac ambulance a year later! A diablo sammich from my understanding is a like a Sloppy Joe but with taco seasoning added in for spice. 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. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1980 ERTL SMOKEY & THE BANDIT PONTIAC FIREBIRD DIECAST CAR police car set at the best online prices at eBay! Coors wasnt pasteurized. 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". 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. Set with his . That said, an uncomplimentary accent does exist. If you watched the second clip above, this truck should look familiar. . 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. 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. This movie came out during my early formative years pre grade school. According to an interview with Susie McIver Ewing on The RetroZest Podcast, she was picked to play the role of Hot Pants Hilliard after the dailies footage (shot in the Atlanta area) of the original actress playing the role was inadvertently destroyed on its way from Atlanta to Los Angeles. This small modification was made to remind viewers of Trans Am models from 1969, which had in excess of 300 horsepower. 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. Field enjoyed making the film, but remembers that virtually the entire project was improvised. [23] It then opened in just the South of the United States over the Memorial Day weekend and grossed $2,689,851 in 386 theaters. In a rare public appearance, Burt Reynolds revealed how many cars they wrecked making Smokey and 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 return one minute after their time limit, but instead of taking the payoff, Carrie and Bandit accept a double-or-nothing offer from Little Enos: a challenge to run up to Boston and bring back clam chowder in 18 hours. 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. Smokey and the Bandit II is a 1980 American action comedy film directed by Hal Needham, and starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, . By the end of June, it had played in major Southern markets, including Charlotte, Atlanta, Jacksonville, New Orleans, Memphis, Dallas, and Oklahoma City, grossing $11.9 million. The film's theme song, "East Bound and Down", was written virtually overnight by Reed. 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. The 79-year-old 70s and 80s heartthrob made a rare public appearance over the weekend at Wizard World Chicago. Weve got a long way to go and a short time to get there Both sequels used another Trans Am, not a Cadillac Eldorado, as seen below. . Needham originally planned the film as a low-budget B movie with a production cost of $1 million,[4] with Reed as the Bandit. A couple of years ago, I was sitting around on a lazy Saturday afternoon and it was on TV. 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. [6] It would become one of Reed's biggest hits and his signature song.[7].
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