The other range car was a Chevette for people that wanted to learn on a manual transmission. 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. Nah, they survived by coming up with bras with very thin cups. Some fellow classmates were extras on the film set, and it was a big deal around here at the time. I was a junior high school age kid when this film came out. These were the cans with the two circular push buttons on top instead of pull tabs. A Pontiac wagon from earlier in the decade. The MASSIVE year over year sales gains came from somewhere. By the film's ending, the final surviving Trans Am and LeMans were both barely running and the other cars had become parts donors to keep them running. Let me get the popcorn for this one. Reynolds was the top box office draw from 1975 to 1982, then his movies really started to go downhill. When Im driving the Bandit Trans Am while playing one of my many Forza Motorsport games I always put that song on. Oh, and a hooker girlfriend that looked like Annie Potts. Although he's into just about any type of vehicle, Ciprian is not your typical car enthusiast. At the time, using "fuck" would immediately require an R rating and this self-censorship allowed the film to avoid this rating and reach a much larger audience. It opened in other Northern states at the end of July. Want proof? 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. Mr. Reynolds elevated the dreck that he appeared in to a higher level, that is, enjoyable. Im east bound, just watch ol Bandit run.. Justice. I actually remember the construction of that segment of I-75, as it stopped around Tampa prior to that time. . January 24, 2019 100 comments. Both sequels used another Trans Am, not a Cadillac Eldorado, as seen below. 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. I still regret selling mine almost 30 years ago. 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. 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. 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 advertisements lampoon the film and feature a Pontiac Trans Am and a cover version of the song East Bound and Down. S/E T/A with the round headlights. The three original films introduced two generations of the Pontiac Trans Am and the Dodge Stealth in the television movies. There was still a market for bras in the 1970s. 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. The whereabouts of the remaining Smokey and the Bandit car, the one that was used to promote the movie, remained a mystery for years. The area around Helen, Georgia, was used for some locations. HotCars covers all things automotive: the latest auto news and informative reviews on the car, pickup truck and motorcycle industries. Musicians such as Beegie Adair and George Tidwell[20] played on the soundtrack. In the movie . In the original script, Carrie was called Kate while Big Enos and Little Enos were called Kyle and Dickey. Somehow this store had a regular supply. 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. After the movie came out, Firebird sales increased even more, but the Trans Am was now the most popular one. His expletive is obscured when a passing big rig sounds its horn. 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. If you somehow managed to miss Smokey and the Bandit in the years between the films 1977 release and now, you should rectify that situation immediately (to be fair, it was released two days after Star Wars, so its understandable if it slipped through the cracks). That song often pops into my head at the start of long drives. The man does get around. The original Blues Brothers movie from 1980 is a classic, and fans were excited when a sequel was announced in 1998. . Needing a fast set of wheels to distract law enforcement, Reynolds character purchases this 1977 Pontiac Trans-Am. The cashier never batted an eye as she sold us the mass quantities of suds. 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. Many of the film's original sounds were replaced. 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. It was the second-highest-grossing movie of 1977 after Star Wars. S&B is one of my all-time favorite movies and Im not apologizing. Ive always wanted some sort of de-commission/ex unmarked cop car, something from the 70s preferably. 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. East bound and down, loaded up and truckin According to Wikipedia, the second movie was able to get away with destroying an INSANE number of brand-new Pontiac LeMans police cars because Pontiac had them sitting around in the southwest region, having been sent to a rental fleet in Phoenix without a/c. So these kind of represented a rebellion attitude to the government mandated diesel econo hatches everyone thought we were going to be forced to drive in the 80sinterestingly 1979 was also the best year for the Corvette too. Sheriff Justices son, Junior. 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! I always think scumbum because when I watched it as a kid in the early 90s, it was usually on TBS. A dastardly scoundrel? (Still). The rub? I recall reading somewhere that the Trans Am that did the bridge jump had a tweaked Chevy 350 in it with a stick, and of course that it was WO after the jump. That came out in 1981. We also learn that every launched satellite will eventually fall back to Earth, such as this 1972 Plymouth Satellite (CC here). One of our favorite movies. radio to help him out. Great write up. 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). Actually, there were 2 future Dukes stars in the movie: Ben Jones (Cooter) was in an early scene helping Big Enos find Bandit. 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. It was destroyed in Smokey and the Bandit II and in a flashback scene in Part 3. 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. Arguably the most iconic Pontiac Firebird in history. Many nameplates lost their performance credentials, and some of them, like the Ford Mustang, were redesigned without a V-8 engine. 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. Your email address will not be published. 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. He paid $550,000 for it, likely a record for any Pontiac Firebird. Jesus, did you just call Carmine a car novice? It consists of any of the various Louisiana-style hot sauces on Texas toast-style bread alongside the fourth most famous product of Pittsburg, Texas (behind Pilgrim's Pride, Cavender's, and Carroll Shelby)Pittsburg Hot Links. Comments [35], The "diablo sandwich" ordered by Sheriff Justice in the Arkansas barbecue restaurant scene has entered popular culture as a minor reference to the film. Its weird how it works. "Smokey and the Bandit" stars Burt Reynolds, Sally . It was destroyed in Smokey and the Bandit II and in a flashback scene in Part 3. There are an abundance of cars in this movie. A blackguard? 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. Unfortunately he passed away a few months ago or that would have been a great question to ask. Ask him to choose between a BMW M4 and an Audi RS5, and hell gladly trade both for a beat-up Cuda. 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. Due to his financial difficulties in 2014, Reynolds put his vast collection of artwork and memorabilia up for auction, including the Trans Am. Other sources in East Texas (from whence Sheriff Justice hails) are familiar with the popular regional delicacy known as the Diablo Sandwich. Apparently the engine sounds were lifted from another movie, I think two lane blacktop? The Trans Am used in the movie was a 1976 model with the front end of a 1977 car. Sally Field and Burt Reynolds began a relationship after meeting on set. Five-string banjo player Bobby Thompson is prominent toward the end of "East Bound and Down". 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. 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. and used hard. Weve got a long way to go and a short time to get there Hal Needham did pass away as someone earlier said. If I recall correctly, Firebirds in general (along with Camaros) were selling well prior to 1977, but the Trans Am was not the best-selling one. February 27, 2023 . That said, an uncomplimentary accent does exist. Needham originally planned the film as a low-budget B movie with a production cost of $1 million,[4] with Reed as the Bandit. These questions all need to be answered. 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. They destroyed all those cars in the films he said. 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. Frog not included. 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 theres beer in Texarkana.. The movie had an even bigger impact on the Trans Am. While I have read undocumented accounts of there being more than three Trans Ams, Needham stated three is all that were used. I did help a friend rebuild a late 60s 400 to replace the anemic 301 in his 79, Trans Am. The second film was a modest box office success, earning $66.1 million against a $17 million budget. During this time, the Firebird also surpassed sales figures of the Chevrolet Camaro. The unrestored car reportedly showed up on eBay back in 2015, but no one wanted to buy it. 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). [6] It would become one of Reed's biggest hits and his signature song.[7]. That is why there are not any left. [11] The movie was primarily filmed in Georgia, in the cities of McDonough, Jonesboro, and Lithonia. 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. That is an excellent question. Not everything was Pontiac, as evidenced by this 1973 Plymouth Satellite coupe (CC here). 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. Gas was a buck a gallon at the time so fuel economy wasnt a major issue. I also own a Etrl replica of the Pontiac Bonneville Buford T. Justice drove in Smokey and The Bandit II. 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. [30] Upon meeting Reynolds, Billy Bob Thornton told him that the South considers the film to be less cinema and more documentary. These two 1967 Ford Galaxies (CC here), soon to be redecorated by a Kenworth road tractor, do not. Its W.W. Thank you for signing up to CinemaBlend. Cinemablend is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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. While it's sad that the other two cars were destroyed . 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!) 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. Was it a heathen? 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. Did I mention how much I enjoy reading all the back stories and niggly details I can only get here ? Reynolds and Field began dating during the filming.[13]. The Trans Am was already pretty popular in the mid-1970s, with sales hitting 68,745 units in 1977. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. Smokey & The Bandit was the first of three movies in that franchise. Most reports of his death still didnt have that right! 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 . In fact, after Smokey and the Bandit became a box office hit, Pontiac saw a marked increase in their stock prices. [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). I loved the fact that Jackie Gleasons brown Lemans had a blue vinyl interior and it even had the luxury cushion steering wheel! 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: . Coors was legal in Missouri and illegal in Illinois. 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). Car movies are notorious for being tough on the very vehicles that give them their allure. Sales of the coupe exploded after the film hit the silver screen and set unprecedented records for both Pontiac and the Firebird nameplate. 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". With Reynolds' salary at $1 million, Needham was left with only $3.3 million to make the film. The remaining Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am is currently owned by Florida car collector John Staluppi. Always loved this movie growing up. Out of four Trans Ams used for the filming of Smokey And The Bandit, three were completely totaled in the process. 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. 5. 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. I never understood why dragging a truckload of beer from Colorado to Georgia was such a big deal. 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. And lets not forget the Trans Am rental car Steve McQueen drove in his very last movie, The Hunter from 1980. 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. Behind Sheriff Justices Pontiac, there is a nice looking 1965 or 1966 Ford Mustang fastback and a Toyota pickup. 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. Another one is, Theres no way youre from my loins.. 1979 was equally successful for the brand, joining 1978 to create Pontiac's best sales years ever. 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. thebandit77transam 2009-04-14 14:04. andre1969 wrote Pontiac supplied 5 brand-new cars for "Smokey and the Bandit". The three movie cars were destroyed during various stunts, so the promo car is the only surviving Trans Am connected to this film. It was his idea to have Junior alongside him throughout the film. Every idiot with more money than brains wanted a Trans Am. Henry Corden, the voice of cartoon character Fred Flintstone. 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. I ended up buying a 1969 Cadillac ambulance a year later! We just watched this with the kids the other week, along with Cannonball Run. Gator , Stroker Ace , lots of them . 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. . I have at least 4 really good car buddies that will from time to time love popping this movie in to watch. Haul my wife and four shelter adoptee mutts in it. Let us dissect this flick to better examine it.

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