Bill Justis is the first name on the credits for the soundtrack, as he composed and arranged original music throughout the film. A paper on Cognitive psychology was published in the 1990 issue of Computers in Human Perception. Cause theyre thirsty in Atlanta Regular film-goers might not pay much attention to the car's engine sound, but gearheads will quickly notice that something is off. I was a junior high school age kid when this film came out. It opened in other Northern states at the end of July. The Trans Am was a high-performance package for the Firebird, Pontiac's take on the Chevrolet Camaro. Its W.W. Movies like Mad Max: Fury Road and Furious 7 may ruin a lot of cars, but they were far from the first. 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. 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. All pictures from the movie were acquired from www.imcdb.org, Fred Lives!!! This small modification was made to remind viewers of Trans Am models from 1969, which had in excess of 300 horsepower. 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. 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. [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. Jason, Using the words nuance, subtlety, complexity and intellect to describe this movie, is, as they say, trs amusant! 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. 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. 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. So many classic quotes in this movie. Gator , Stroker Ace , lots of them . So, for years one, two, and three, he got a shiny new Pontiac. That's because Pontiac almost canceled the Firebird in the early 1970s. 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. East bound and down, loaded up and truckin 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. Misconception by casual novice car fans is that the Trams Am didnt sell well until S&B. 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. Did I mention how much I enjoy reading all the back stories and niggly details I can only get here ? The original Blues Brothers movie from 1980 is a classic, and fans were excited when a sequel was announced in 1998. . 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. 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". And Coors itself limited its distribution to west of the Mississippi. [33] Reynolds was given the 1977 vehicle used during promotion of the film as a gift, though the car itself never actually appeared in the film. The remaining Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am is currently owned by Florida car collector John Staluppi. Coors wasnt pasteurized. Coors is still brewed just outside Denver, Colorado. (first posted 2/28/2014) The fourth highest grossing film in the United States in 1977 was the Academy Award nominatedSmokey & The Bandit. We stopped in that same Safeway later on the way back home from southern Cal, and they had a huge display of cases of Coors out on the floor near the checkstands. Earlier DVD releases and the 40th Anniversary Blu-ray of the film have the original soundtrack intact. 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. At one point in the movie, the Bandit wrecks a police car. New York, No more needs to be said. I own all three films on a dvd called the Smokey and The Bandit Pursuit Pack. Round and dumpy, just like the Colonnade LeMans! 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. 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. Anyone who enjoys Colonnade sedans will love Smokey & the Bandit. 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". A few other examples of sound effect replacement occur when the Bandit takes off after getting the reluctant Cledus involved in the bet, the Bandit comes to a screeching halt on a roadway moments before picking up Carrie, and when Buford's car top comes off. I beg to differ Mr -Nate. Conversely, I could go to Paducah and be asked where up north I was from. A CC for a 1973 Grand Ville convertible can be found here. I remember reading somewhere that one of the cars was equipped with a 455 for some of the higher speed scenes. Chevy brought back the Z28, and cant say S&B was reason. Smokey & The Bandit was the first of three movies in that franchise. The roundup sequence in the desert shows many new Pontiac Le Mans sedans decorated as police cars being destroyed. Arguably the most iconic Pontiac Firebird in history. The original uncut sumbitch version. 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! Ive since read on the internet that it wasnt illegal so much as a practical thing with it being shipped in refrigerated trucks. What were the police cars in Smokey and the Bandit? 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 group of Trans Am owners and fans of the movie take part in an annual road trip from Texarkana to Jonesboro, recreating the route taken by the characters in the film. It was destroyed in Smokey and the Bandit II and in a flashback scene in Part 3. via iconic premier. Got Greyhound cutout decals on the rear side windows. The worldwide gross is estimated at over $300 million. The dubbed version is awful. Over many viewings I noticed some scenes the car would skate around and take off like an animal while in others there were one-tire-fires and it would struggle to get going. Further, as Pontiac has deliciously obvious product placement, anyone who delights in 70s era Pontiac iron will experience visual ecstasy. Reynolds was the top box office draw from 1975 to 1982, then his movies really started to go downhill. They retained the white steering wheels until 72 or so , just the thing to preveny burned fingers in the Desert sun . Five-string banjo player Bobby Thompson is prominent toward the end of "East Bound and Down". Behind Sheriff Justices Pontiac, there is a nice looking 1965 or 1966 Ford Mustang fastback and a Toyota pickup. 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). 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. 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. In Smokey and the Bandit, there were eight 1977 Trans-Am cars and approximately the same number of police cars (but some said ten). Originally, the film was going to be a B-movie played only in the Southern United States. Musicians such as Beegie Adair and George Tidwell[20] played on the soundtrack. Both sequels used another Trans Am, not a Cadillac Eldorado, as seen below. [4] Reynolds said in 2015 that he most enjoyed this film, and had the most fun making it, of his career.[26]. I think you may be confusing the movie Honky-Tonk Freeway with the filming done during I-75 construction near Sarasota. 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. Put one on and the lady looks like shes not wearing a bra. 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. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. It was destroyed in Smokey and the Bandit II and in a flashback scene in Part 3. In its place was the nonsensical "scum bum." . The other range car was a Chevette for people that wanted to learn on a manual transmission. how many cars were destroyed in smokey and the bandit 2. Called Smoke is the Bandit and playing on Stewart's nickname, the commercials featured him as the Bandit opposite commentators Darrell Waltrip as the Snowman and Jeff Hammond as Buford T. Justice. Thats all true. The muscle car market reached a peak in the late 1960s, as the car was becoming larger, more powerful, and more aggressive by looks. 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. 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. The scene featuring the racetrack was filmed at Lakewood Speedway at the old Lakewood Fairgrounds on Atlanta's south side. Needing a fast set of wheels to distract law enforcement, Reynolds character purchases this 1977 Pontiac Trans-Am. The Trans Am was already pretty popular in the mid-1970s, with sales hitting 68,745 units in 1977. 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 . Not that Id kick either front end style out of the garage for dripping oil, as long as they dont have the 403 in them anyway. In fact, after Smokey and the Bandit became a box office hit, Pontiac saw a marked increase in their stock prices. Except that shes not sagging. [22] It premiered at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, where it performed badly. At the time, Reynolds was the top box office star in the world. 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". 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. [6] It would become one of Reed's biggest hits and his signature song.[7]. In the movie . Set with his . Ive always wanted some sort of de-commission/ex unmarked cop car, something from the 70s preferably. Stroker Ace is after S&B, 1983, and features the then new for 83 aero Fox Body Thunderbird. Sales of the coupe exploded after the film hit the silver screen and set unprecedented records for both Pontiac and the Firebird nameplate. Gleason probably wanted too much money to provide the dubbing, which is a shame because it ruins the TV version. 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. The cop cars with the hood scoops were ex-DeKalb County (Georgia) cruisers. The whereabouts of the remaining Smokey and the Bandit car, the one that was used to promote the movie, remained a mystery for years. Weve got a long way to go and a short time to get there Here's everything you should know about one of the most iconic movie cars ever. Its lack of additives and preservatives meant that Coors could spoil in one week without refrigeration, explaining the film's 28-hour deadline. Tragically, every Trans Am used in filming was destroyed. But 1978 returned sales of 93,351 examples, a jump of around 25,000 cars. [30] Upon meeting Reynolds, Billy Bob Thornton told him that the South considers the film to be less cinema and more documentary. It outsold its Chevrolet Camaro counterpart for the first time. But while the cars shown in the movie look like 1977-model-year Trans Ams, they were actually 1976 models. The cars were originally ordered by a car rental agency in Phoenix, who refused to accept the . Amazing how a combination of desire and unobtainability can make an ordinary product special. 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. 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. Anyone with insight is encouraged to share their knowledge on this. Mr. Reynolds elevated the dreck that he appeared in to a higher level, that is, enjoyable. As such, it took a lot of sweet talking by former stuntman Needham for Pontiac to cough up three Trans Ams and three LeManses. Im east bound, just watch ol Bandit run.. Alan Reed was the original voice of Fred Flintstone; Henry Corden only took over after Reeds death in 1977. Additionally, he can give you several reasons why theres still no replacement for displacement. When I was a kid I thought they were the same person. There was still a market for bras in the 1970s. 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! 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. [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. Whaddya expect outta a guy what drives a conversion van? And Burt may be from GA originally, but he calls Florida home, which is another reason I heard the movie was filmed here. These Furys, as well as some of the LeMans units, have hood scoops. 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. His personaround, dumpy, and clipping wordsreminds one of another fictional southern sheriff. Ask him to choose between a BMW M4 and an Audi RS5, and hell gladly trade both for a beat-up Cuda. The film features the custom clothing and costuming of Niver Western Wear of Fort Worth, Texas. I was to be paid a salary plus own 7% of the profits. She is a runaway bride, sitting on the side of the road in her 1973 Chevrolet Impala coupe. Hal Needham did pass away as someone earlier said. If you watched the second clip above, this truck should look familiar. S&B is one of my all-time favorite movies and Im not apologizing. The tow truck driver was a local garage owner, Berlin Wike. A diablo sammich from my understanding is a like a Sloppy Joe but with taco seasoning added in for spice. 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 film's theme song, "East Bound and Down", was written virtually overnight by Reed. 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. The dubbed version isnt as bad as the Remastered Blu-ray. NY 10036. [12] The area around Helen, Georgia, was used for some locations. Many nameplates lost their performance credentials, and some of them, like the Ford Mustang, were redesigned without a V-8 engine. 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). I remember borrowing my brothers red 1976 T/A to take a girl to the theater to see Smokey and the Bandit. As deals were made for the actors and producers, the studio wanted to renegotiate my deal. 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 theme music "East Bound and Down" was sung and co-written by Reed (credited under his birth name, Jerry Hubbard) and Dick Feller. 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. But that doesnt make for an interesting movie premise. I have always loved this movie, watched it dozens and dozens of times on TV, video, DVD, laserdisc, almost any form of media. 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. Were they dummies? As Frog leaves, we are introduced to Sheriff Buford T. Justice, played by Jackie Gleason. I loved the fact that Jackie Gleasons brown Lemans had a blue vinyl interior and it even had the luxury cushion steering wheel! 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. I distinctly remember my mother buying Coors and being asked if she lived in Missouri or Illinois by the cashier. Please refresh the page and try again. An effort to recreate a jump from Smokey and the Bandit doesn't go perfectly when the car takes a rough course off the ramp. [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. High estimates for the car were up to $80,000, but the actual sale price was $450,000. [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. Burt Reynolds recently revealed the ridiculous number of Pontiac Trans Ams they went through filming 1977s Smokey and the Bandit. I remember that it had a bunch of trim badges on the center of the dashboard. It wasnt distributed in Washington in those days either. Let us dissect this flick to better examine it. 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. The three movie cars were destroyed during various stunts, so the promo car is the only surviving Trans Am connected to this film. [10], Principal photography of the film began on August 30, 1976. Check out the entire video below. Actually, there were 2 future Dukes stars in the movie: Ben Jones (Cooter) was in an early scene helping Big Enos find Bandit. 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. 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. With Reynolds agreement to do the movie, and his insistence upon casting Gleason as Sheriff Justice, the movie became a larger venture. Gleason was a genius, but this was not one of his better outings I prefer the Hustler and Gigot. 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. 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. 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. The checker, not batting an eye, Do you want that chilled?. 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. The rub? But the true standout of Smokey and the Bandit is the car driven by The Bandit, the iconic black and gold 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. Haul my wife and four shelter adoptee mutts in it. Heres how it works. Well, the Corvettes success is clearly due to Corvette Summer, @Jim I remember that movie! My family did all grocery shopping in Cape. I have at least 4 really good car buddies that will from time to time love popping this movie in to watch. Banzai! [5] Sally Field only accepted the part after her agent advised her that she needed a big movie role on her rsum. Im pretty sure that the car that barks second when he takes off with Frog had to be a stick. How did any bra manufacturers survive the 70s? I have since moved on from them, mainly because in stock form, they were not particularly great cars (though good enough for the times). 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. [38], In 2014, petroleum company Mobil 1 produced television commercials, featuring then-NASCAR driver Tony Stewart, closely based on the film. Cape was far enough north that it was watered down and there was so much cross-pollination with the Illinois side you really didnt discern much difference. There are an abundance of cars in this movie. Id like to hear from Mr. Needham why so many of those police cars had what look like shaker hood scoops. 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. "Smokey and the Bandit" stars Burt Reynolds, Sally . 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. [5], Universal Studios bankrolled Smokey and the Bandit for $5.3 million, figuring it was a good risk. Many of the film's original sounds were replaced. You might think that seeing their cars routinely destroyed on movie screens across the country would give the manufacturer pause, but that is not the case at all. Her groom? I drive a conversion van. Burt Reynolds as the Bandit can always count on the truckers on the other end of his C.B. Free shipping for many products! If it wasnt for Smokey & the Bandit, the Dukes of Hazzard TV series would not exist. 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! It seems Plymouth was in a distant second for product placement. It was his idea to have Junior alongside him throughout the film. This movie came out during my early formative years pre grade school. This movie was filmed in Georgia as well. Gleasons Justice is the stereotypical Southern sheriff, as seen in this clip. Let me get the popcorn for this one. That is an excellent question. And the 400 Pontiac or 403 Olds versions could be made to run well. And back then what I wanted most of all was a highly customized Vette with exposed headlights. As luck and script writing would have it, Frog has left her groom at the altar. I was just tweaking Jason. Supposedly there was a stick car for the burnouts and an automatic car for other shots. He paid $550,000 for it, likely a record for any Pontiac Firebird. Naturally, it fetched the highest price with a . Always loved this movie growing up. http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_301466-Ford-LTD-II-1977.html. 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. Reynolds actively pushed for her casting after Universal initially resisted, claiming Field was not attractive enough. 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. 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. Olds 88. About two seconds after this picture was taken, these motorcycles were doing their best imitation of a stack of pancakes. Jackie Gleason ad libbed a lot of his lines too. Burt Reynolds himself drove the car on stage to the song "East Bound and Down" and signed it. 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. After the movie did well, Pontiac gave Burt a free Trans Am to drive for a few years. Needham originally planned the film as a low-budget B movie with a production cost of $1 million,[4] with Reed as the Bandit.
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