This movie just showed how much an urban legend the supposed unobtainability had become. $30.00 + $11.45 shipping. Originally, the film was going to be a B-movie played only in the Southern United States. The dubbed version is awful. Sheriff Justices son, Junior. 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. Id like to hear from Mr. Needham why so many of those police cars had what look like shaker hood scoops. Bill Justis is the first name on the credits for the soundtrack, as he composed and arranged original music throughout the film. Just do a search for Crown Victorias on your local CL. Even today when I stumble across this cinematic masterpiece being rerun on cable tv, Ill watch the entire thing. 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. I will confess that by the time this movie was out, I was a Mopar guy. The film features the custom clothing and costuming of Niver Western Wear of Fort Worth, Texas. Since mentioning the Kenworth, it must be noted it was a redecorator of the highest fashion. how many cars were destroyed in smokey and the bandit 2. Put one on and the lady looks like shes not wearing a bra. 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. I have always loved this movie, watched it dozens and dozens of times on TV, video, DVD, laserdisc, almost any form of media. Many people believed beforehand that the film was not right for . Were they dummies? As I did Steve McQueen and Paul Newman. http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_301466-Ford-LTD-II-1977.html. The scoops were added by the department because the engines ran so hot. However, as our heroes were successful in delivering their truckload of Coors, the writers effectively poised themselves for a sequel. But would the black and gold T/As be as desirable today without the movie? High estimates for the car were up to $80,000, but the actual sale price was $450,000. . (Still). 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. Sales almost doubled in two years, which is a very big deal given that the Trans Ams 1978 facelift was rather minor save for the front fascia. Ive always loved this movie. 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". 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. I was 10 when this movie came out and I loved it then and I still do. Field enjoyed making the film, but remembers that virtually the entire project was improvised. Always a favorite. 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. As luck and script writing would have it, Frog has left her groom at the altar. The rub? The original Blues Brothers movie from 1980 is a classic, and fans were excited when a sequel was announced in 1998. . UNIVERSAL CUT THE BUDGET JUST AS PRODUCTION WAS ABOUT TO BEGIN. During their run, they are pursued by Texas county sheriff Buford T. Justice (Gleason). With Reynolds' salary at $1 million, Needham was left with only $3.3 million to make the film. As if GM owes them something. The cars were 1976 models, the engines fitted to them were 455ci powerplants, the last year these engines were offered for sale before withdrawal. 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. One guy did a while ago a fan-made trailer of Smokey & the Bandit 4. 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. The little packy there had Coors and even though it was horribly expensive, we thought it was the elixer of the Gods. http://www.leelofland.com/wordpress/john-fedack-my-days-as-a-dekalb-county-police-officer/. Im east bound, just watch ol Bandit run.. Its weird how it works. Cinemablend is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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. 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. It is now sold in all states as Coors ships it in refrigerated train cars and bottled locally and sold in different parts of the country including the eastern US states. I was in the Air Force during this era, stationed in California. I did help a friend rebuild a late 60s 400 to replace the anemic 301 in his 79, Trans Am. 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. I'm afraid I was responsible for a good few of those. 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. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Your email address will not be published. Behind Sheriff Justices Pontiac, there is a nice looking 1965 or 1966 Ford Mustang fastback and a Toyota pickup. As I am finishing this article while Big Truck Week is winding down, here is a Kenworth with a 1973 Dodge Polara patrol car. Needham had great difficulty getting any studios or producers to take his project seriously, being better known in the film industry as a stuntman. Conversely, I could go to Paducah and be asked where up north I was from. His personaround, dumpy, and clipping wordsreminds one of another fictional southern sheriff. 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. Stroker Ace is after S&B, 1983, and features the then new for 83 aero Fox Body Thunderbird. And Coors itself limited its distribution to west of the Mississippi. Somehow this store had a regular supply. 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. Naturally, it fetched the highest price with a . That song often pops into my head at the start of long drives. Banzai! 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. How many police cars were wrecked in Smokey and the Bandit? I ended up buying a 1969 Cadillac ambulance a year later! While watching the movie (yes, I did have to diligently research this article), one shot seemed to indicate this may be a dummy scoop. Plus , I loved those late 1960s through mid 1970s Plymouths even though Im a Bowtie Guy by default . The soundtrack album was released in 1977 on vinyl, cassette, and 8-track through MCA Records. 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 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. I was to be paid a salary plus own 7% of the profits. How much did the Smokey and the Bandit car sell for? Oh, and a hooker girlfriend that looked like Annie Potts. 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 . Theres really nothing like an old cop car. While the initial concern was it having a regional appeal, it would ultimately play as well in New York City and Chicago as it did Atlanta, Georgia, or Biloxi, Mississippi. You want to questions bra sales, check out the youtube video of Hang on Sloopy by the Mccoys, the color version.wowza! Got Greyhound cutout decals on the rear side windows. 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). WildI watched this for the first time in years after watching the latest Archer.the whole thing is an homage to S&B. Sales of the coupe exploded after the film hit the silver screen and set unprecedented records for both Pontiac and the Firebird nameplate. From what I have read the artist did the poster rendering from some blown up stills that he was shown from the movie, and none of them for some mysterious reason included the Trans Am, the truck, Reynolds, Gleason, Sally Field, crashing police cars, but no T/A. That is why there are not any left. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cODPt3T0cHE, We got a cage strong enough to hold you . One of our favorite movies. 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. 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. 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. Henry Corden, the voice of cartoon character Fred Flintstone. 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. Justice. The cars were originally ordered by a car rental agency in Phoenix, who refused to accept the . Reynolds replied: We went through 12. Regular film-goers might not pay much attention to the car's engine sound, but gearheads will quickly notice that something is off. Needham originally planned the film as a low-budget B movie with a production cost of $1 million,[4] with Reed as the Bandit. Mrs Jason wont let me sell the sumbitch. Actually, there were 2 future Dukes stars in the movie: Ben Jones (Cooter) was in an early scene helping Big Enos find Bandit. The uncut version is the best. That's because the Trans Am in Smokey and the Bandit didn't sound like a Trans Am. [5] Sally Field only accepted the part after her agent advised her that she needed a big movie role on her rsum. Gleason was given free rein to ad-lib dialogue and make suggestions. When I was a kid I thought they were the same person. It had not been used for some time and was repainted for the film. Jackie Gleason ad libbed a lot of his lines too. Though no authoritative source identifies the composition of the sandwich, there are several possibilities. In a rare public appearance, Burt Reynolds revealed how many cars they wrecked making Smokey and Ive always wanted some sort of de-commission/ex unmarked cop car, something from the 70s preferably. 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. Watching TV and Movies you would think that sales dropped to nil. The MASSIVE year over year sales gains came from somewhere. When it was over, I cried and cried and cried because I didnt want it to end. 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. After the movie did well, Pontiac gave Burt a free Trans Am to drive for a few years. The decals were changed to 1977-style units, as evidenced by the engine size callouts on the hood scoop being in liters rather than cubic inches, as had been the case in 1976. Wouldnt the accent give you away? [12] The area around Helen, Georgia, was used for some locations. When Smokey and the Bandit first aired on American network television in the early 1980s, censors were faced with the challenge of toning down the raw language of the original film. The 1978 Trans Am is an exact duplicate of the "Smokey and the Bandit" movie car, finished in black and gold with a screaming chicken on the hood. 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. Every idiot with more money than brains wanted a Trans Am. Coors is still brewed just outside Denver, Colorado. 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. He's a proud member of the TopSpeed team since early 2014. via iconic premier. When Smokey & The Banditfirst aired on television in the early 1980s, the Gleason phrase sum bitcha regional butchering of son of a bitchhad to be dubbed out. Olds 88. . Soon as I get home, first thing Im gonna do is punch yo mamma in da mouth!. Because sales were so high, Pontiac decided to delay the third-generation model. I was a junior high school age kid when this film came out. 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. Weve got a long way to go and a short time to get there 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. I am still drawn to the shape of these cars, and others that have that long and low look about them. Mr. Reynolds elevated the dreck that he appeared in to a higher level, that is, enjoyable. A paper on Cognitive psychology was published in the 1990 issue of Computers in Human Perception. 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. [10], Principal photography of the film began on August 30, 1976. During this time, the Firebird also surpassed sales figures of the Chevrolet Camaro. In its place was the nonsensical scum bum. The voice over actor? 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. [22] It premiered at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, where it performed badly. 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. 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. Gator , Stroker Ace , lots of them . Despite growing up next to Cape, most of relatives are from the Mid-South. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 78% rating based on 32 reviews. A black Trans Am is parked in my garage because of this movie. and the Dixie Dance Kings, and Burts car was a 57 [56?] [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). A Pontiac wagon from earlier in the decade. 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. She is a runaway bride, sitting on the side of the road in her 1973 Chevrolet Impala coupe. I certainly hope the guy hired to drive that 74 Ford Torino wagon was paid well for his work. 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. 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. Revisit this scene featuring "East Bound and. I think thats another line theyve edited out for the television version. 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. It was something regarding distribution limits. Wealthy Texan Big Enos Burdette and his son Little Enos have sponsored a racer in Atlanta's Southern Classic and want to celebrate in style when he wins, so they are seeking a trucker willing to bootleg Coors Beer to Atlanta for their refreshment. I still think its more entertaining than Star Wars. Rockford Files also featured Firebird, and was on since 1974, and Fs sold well despite gas crunch I and inflation. Jane Russell hawked bras on television for full-figured gals like her, a line that evoked snickers among my high-school classmates. 1975 PLYMOUTH FURY HIGHWAY PATROL "SMOKEY & THE BANDIT" 1/18 BY . 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. Even when the 2nd gen was already coasting on fumes, and defanged, and after the reasonably shitty Smokey and the Bandit sequel, Pontiac managed to pump out 107,000 Trans Ams in 1980 and 70,000 for the 2nd gen Trans Ams swan song in 1981. I distinctly remember my mother buying Coors and being asked if she lived in Missouri or Illinois by the cashier. Back in 1984, I went to look at a late 1970s Plymouth cop car as well. A couple of years ago, I was sitting around on a lazy Saturday afternoon and it was on TV. Three Kenworth W900A short-frame semi trucks, driven by Reed, were each equipped with 38-inch sleepers. thebandit77transam 2009-04-14 14:04. andre1969 wrote Pontiac supplied 5 brand-new cars for "Smokey and the 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. Burt Reynolds plays truck driver Bo Bandit Darville. [8] Niver provided much of the western attire worn in the film, as well as the custom-made sheriff's uniforms (waist size 64") that Gleason wore throughout the film. 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. Gas was a buck a gallon at the time so fuel economy wasnt a major issue. (it did taste a lot better than Bud as I recall). Gleason probably wanted too much money to provide the dubbing, which is a shame because it ruins the TV version. Nah, they survived by coming up with bras with very thin cups. Thank you for signing up to CinemaBlend. Great article! A guy we knew drove his half-ton pickup from western WA to his reserve 2-week stint in his home state in California. The tow truck driver was a local garage owner, Berlin Wike. Reynolds actively pushed for her casting after Universal initially resisted, claiming Field was not attractive enough. The three movie cars were destroyed during various stunts, so the promo car is the only surviving Trans Am connected to this film. I drive a conversion van. Round and dumpy, just like the Colonnade LeMans! I guess the Trans Am proved to have more staying power than the hot 71 Ford in the earlier movie. I think you may be confusing the movie Honky-Tonk Freeway with the filming done during I-75 construction near Sarasota. On the DVD, there is a brief interview with both Burt Reynolds and Hal Needham, who directed this film. [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. I prefer Buford T. Justices 1980 Pontiac Bonneville and his 1983 Pontiac Bonneville in Smokey and The Bandit III. Yet when I think of a 70s T/A, thats the one I and Im sure millions of other folks think of. Upon showing it to his friend, Reynolds told Needham that it was the worst script he had ever read, but that he would still make the movie. Seven: (Three with Burt Reynolds and Crew, and Four without) Smokey and the Bandit - 1977 Smokey and the Bandit II - 1980 Smokey and the Bandit III . Other sources in East Texas (from whence Sheriff Justice hails) are familiar with the popular regional delicacy known as the Diablo Sandwich. His expletive is obscured when a passing big rig sounds its horn. I just dont like car novices that assume the Pontiac T/A was soley a movie tie in car and the it started in 1977.. 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. There has never been anything quite like late 1970s fashion in clothing. While made to take advantage of the ongoing 1970s CB radio fad, the film added to the craze. Smokey & The Bandit was the first of three movies in that franchise. Most reports of his death still didnt have that right! Dodge pitchman Sheriff Joe Higgins. A 1977 special-edition model once owned by the late actor Burt Reynolds recently wound up on the car auction website Bring a Trailer. Remember that Smokey and the Bandit was the 2nd biggest movie of the year, right after Star Wars. It opened in other Northern states at the end of July. Anyone who enjoys Colonnade sedans will love Smokey & the Bandit. Please refresh the page and try again. 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.