how many cars destroyed in smokey and the bandit how many cars destroyed in smokey and the bandit

Tragically, every Trans Am used in filming was destroyed. Most of the dialogue was improvised on set. [4] Just two days before production was to begin, Universal sent a "hatchet man" to Atlanta to inform Needham that the budget was being trimmed by $1 million. The unrestored car reportedly showed up on eBay back in 2015, but no one wanted to buy it. 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 . As I did Steve McQueen and Paul Newman. The trip to Texarkana is uneventful; soon after leaving for the return trip to Georgia, The Bandit encounters Frog, played by Sally Field. 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. S/E T/A with the round headlights. So, for years one, two, and three, he got a shiny new Pontiac. 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. For this purpose, they overdubbed dialogue deemed offensive, which was common practice. [21], Smokey and the Bandit was a sleeper hit. A dastardly scoundrel? 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 other range car was a Chevette for people that wanted to learn on a manual transmission. [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. Did I mention how much I enjoy reading all the back stories and niggly details I can only get here ? [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 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". It was destroyed in Smokey and the Bandit II and in a flashback scene in Part 3. radio to help him out. 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. Were they dummies? Thank you for signing up to CinemaBlend. But 1978 returned sales of 93,351 examples, a jump of around 25,000 cars. Amazing how a combination of desire and unobtainability can make an ordinary product special. Many nameplates lost their performance credentials, and some of them, like the Ford Mustang, were redesigned without a V-8 engine. The Trans Am used in the movie was a 1976 model with the front end of a 1977 car. 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. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. 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. At the time, Reynolds was the top box office star in the world. 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 the 1977 movie Smokey and the Bandit, a high-speed chase ensues between the police and the Bandit (Burt Reynolds). News . There are an abundance of cars in this movie. 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. 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. 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. 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. [22] It premiered at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, where it performed badly. 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 . 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. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, With that in mind, Ill go with what Ive heard from my Georgia friends, to wit Sheriff Justices diablo sandwich is the Macon version, which is made with fried eggs and red hots. This movie trailer gives you an taste of this provocative film, but fails to effectively capture all the subtleties and nuances it contains. The value of their stock rose a startling 70 percent after the films release, and to show their appreciation to Reynolds, the president said they would give the actor a new car each and every year. The three original films introduced two generations of the Pontiac Trans Am and the Dodge Stealth in the television movies. Gleason was given free rein to ad-lib dialogue and make suggestions. 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. I know that Trans Am that . 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. Its amazing, you should watch it. But while the cars shown in the movie look like 1977-model-year Trans Ams, they were actually 1976 models. I also own a Etrl replica of the Pontiac Bonneville Buford T. Justice drove in Smokey and The Bandit II. 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". Smokey and the Bandit star Burt Reynolds passed away in 2018 . Oh, and a hooker girlfriend that looked like Annie Potts. Anyone with insight is encouraged to share their knowledge on this. Heres how it works. Conversely, I could go to Paducah and be asked where up north I was from. Needing a fast set of wheels to distract law enforcement, Reynolds character purchases this 1977 Pontiac Trans-Am. 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. [original research?] Coors wasnt pasteurized. The second film was a modest box office success, earning $66.1 million against a $17 million budget. Needham had great difficulty getting any studios or producers to take his project seriously, being better known in the film industry as a stuntman. 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. Burt Reynolds recently revealed the ridiculous number of Pontiac Trans Ams they went through filming 1977s Smokey and the Bandit. I have only seen pieces of the second and none of the third; I plan to keep it that way. The original film had correct sounds that were usually recorded live as the action took place. Both sequels used another Trans Am, not a Cadillac Eldorado, as seen below. In a rare public appearance, Burt Reynolds revealed how many cars they wrecked making Smokey and I thought at the time that it was a newer version of White Lightning (also with Burt Reynolds) and that Smokey would be forgotten just as soon. "Smokey and the Bandit Pursuit Pack" is formatted as a box set that in presented in full color in widescreen. Smokey & The Bandit Police Cars. 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. 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. 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. Now then you mentionned Sheriff JW Pepper, I decided to post some Youtube clips of him. I loved the fact that Jackie Gleasons brown Lemans had a blue vinyl interior and it even had the luxury cushion steering wheel! I was in West Plains the other day and there is yet another variation of it there. Jane Russell hawked bras on television for full-figured gals like her, a line that evoked snickers among my high-school classmates. The differences between the two are major. Other than Jackie Gleason upstaging every other cast member, the perceived star of the show is this 1977 Pontiac Trans Am. [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. Due to his financial difficulties in 2014, Reynolds put his vast collection of artwork and memorabilia up for auction, including the Trans Am. During this time, the Firebird also surpassed sales figures of the Chevrolet Camaro. I am pretty sure it was filmed in Florida, when I-75 was under construction so they could use the highways while empty. 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. 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. Trigger had a big impact on my taste in cars with the Trans Ams of the late 70s being my favorite. The directorial debut of stuntman Hal Needham, the film follows Bo "Bandit" Darville (Reynolds) and Cledus "Snowman" Snow (Reed), two bootleggers attempting to illegally transport 400 cases of Coors beer from Texarkana to Atlanta. Its W.W. How many smokey and the bandit movies are there? Required fields are marked *. I was in the Air Force during this era, stationed in California. 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. Needham originally planned the film as a low-budget B movie with a production cost of $1 million,[4] with Reed as the Bandit. It was destroyed in Smokey and the Bandit II and in a flashback scene in Part 3. Sally Field and Burt Reynolds began a relationship after meeting on set. 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. This movie just showed how much an urban legend the supposed unobtainability had become. The three movie cars were destroyed during various stunts, so the promo car is the only surviving Trans Am connected to this film. 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. Thats all true. 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. Originally, the film was going to be a B-movie played only in the Southern United States. The cars were 1976 models, the engines fitted to them were 455ci powerplants, the last year these engines were offered for sale before withdrawal. That is why there are not any left. It airs on cable tv all the time. Haul my wife and four shelter adoptee mutts in it. 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). 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. Its weird how it works. Olds 88. Burt Reynolds plays truck driver Bo Bandit Darville. Here's everything you should know about one of the most iconic movie cars ever. 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. 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. When Im driving the Bandit Trans Am while playing one of my many Forza Motorsport games I always put that song on. Reynolds was the top box office draw from 1975 to 1982, then his movies really started to go downhill. Sonny Shroyer (Enos) was the motorcycle cop who was given the 1-finger salute by Sally Field. A diablo sammich from my understanding is a like a Sloppy Joe but with taco seasoning added in for spice. 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. The movies are rated PG with a run time of 282 minutes and released to video by Universal Studios. [38], In 2014, petroleum company Mobil 1 produced television commercials, featuring then-NASCAR driver Tony Stewart, closely based on the film. 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. 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. [30] Upon meeting Reynolds, Billy Bob Thornton told him that the South considers the film to be less cinema and more documentary. 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!) Nah, they survived by coming up with bras with very thin cups. [6] It would become one of Reed's biggest hits and his signature song.[7]. Your email address will not be published. It became Reed's signature song and is on multiple albums, including Country Legends and his live album Jerry Reed "Live!" That is an excellent question. His personaround, dumpy, and clipping wordsreminds one of another fictional southern sheriff. 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. New York, I remember borrowing my brothers red 1976 T/A to take a girl to the theater to see Smokey and the Bandit. 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). A CC for a 1973 Grand Ville convertible can be found here. Im pretty sure that the car that barks second when he takes off with Frog had to be a stick. These two 1967 Ford Galaxies (CC here), soon to be redecorated by a Kenworth road tractor, do not. Free shipping for many products! Her groom? Movies like Mad Max: Fury Road and Furious 7 may ruin a lot of cars, but they were far from the first. Learn how your comment data is processed. The theme music "East Bound and Down" was sung and co-written by Reed (credited under his birth name, Jerry Hubbard) and Dick Feller. The truck at the shell station is actually a 75 or 76 Toyota Hilux. The films are indeed classic and very funny to this day. The Pontiac Firebird Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit is one of the most famous movie cars of all time. 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. 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 took four evenings to see almost all of the movie in bits and pieces. The Kenworth even achieves a trifecta of sorts, as it gave the first dent to Sheriff Justices LeMans. 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. Will Walker: Independence Return For Season 2 Amid CW Shakeups? Jason, Using the words nuance, subtlety, complexity and intellect to describe this movie, is, as they say, trs amusant! I never understood why dragging a truckload of beer from Colorado to Georgia was such a big deal. Burt Reynolds is originally a Georgia boy. If you watched the second clip above, this truck should look familiar. As Frog leaves, we are introduced to Sheriff Buford T. Justice, played by Jackie Gleason. Sure Smokey helped, but was not the sole reason T/A and F body sales went up. Gleason probably wanted too much money to provide the dubbing, which is a shame because it ruins the TV version. Sales of the coupe exploded after the film hit the silver screen and set unprecedented records for both Pontiac and the Firebird nameplate. The updated version of the film features sound inaccurate for what would be produced by the Trans Am or the numerous other Pontiac vehicles in the film. Arguably the most iconic Pontiac Firebird in history. 5. In its place was the nonsensical scum bum. The voice over actor? The third film which had no involvement from either Hal Needham or Sally Field and contained only a short cameo appearance by Burt Reynolds revolved entirely around Jackie Gleason's character, was panned by critics, and was a box office bomb, earning only $7 million against a $9 million budget.[41][42][43]. The soundtrack album was released in 1977 on vinyl, cassette, and 8-track through MCA Records. I prefer Buford T. Justices 1980 Pontiac Bonneville and his 1983 Pontiac Bonneville in Smokey and The Bandit III. I only got one of them LOL. AWESOME! The cashier never batted an eye as she sold us the mass quantities of suds. I drive a conversion van. All pictures from the movie were acquired from www.imcdb.org, Fred Lives!!! I enjoyed the hell out of my 1976 Dart Pursuit. That's because Pontiac almost canceled the Firebird in the early 1970s. After the movie did well, Pontiac gave Burt a free Trans Am to drive for a few years. and the Dixie Dance Kings, and Burts car was a 57 [56?] 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 . The original uncut sumbitch version. The little packy there had Coors and even though it was horribly expensive, we thought it was the elixer of the Gods. Well, the Corvettes success is clearly due to Corvette Summer, @Jim I remember that movie! Supposedly there was a stick car for the burnouts and an automatic car for other shots. A 1977 special-edition model once owned by the late actor Burt Reynolds recently wound up on the car auction website Bring a Trailer. 46,000 in 1976, 68,000 in 1977, 93,000 in 1978, 117,000 in 1979. It just seems wrong to see that car in any fashion without hearing that song. The owner restored it and sold it at the Scottsdale 2016 auction by Barrett-Jackson. 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 MASSIVE year over year sales gains came from somewhere. All I know is, at the time, if you lived in the east, Coors was some really special beer not unlike microbrews are now. 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. The dubbed version is awful. I think you may be confusing the movie Honky-Tonk Freeway with the filming done during I-75 construction near Sarasota. 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. 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. . Thats all well and good, and it worked smooth as silk for a good while. 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. Nuts about any form of classic motorsport and muscle cars, Ciprian's currently working on a time machine that would take him back to the 1960s for a long vacation alongside Dan Gurney and Jim Hall. He's a proud member of the TopSpeed team since early 2014. These were the cans with the two circular push buttons on top instead of pull tabs. I'm afraid I was responsible for a good few of those. How many police cars were wrecked in Smokey and the Bandit?