how many cars destroyed in smokey and the bandit

The cars were originally ordered by a car rental agency in Phoenix, who refused to accept the . It airs on cable tv all the time. Every idiot with more money than brains wanted a Trans Am. I loved the fact that Jackie Gleasons brown Lemans had a blue vinyl interior and it even had the luxury cushion steering wheel! Film critic Leonard Maltin gave the film a good rating (3 stars out of a possible 4) and characterized it as "about as subtle as The Three Stooges, but a classic compared to the sequels and countless rip-offs which followed". The rub? And the 400 Pontiac or 403 Olds versions could be made to run well. But 1978 returned sales of 93,351 examples, a jump of around 25,000 cars. 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. I have always loved this movie, watched it dozens and dozens of times on TV, video, DVD, laserdisc, almost any form of media. Much of the surrounding scene comes from that immediate vicinity. After the movie did well, Pontiac gave Burt a free Trans Am to drive for a few years. As a kid that T/A, the General Lee, and KITT were largely responsible for defining my taste in cars and that carries through to today. Smokey & The Bandit was the first of three movies in that franchise. (Still). Nice article Jason I was a fan of this movie when it came out I look back now and think, wow, did I really think this was entertainment?????? 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. I was just tweaking Jason. The production team wrecked three for the four cars it received from Pontiac. A dastardly scoundrel? When it was over, I cried and cried and cried because I didnt want it to end. 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. I was to be paid a salary plus own 7% of the profits. 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. 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). On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. He paid $550,000 for it, likely a record for any Pontiac Firebird. The scene where Sheriff Justice's car has the door knocked off by a passing . WildI watched this for the first time in years after watching the latest Archer.the whole thing is an homage to S&B. One guy did a while ago a fan-made trailer of Smokey & the Bandit 4. While I have read undocumented accounts of there being more than three Trans Ams, Needham stated three is all that were used. I drive a conversion van. But while the cars shown in the movie look like 1977-model-year Trans Ams, they were actually 1976 models. 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. Car movies are notorious for being tough on the very vehicles that give them their allure. The Bandit Run quickly became a fixture, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the movie with a special 2017 screening of the film attended by Reynolds and a recreation of the jump undertaken by the Bandit and Frog across a river. Most reports of his death still didnt have that right! January 24, 2019 100 comments. Anyone with insight is encouraged to share their knowledge on this. You want to questions bra sales, check out the youtube video of Hang on Sloopy by the Mccoys, the color version.wowza! . The owner restored it and sold it at the Scottsdale 2016 auction by Barrett-Jackson. I know, Ive owned a 75 for 23 years. The worldwide gross is estimated at over $300 million. 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. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. [10], Principal photography of the film began on August 30, 1976. Reynolds and Field began dating during the filming.[13]. 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 the Dixie Dance Kings, and Burts car was a 57 [56?] I really enjoyed this discussion. The area around Helen, Georgia, was used for some locations. Mr. Reynolds made a bunch of low budget films before this , all had wild chase scenes with cop cars crashing & going into swamps . 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. It had not been used for some time and was repainted for the film. Luckily, both cars survived, and the Trans Am became famous only five years later. I think thats another line theyve edited out for the television version. At one point in the movie, the Bandit wrecks a police car. Because sales were so high, Pontiac decided to delay the third-generation model. [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. Gotta love that guy! Only one survived, and it's priceless. A black Trans Am is parked in my garage because of this movie. Frederick Amon smuggled it from Colorado to North Carolina and sold it for four times the retail price.[19]. 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. The sound came from a 1955 Chevrolet Custom, the same car that was used in Two-Lane Blacktop and American Graffiti, films launched in 1971 and 1973, respectively. If you watched the second clip above, this truck should look familiar. 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. Gleason was given free rein to ad-lib dialogue and make suggestions. Chevy brought back the Z28, and cant say S&B was reason. Behind Sheriff Justices Pontiac, there is a nice looking 1965 or 1966 Ford Mustang fastback and a Toyota pickup. The second film was a modest box office success, earning $66.1 million against a $17 million budget. The films are indeed classic and very funny to this day. 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. [37], The first run in 2007 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the movie, The Bandit Run was the brainchild of Dave Hall, owner of Restore A Muscle Car. Weve got a long way to go and a short time to get there 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 . These new models were built off the same Camaro platform, came with the Pontiac arrowhead, flaming bird, and Bandit logos, and the instrument panels, center consoles, and hood scoops emulating their 1977 counterparts, and were signed by Reynolds. 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. I have worked a long time to eradicate the one I had but it still crops up periodically from exposure, like you experienced. Even today when I stumble across this cinematic masterpiece being rerun on cable tv, Ill watch the entire thing. Director Hal Needham convinced Pontiac to feature the Pontiac Trans Am in the movie. When it is finally torn off along with the car's roof in the impact with the girder, the missing fender still reappears later on in the film. The Smokey and the Bandit Car - Carsforsale.com Musicians such as Beegie Adair and George Tidwell[20] played on the soundtrack. And Coors itself limited its distribution to west of the Mississippi. 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. 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. 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. [5] Sally Field only accepted the part after her agent advised her that she needed a big movie role on her rsum. Additionally, he can give you several reasons why theres still no replacement for displacement. Frog not included. Reynolds and Needham owned the Skoal Bandit team at the time, so getting these other drivers to appear probably would not taken much more than a six pack of beer and a hug from co-star Loni Anderson . You will receive a verification email shortly. 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. My drivers ed driving range car was an ex-patrol colonnade Pontiac LeMans Enforcer. The Trans Am was already pretty popular in the mid-1970s, with sales hitting 68,745 units in 1977. The commercials were produced after Stewart mentioned that the movie was one of his favorites.[39]. . The dubbed version isnt as bad as the Remastered Blu-ray. While watching the movie (yes, I did have to diligently research this article), one shot seemed to indicate this may be a dummy scoop. Actually, there were 2 future Dukes stars in the movie: Ben Jones (Cooter) was in an early scene helping Big Enos find Bandit. February 27, 2023 . Haul my wife and four shelter adoptee mutts in it. Smokey and the Bandit II is a 1980 American action comedy film directed by Hal Needham, and starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, . 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! On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 78% rating based on 32 reviews. This movie just showed how much an urban legend the supposed unobtainability had become. . Needing a fast set of wheels to distract law enforcement, Reynolds character purchases this 1977 Pontiac Trans-Am. Everything You Should Know About The The Trans Am From Smokey And The Needham stated that by the end of production, there really wasnt much left of any of the three. The Trans Am used in the movie was a 1976 model with the front end of a 1977 car. Her groom? The sticker read "T/A 6.6," which was a reminder of the engine's 6.6-liter displacement. 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. The movie, in fact, caused sales of the . I will confess that by the time this movie was out, I was a Mopar guy. The film's theme song, "East Bound and Down", was written virtually overnight by Reed. 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. With this, the Sheriff begins his pursuit of the Mann Act-violating Banditall the way to Georgia. Since mentioning the Kenworth, it must be noted it was a redecorator of the highest fashion. [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). Smokey And The Bandit Tribute Jump Goes About As Well As You'd Expect While the Snowman drives the truck carrying the beer, the Bandit drives a Pontiac Trans Am to distract law enforcement (called blocking) and keep the attention off the Snowman. Further, as Pontiac has deliciously obvious product placement, anyone who delights in 70s era Pontiac iron will experience visual ecstasy. S/E T/A with the round headlights. The movie had an even bigger impact on the Trans Am. Its lack of additives and preservatives meant that Coors could spoil in one week without refrigeration, explaining the film's 28-hour deadline. The Pontiac Trans Am seems like a natural choice for Smokey and the Bandit, but the car was only a few inches close to not being used in the movie. 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. The three movie cars were destroyed during various stunts, so the promo car is the only surviving Trans Am connected to this film. Other sources in East Texas (from whence Sheriff Justice hails) are familiar with the popular regional delicacy known as the Diablo Sandwich. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Will Walker: Independence Return For Season 2 Amid CW Shakeups? [5] Reynolds revealed in his autobiography that Needham had written the first draft script on legal pads.

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