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. There has never been anything quite like late 1970s fashion in clothing. S&TB was filmed primarily off Route 400 in Georgia. 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. February 27, 2023 . It took four evenings to see almost all of the movie in bits and pieces. 5. The rub? And Coors itself limited its distribution to west of the Mississippi. Mines never gone away, especially now that I spend every thee month in Memphis. Just do a search for Crown Victorias on your local CL. Ironically I never really cared all that much for Coors, I dont think it has much flavor, but it was well received when we got to Kentucky. Hes fodder enough for his own article at some point. 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". A CC for a 1973 Grand Ville convertible can be found here. UNIVERSAL CUT THE BUDGET JUST AS PRODUCTION WAS ABOUT TO BEGIN. [22] It premiered at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, where it performed badly. Round and dumpy, just like the Colonnade LeMans! Smokey and the Bandit was the second highest-grossing domestic film of 1977 in the United States. 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!) Since mentioning the Kenworth, it must be noted it was a redecorator of the highest fashion. It was destroyed in Smokey and the Bandit II and in a flashback scene in Part 3. 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. 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. Sonny Shroyer (Enos) was the motorcycle cop who was given the 1-finger salute by Sally Field. [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. [21], Smokey and the Bandit was a sleeper hit. With Reynolds' salary at $1 million, Needham was left with only $3.3 million to make the film. Smokey & The Bandit Police Cars. Burt Reynolds once claimed in an interview that there were actually 12 Trans Ams featured in Smokey and the Banditand he wrecked every one. Free shipping for many products! 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. Free shipping for many products! I started cruising through EBay and the next thing I knew I won the auction for a clean 400/4 speed/T-Top 78 Trans Am. 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. Despite growing up next to Cape, most of relatives are from the Mid-South. Burt Reynolds' 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Sold for $240,000. Except for Gleason, the original actors mostly redubbed their lines for the television version. In the movie . Amazing how a combination of desire and unobtainability can make an ordinary product special. Let us dissect this flick to better examine it. It follows the adventures of a couple of truck drivers bootlegging Coors, which couldnt legally be sold East of the Mississippi River at the time. If they werent burning candles to an image of a cowboy hatted Burt Reynolds at Pontiac headquarters. 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 have always loved this movie, watched it dozens and dozens of times on TV, video, DVD, laserdisc, almost any form of media. 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. [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). The Trans Am used in the movie was a 1976 model with the front end of a 1977 car. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Haul my wife and four shelter adoptee mutts in it. However, the U.S. government introduced new emission controls in 1972, and automakers had to step back. 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. His expletive is obscured when a passing big rig sounds its horn. Gleasons Justice is the stereotypical Southern sheriff, as seen in this clip. The dubbed version isnt as bad as the Remastered Blu-ray. Your email address will not be published. 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. During a Q&A session on Saturday, filmed by ComicBook.com, a fan asked how many Trans Ams they burned through during production. 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. A guy we knew drove his half-ton pickup from western WA to his reserve 2-week stint in his home state in California. We also learn that every launched satellite will eventually fall back to Earth, such as this 1972 Plymouth Satellite (CC here). The dubbed version is awful. And Burt may be from GA originally, but he calls Florida home, which is another reason I heard the movie was filmed here. Anyone who enjoys Colonnade sedans will love Smokey & the Bandit. 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. 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. 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. It outsold its Chevrolet Camaro counterpart for the first time. Here's What We Know So Far, Jonathan Majors On Getting Jacked To Play Kang The Conqueror: Hes In The Avenger (Weight) Class, How 90 Day Fianc: The Other Way's Kris And Jeymi Might Have Already Spoiled Their Storyline, Why Creed IIIs Michael B. Jordan Avoided Saying Action Or Cut On The Set, Young Sheldon's Iain Armitage Reacting To Surprise Video From Survivor's Jeff Probst Is Like Sheldon Cooper Meeting Leonard Nimoy. Im probably in the minority as usual, but I prefer the Black and Gold 50th Anne. One of those things that will make my kids think Im crazy some day. As if GM owes them something. Somewhere along the line, the company acquired a new president who told Reynolds: Im the new president, and I dont like your movies. Smokey and the Bandit star Burt Reynolds passed away in 2018 . How much did the Smokey and the Bandit car sell for? Lets take a look at some more cars found in the movie. I beg to differ Mr -Nate. The movies are rated PG with a run time of 282 minutes and released to video by Universal Studios. Probably the most famous TV edit of all time is I have had it with these monkey-fightin snakes on this Monday-to-Friday plane!. 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. Not everything was Pontiac, as evidenced by this 1973 Plymouth Satellite coupe (CC here). Apparently the engine sounds were lifted from another movie, I think two lane blacktop? However, in more recent years, the original version has been shown (on ITV, a commercial channel), usually with the stronger language edited out, often quite awkwardly. [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. 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. I dont know if Ive ever seen the unedited version though, so I never realized the orignal phrase was sum bitch, I always assumed it was worse. Sheriff Justices son, Junior. In my area, nearly every one listed is an ex cop car. (first posted 2/28/2014) The fourth highest grossing film in the United States in 1977 was the Academy Award nominatedSmokey & The Bandit. As I am finishing this article while Big Truck Week is winding down, here is a Kenworth with a 1973 Dodge Polara patrol car. Thanks for this, Jason. Jason, Using the words nuance, subtlety, complexity and intellect to describe this movie, is, as they say, trs amusant! Got Greyhound cutout decals on the rear side windows. Supposedly there was a stick car for the burnouts and an automatic car for other shots. During this time, the Firebird also surpassed sales figures of the Chevrolet Camaro. Coors was legal in Missouri and illegal in Illinois. 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. But would the black and gold T/As be as desirable today without the movie? 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. Remember that Smokey and the Bandit was the 2nd biggest movie of the year, right after Star Wars. This movie trailer gives you an taste of this provocative film, but fails to effectively capture all the subtleties and nuances it contains. For Smokey and the Bandit II (1980), Needham asked for and received 10 Trans Ams and 55 Bonnevilles with no trouble. The little packy there had Coors and even though it was horribly expensive, we thought it was the elixer of the Gods. Hal Needham did pass away as someone earlier said. The film features the custom clothing and costuming of Niver Western Wear of Fort Worth, Texas. 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. Many of the film's original sounds were replaced. Its amazing, you should watch it. These questions all need to be answered. 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. Somehow this store had a regular supply. 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. While it's sad that the other two cars were destroyed . Nothing annoys him more than car electronics, and he just hates it when performance cars lack a third pedal. Burt Reynolds as the Bandit can always count on the truckers on the other end of his C.B. The uncut version is the best. At one point in the movie, the Bandit wrecks a police car. $30.00 + $11.45 shipping. Smokey and the Bandit II is a 1980 American action comedy film directed by Hal Needham, and starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, . Starring Bob Hope, that comedic star of the screen, and the lovely Jane Russell boy what a pair! I never forgot that one. It became Reed's signature song and is on multiple albums, including Country Legends and his live album Jerry Reed "Live!" He's a proud member of the TopSpeed team since early 2014. [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. J.J. & The Dixie Dance Kings was a milder one that had (I think) a 56 Buick Century . I did help a friend rebuild a late 60s 400 to replace the anemic 301 in his 79, Trans Am. 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. Good silly fun. It wasnt distributed in Washington in those days either. Required fields are marked *. 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. The checker, not batting an eye, Do you want that chilled?. Did I mention how much I enjoy reading all the back stories and niggly details I can only get here ? Your email address will not be published. I know, Ive owned a 75 for 23 years. Luckily, both cars survived, and the Trans Am became famous only five years later. [40] Major portions of the audio background have been modified with different engine sounds or tire squeals from the original film. 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. Many people believed beforehand that the film was not right for . This movie was filmed in Georgia as well. My drivers ed driving range car was an ex-patrol colonnade Pontiac LeMans Enforcer. [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. 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. Reynolds was the top box office draw from 1975 to 1982, then his movies really started to go downhill. And he succeeded as far as the Pontiac Trans Am is concerned. Below is probably another DeKalb County cop car. Will Walker: Independence Return For Season 2 Amid CW Shakeups? 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. 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. I have since moved on from them, mainly because in stock form, they were not particularly great cars (though good enough for the times). [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. High estimates for the car were up to $80,000, but the actual sale price was $450,000. East bound and down, loaded up and truckin The soundtrack album was released in 1977 on vinyl, cassette, and 8-track through MCA Records. And the 400 Pontiac or 403 Olds versions could be made to run well. After the movie did well, Pontiac gave Burt a free Trans Am to drive for a few years. The cars were wrecked on purpose to create the illusion of a high-speed chase. 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. There are an abundance of cars in this movie. Smokey & The Bandit was the first of three movies in that franchise. Here are 20 facts about the Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit. Producers of Smokey and the Bandit wrecked 26 cars while filming the movie in 1977. 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. Sally Field and Burt Reynolds began a relationship after meeting on set. 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. [5] Reynolds revealed in his autobiography that Needham had written the first draft script on legal pads. The Trans Am was already pretty popular in the mid-1970s, with sales hitting 68,745 units in 1977. A 1977 special-edition model once owned by the late actor Burt Reynolds recently wound up on the car auction website Bring a Trailer. As a feature-length car chase, the car was as much of a star as Burt Reynolds, and the film gave birth to the cult of the Trans Am. Now, having only three Trans Ams to wreck for a movie is minimalist, to say the least. I fondly remember lots and lots of terrible B grade movies @ the drive in in the early to mid 1970s all featuring cars racing , smashing and so on . Id like to hear from Mr. Needham why so many of those police cars had what look like shaker hood scoops. Thank you for signing up to CinemaBlend. 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. 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. I guess the Trans Am proved to have more staying power than the hot 71 Ford in the earlier movie. I was to be paid a salary plus own 7% of the profits. It was a powerful car, and I was glad to be issued it as my range car instead of one of the new but already disintegrating 1985 Oldsmobiles supplied by a local dealer that most people had. 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. [30] Upon meeting Reynolds, Billy Bob Thornton told him that the South considers the film to be less cinema and more documentary. A black Trans Am is parked in my garage because of this movie. [38], In 2014, petroleum company Mobil 1 produced television commercials, featuring then-NASCAR driver Tony Stewart, closely based on the film. 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". However, as our heroes were successful in delivering their truckload of Coors, the writers effectively poised themselves for a sequel.

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