how many cars destroyed in smokey and the bandit

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. 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. I remember reading somewhere that one of the cars was equipped with a 455 for some of the higher speed scenes. I developed a pretty good bootheel accent during my time in New Madrid. [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. Sheriff Justices son, Junior. In 1978, Pontiac delivered 93,351 Trans Ams and 93,944 regular Firebirds for a grand total of 187,295 cars. The scene featuring the racetrack was filmed at Lakewood Speedway at the old Lakewood Fairgrounds on Atlanta's south side. As I am finishing this article while Big Truck Week is winding down, here is a Kenworth with a 1973 Dodge Polara patrol car. Many nameplates lost their performance credentials, and some of them, like the Ford Mustang, were redesigned without a V-8 engine. 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. 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. While I have read undocumented accounts of there being more than three Trans Ams, Needham stated three is all that were used. I agree, despite people saying you sound cute, it seems like they think Ellie Mae Clapett or Jethro Bodean. The unrestored car reportedly showed up on eBay back in 2015, but no one wanted to buy it. 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. 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. His personaround, dumpy, and clipping wordsreminds one of another fictional southern sheriff. Although 1977 models also featured 6.6-liter engines, they were rated at only 200 horses. I think you may be confusing the movie Honky-Tonk Freeway with the filming done during I-75 construction near Sarasota. How much did the Smokey and the Bandit car sell for? I have only seen pieces of the second and none of the third; I plan to keep it that way. I've heard . As Frog leaves, we are introduced to Sheriff Buford T. Justice, played by Jackie Gleason. That girl from the McCoys video probably looks like Paula Deen now. Smokey and the Bandit star Burt Reynolds passed away in 2018 . I know, Ive owned a 75 for 23 years. Burt Reynolds' 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Sold for $240,000. Funny that T/A isnt on the movie poster, considering it was the obvious star of the show. radio to help him out. Earlier DVD releases and the 40th Anniversary Blu-ray of the film have the original soundtrack intact. Well, at least that's what you saw in the movie. He claimed that the Bandit is never made aware of Frog's leaving Junior at the altar, which is why the Bandit continually asks why a Texas sheriff is chasing him. In the original script, Carrie was called Kate while Big Enos and Little Enos were called Kyle and Dickey. 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. Although he's into just about any type of vehicle, Ciprian is not your typical car enthusiast. If you watched the second clip above, this truck should look familiar. Back in 1984, I went to look at a late 1970s Plymouth cop car as well. About two seconds after this picture was taken, these motorcycles were doing their best imitation of a stack of pancakes. 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. 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. Well, they simply considered that the Trans Am didn't sound intimidating enough. Conversely, I could go to Paducah and be asked where up north I was from. Much of the surrounding scene comes from that immediate vicinity. The soundtrack album was released in 1977 on vinyl, cassette, and 8-track through MCA Records. Reynolds was the top box office draw from 1975 to 1982, then his movies really started to go downhill. Required fields are marked *. It had not been used for some time and was repainted for the film. The sticker read "T/A 6.6," which was a reminder of the engine's 6.6-liter displacement. You can see in some shots in the movie that the Bandit Trans Am has 1976 style gold honeycomb wheels instead of the gold snowflake wheels from the 1977, I think at least one of the cars used in filming was a 1976 converted with a 1977 front clip. At the time, using "fuck" would immediately require an R rating and this self-censorship allowed the film to avoid this rating and reach a much larger audience. The differences between the two are major. 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. For Smokey and the Bandit II (1980), Needham asked for and received 10 Trans Ams and 55 Bonnevilles with no trouble. Actually, there were 2 future Dukes stars in the movie: Ben Jones (Cooter) was in an early scene helping Big Enos find Bandit. [28] However, this is inaccurate; within seconds of Bandit picking her up, Frog tells him "there is a wedding in search of a bride" and goes on to explain her ill-advised romance with Junior, as the Bandit holds up the CB mic for the Snowman to hear. Frog not included. 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. With Reynolds agreement to do the movie, and his insistence upon casting Gleason as Sheriff Justice, the movie became a larger venture. At the drive-in of all places. I was in the Air Force during this era, stationed in California. Though no authoritative source identifies the composition of the sandwich, there are several possibilities. I was to be paid a salary plus own 7% of the profits. 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. The remaining Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am is currently owned by Florida car collector John Staluppi. They retained the white steering wheels until 72 or so , just the thing to preveny burned fingers in the Desert sun . No more needs to be said. A 1975 Pontiac Grand Ville, seen toward the end of the movie. I also own a Etrl replica of the Pontiac Bonneville Buford T. Justice drove in Smokey and The Bandit II. The dubbed version is awful. Soon as I get home, first thing Im gonna do is punch yo mamma in da mouth!. It had amazing throttle response, with a hit that either scared people, or made them giggle. There are an abundance of cars in this movie. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. [17], In 1977, Coors was unavailable for sale east of Oklahoma. How many cars destroyed Blues Brothers 2000? Smokey and the Bandit II is a 1980 American action comedy film directed by Hal Needham, and starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, . 1975 PLYMOUTH FURY HIGHWAY PATROL "SMOKEY & THE BANDIT" 1/18 BY . 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. That's because Pontiac almost canceled the Firebird in the early 1970s. 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". Id be surprised. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. [5], Universal Studios bankrolled Smokey and the Bandit for $5.3 million, figuring it was a good risk. If you notice there are several different angled skid marks on the road in the scene where the Bandit picks up Frog, you can see that they did a couple of takes of the T/A skidding to a stop and taking off again. I am pretty sure it was filmed in Florida, when I-75 was under construction so they could use the highways while empty. 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. 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]. 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. 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. It was destroyed in Smokey and the Bandit II and in a flashback scene in Part 3. The roundup sequence in the desert shows many new Pontiac Le Mans sedans decorated as police cars being destroyed. Check out the entire video below. He enlists the help of fellow truck driver Cletus The Snowman Snow, played by country music singer Jerry Reed. When it was over, I cried and cried and cried because I didnt want it to end. If it wasnt for Smokey & the Bandit, the Dukes of Hazzard TV series would not exist. The dubbed version isnt as bad as the Remastered Blu-ray. I never understood why dragging a truckload of beer from Colorado to Georgia was such a big deal. Gator , Stroker Ace , lots of them . 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. Lets take a look. Always loved this movie growing up. I did help a friend rebuild a late 60s 400 to replace the anemic 301 in his 79, Trans Am. It was something regarding distribution limits. 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. This small modification was made to remind viewers of Trans Am models from 1969, which had in excess of 300 horsepower. I was in West Plains the other day and there is yet another variation of it there. Ive since read on the internet that it wasnt illegal so much as a practical thing with it being shipped in refrigerated trucks. 3-Smokey and the Bandit 3-A crime against humanity, not even LSD can make it watchable since you spend the whole night fighting imaginary flying cobras with Jackie Gleasons head on them. The side vents give it away. 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. A segment of the CMT program Reel Eats used a sloppy joe-style recipe consisting of seasoned ground beef, corn, and sour cream. Alan Reed was the original voice of Fred Flintstone; Henry Corden only took over after Reeds death in 1977. 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. The cars were wrecked on purpose to create the illusion of a high-speed chase. 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). 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. Round and dumpy, just like the Colonnade LeMans! That song often pops into my head at the start of long drives. 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. How did any bra manufacturers survive the 70s? 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. Two cars were reportedly badly damaged in early stunts in the film, while a third car was completely destroyed during the famous bridge jump scene. Further, as Pontiac has deliciously obvious product placement, anyone who delights in 70s era Pontiac iron will experience visual ecstasy. Apparently the engine sounds were lifted from another movie, I think two lane blacktop? 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 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. 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). Great article! On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 78% rating based on 32 reviews. That is an excellent question. Were they dummies? Out of four Trans Ams used for the filming of Smokey And The Bandit, three were completely totaled in the process. 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. The $%&#* Germans got nuthin to do with it!, Such a great movie I grew up in the 80s, so it was comforting to watch this, Blues Brothers, or Animal House once a week on TBS/TNT. and the Dixie Dance Kings, and Burts car was a 57 [56?] Needham stated that by the end of production, there really wasnt much left of any of the three. 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. In its place was the nonsensical scum bum. The voice over actor? Now then you mentionned Sheriff JW Pepper, I decided to post some Youtube clips of him. The film's editors, Walter Hannemann and Angelo Ross, were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing. After the movie did well, Pontiac gave Burt a free Trans Am to drive for a few years. It was his idea to have Junior alongside him throughout the film. The Kenworth even achieves a trifecta of sorts, as it gave the first dent to Sheriff Justices LeMans. And theres beer in Texarkana.. 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. 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. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Below is probably another DeKalb County cop car. Due to his financial difficulties in 2014, Reynolds put his vast collection of artwork and memorabilia up for auction, including the Trans Am. Ive always wanted some sort of de-commission/ex unmarked cop car, something from the 70s preferably. There was a true concern (for some minuscule reason) about it going east of the Mississippi River. I am indeed a fan. Burt Reynolds plays truck driver Bo Bandit Darville. Nah, they survived by coming up with bras with very thin cups. Depends upon what he converted it from. Some weren't that lucky and were discontinued altogether. Great write up. 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. Its lack of additives and preservatives meant that Coors could spoil in one week without refrigeration, explaining the film's 28-hour deadline. 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 . The original Blues Brothers movie from 1980 is a classic, and fans were excited when a sequel was announced in 1998. . how many cars were destroyed in smokey and the bandit 2. 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. East bound and down, loaded up and truckin Please refresh the page and try again. And all of us easterners suddenly discovered it was nothing more than another Budweiser/Miller/etc. I really enjoyed this discussion. Lets take a look at some more cars found in the movie. [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). Here's everything you should know about one of the most iconic movie cars ever. 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. 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. [30] Upon meeting Reynolds, Billy Bob Thornton told him that the South considers the film to be less cinema and more documentary. The film's theme song, "East Bound and Down", was written virtually overnight by Reed. 5. 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. As a former Club Wagon pilot, I happen to like his Econoline. However, the U.S. government introduced new emission controls in 1972, and automakers had to step back. 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 . I dont know if I ever saw one in real life at the time, although I was pretty young then. [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. As luck and script writing would have it, Frog has left her groom at the altar. [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. The movies are rated PG with a run time of 282 minutes and released to video by Universal Studios. The owner restored it and sold it at the Scottsdale 2016 auction by Barrett-Jackson. Gleasons Justice is the stereotypical Southern sheriff, as seen in this clip. Needham had great difficulty getting any studios or producers to take his project seriously, being better known in the film industry as a stuntman. Other sources in East Texas (from whence Sheriff Justice hails) are familiar with the popular regional delicacy known as the Diablo Sandwich. 1979 was equally successful for the brand, joining 1978 to create Pontiac's best sales years ever. 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. There was a problem. Justice. A CC for a 1973 Grand Ville convertible can be found here. Despite growing up next to Cape, most of relatives are from the Mid-South. 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. 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. 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. [34] In 2015 a Florida-based automobile customization company built 77 Trans Ams modeled after the car that Reynolds drove in the film. I have always loved this movie, watched it dozens and dozens of times on TV, video, DVD, laserdisc, almost any form of media. The advertisements lampoon the film and feature a Pontiac Trans Am and a cover version of the song East Bound and Down. Many hardcore fans of Burt Reynolds' most iconic movie, 1977's "Smokey and The Bandit," know that none of those cool black Pontiac Trans Ams with gold trim survived the stunts in the film.