It had amazing throttle response, with a hit that either scared people, or made them giggle. 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. [5] Reynolds revealed in his autobiography that Needham had written the first draft script on legal pads. 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. 1979 was equally successful for the brand, joining 1978 to create Pontiac's best sales years ever. 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. This movie was filmed in Georgia as well. [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. Id be surprised. Yet when I think of a 70s T/A, thats the one I and Im sure millions of other folks think of. At one point in the movie, the Bandit wrecks a police car. East bound and down, loaded up and truckin But that doesnt make for an interesting movie premise. 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. I really enjoyed this discussion. Jackie Gleason ad libbed a lot of his lines too. Put one on and the lady looks like shes not wearing a bra. He paid $550,000 for it, likely a record for any Pontiac Firebird. 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. Both sequels used another Trans Am, not a Cadillac Eldorado, as seen below. [17], In 1977, Coors was unavailable for sale east of Oklahoma. Some weren't that lucky and were discontinued altogether. Funny that T/A isnt on the movie poster, considering it was the obvious star of the show. Did I mention how much I enjoy reading all the back stories and niggly details I can only get here ? [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. For Smokey and the Bandit II (1980), Needham asked for and received 10 Trans Ams and 55 Bonnevilles with no trouble. High estimates for the car were up to $80,000, but the actual sale price was $450,000. Sheriff Justices son, Junior. I ended up buying a 1969 Cadillac ambulance a year later! The Pontiac Firebird Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit is one of the most famous movie cars of all time. The LeMans police car did nothing for me because there was a colonnade LeMans sedan in the garage at home. [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. S&B is one of my all-time favorite movies and Im not apologizing. I have worked a long time to eradicate the one I had but it still crops up periodically from exposure, like you experienced. 1-Smokey and the Bandit-The classic, the original, and the best one by FAR. Watching TV and Movies you would think that sales dropped to nil. . The film features the custom clothing and costuming of Niver Western Wear of Fort Worth, Texas. [30] Upon meeting Reynolds, Billy Bob Thornton told him that the South considers the film to be less cinema and more documentary. When I was a kid, there was an old record from the 50s around the house that was a collection of radio and tv bloopers. One was a radio ad for a movie that went something like: . 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. 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. Im probably in the minority as usual, but I prefer the Black and Gold 50th Anne. Set with his . While watching the movie (yes, I did have to diligently research this article), one shot seemed to indicate this may be a dummy scoop. I know, Ive owned a 75 for 23 years. Let me get the popcorn for this one. 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. Probably the most interesting thing about this movie and Burt Reynolds is that he is not originally a Southern boy at all he was actually born in the Wolverine State Lansing, Michigan to be precise. 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. Gleason was a genius, but this was not one of his better outings I prefer the Hustler and Gigot. I think thats another line theyve edited out for the television version. 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. Luckily, both cars survived, and the Trans Am became famous only five years later. The roller coaster in the movie was the Greyhound. how many cars were destroyed in smokey and the bandit 2 how many cars were destroyed in smokey and the bandit 2 (No Ratings Yet) . When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. [40] Major portions of the audio background have been modified with different engine sounds or tire squeals from the original film. The third-generation Firebird was introduced in 1982, a full two years later than planned. The pair arrive in Texarkana one hour early and load up the truck, but just as they head back, Carrie, a runaway bride, intercepts Bandit and jumps in his car, unwittingly making him an indirect target of Sheriff Buford T. Justice, a career Texas lawman whose witless son Junior was to have married Carrie. Banzai! Rockford Files also featured Firebird, and was on since 1974, and Fs sold well despite gas crunch I and inflation. "Smokey and the Bandit Pursuit Pack" is formatted as a box set that in presented in full color in widescreen. 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. 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. The scene where Sheriff Justice's car has the door knocked off by a passing . Since mentioning the Kenworth, it must be noted it was a redecorator of the highest fashion. Good silly fun. The films are indeed classic and very funny to this day. No more needs to be said. Most of the shots that show Reynolds and Field in the car talking were filmed with the T/A being towed along on a lowboy trailer. It was his idea to have Junior alongside him throughout the film. There has never been anything quite like late 1970s fashion in clothing. 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. How did any bra manufacturers survive the 70s? 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. The trip to Texarkana is uneventful; soon after leaving for the return trip to Georgia, The Bandit encounters Frog, played by Sally Field. 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. You will receive a verification email shortly. Theres really nothing like an old cop car. 12 A Total Of 3 Trans Ams Were Destroyed During Filming. It became Reed's signature song and is on multiple albums, including Country Legends and his live album Jerry Reed "Live!" Except for Gleason, the original actors mostly redubbed their lines for the television 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 advertisements lampoon the film and feature a Pontiac Trans Am and a cover version of the song East Bound and Down. In the U.K., the heavily dubbed version was shown for several years, particularly by the BBC. 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. It seems Plymouth was in a distant second for product placement. Olds 88. He's a proud member of the TopSpeed team since early 2014. There definitely was a halo cast around the 2nd gen F-body from its appearance in the movie, which I believe even did extend to the Camaro, which was probably the cheapest way to at least get some of the Bandit vibe, where there other factors too, probably, the 70s, disco, cocaine, mustaches and probably a bunch others.many thought that these car would be the last hurrah for anything performance oriented. [original research?] And it was worth it for the brand, as the nameplate sales decided following the redesign. Thanks for this, Jason. Frederick Amon smuggled it from Colorado to North Carolina and sold it for four times the retail price.[19]. 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 Trans Am was a high-performance package for the Firebird, Pontiac's take on the Chevrolet Camaro. 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. Haul my wife and four shelter adoptee mutts in it. As I am finishing this article while Big Truck Week is winding down, here is a Kenworth with a 1973 Dodge Polara patrol car. How many police cars were wrecked in Smokey and the Bandit? 5. With Reynolds' salary at $1 million, Needham was left with only $3.3 million to make the film. 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. The unrestored car reportedly showed up on eBay back in 2015, but no one wanted to buy it. I know that Trans Am that . Your email address will not be published. Gleason has a treasure trove of hilarious lines and it was this movie that started my love affair of cars back in the early 1980s. How many police cars were wrecked in Smokey and the Bandit? ", "The Bandit Run Brought to you by Restore A Muscle Car", "Stewart plays off 'Smokey and the Bandit in Mobil 1 ad", "Smokey and the Bandit: 40th Anniversary Edition", "Smokey and the Bandit II, Box Office Information", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Smokey_and_the_Bandit&oldid=1142751918, Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images, Album articles lacking alt text for covers, All articles that may contain original research, Articles that may contain original research from April 2022, Articles needing additional references from September 2018, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, "Incidental CB Dialogue" (Voice ["Bandit"] , "Incidental CB Dialogue" (Voice ["Bandit"] Burt Reynolds, Voice ["Smokey"] , "Incidental CB Dialogue" (Voice ["Bandit"] Burt Reynolds, Voice ["Smokey"] Jackie Gleason), George Reynolds as Sheriff George Branford, This page was last edited on 4 March 2023, at 04:45. 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". I will confess, however, that it was a fun movie to watch and I have caught it on TV a time or two in recent years with my kids. Gleasons Justice is the stereotypical Southern sheriff, as seen in this clip. The dubbed version isnt as bad as the Remastered Blu-ray. Two of the most high-octane films of 2015, Mad Max: Fury Road and Furious 7, each burned through hundreds (Furious 7 alone destroyed a reported 230 cars), but theyre far from the first to do so. The DVD set meets NTSC standards. 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. [9] Though the film Moonrunners (1975) is the precursor to the television series The Dukes of Hazzard (19791985), from the same creator and with many identical settings and concepts, the popularity of Smokey and the Bandit and similar films helped get the Dukes series on the air. When I was a kid I thought they were the same person. The movie had an even bigger impact on the Trans Am. Gotta love that guy! Reynolds is referenced by name in several early episodes of the series. The truck at the shell station is actually a 75 or 76 Toyota Hilux. The three movie cars were destroyed during various stunts, so the promo car is the only surviving Trans Am connected to this film. 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. http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_301466-Ford-LTD-II-1977.html. 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. Some fellow classmates were extras on the film set, and it was a big deal around here at the time. 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. Ive always wanted some sort of de-commission/ex unmarked cop car, something from the 70s preferably. 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?????? Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1975 Plymouth Fury Police Pursuit Arkansas State Police "Smokey and The Bandit" at the best online prices at eBay! 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.. If you somehow managed to miss Smokey and the Bandit in the years between the films 1977 release and now, you should rectify that situation immediately (to be fair, it was released two days after Star Wars, so its understandable if it slipped through the cracks). Other sources in East Texas (from whence Sheriff Justice hails) are familiar with the popular regional delicacy known as the Diablo Sandwich. He gave Needham a preview of the song and, getting no reaction, offered to rewrite it. But 1978 returned sales of 93,351 examples, a jump of around 25,000 cars. A Pontiac wagon from earlier in the decade. Depends upon what he converted it from. He is hired by Big Enos Burdette and his son Little Enos to transport a truck load of Coors beer from Texarkana, Texas, back to Georgia in 28 hours. [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. The cashier never batted an eye as she sold us the mass quantities of suds. 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. 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. Actually, there were 2 future Dukes stars in the movie: Ben Jones (Cooter) was in an early scene helping Big Enos find Bandit. Were they dummies? The owner restored it and sold it at the Scottsdale 2016 auction by Barrett-Jackson. While it's sad that the other two cars were destroyed . There was a problem. In the original script, Carrie was called Kate while Big Enos and Little Enos were called Kyle and Dickey. The film's theme song, "East Bound and Down", was written virtually overnight by Reed. News . Needing a fast set of wheels to distract law enforcement, Reynolds character purchases this 1977 Pontiac Trans-Am. Not a bad deal, but on the fourth year, no new car. The cop cars with the hood scoops were ex-DeKalb County (Georgia) cruisers. 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. Lets take a look at some more cars found in the movie. 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. 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. A blackguard? Now then you mentionned Sheriff JW Pepper, I decided to post some Youtube clips of him. They destroyed all those cars in the films he said. Some of the more recent DVD releases of it redid all of the engine sounds and it sounds much more mellow than the original(not happy about that). 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. 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. And back then what I wanted most of all was a highly customized Vette with exposed headlights. Here is the LeMans; Gleason literally drives the wheels off: As an aside, heres a curious bit of trivia. Conversely, I could go to Paducah and be asked where up north I was from. Needham saw an advertisement for the soon-to-be-released 1977 Pontiac Trans Am and knew right away that would be the Bandit's car, or, as Needham referred to it, a character in the movie. 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. How many smokey and the bandit movies are there? 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]. Producers of Smokey and the Bandit wrecked 26 cars while filming the movie in 1977. I'm afraid I was responsible for a good few of those. Sonny Shroyer (Enos) was the motorcycle cop who was given the 1-finger salute by Sally Field. That said, an uncomplimentary accent does exist. 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. Well, they simply considered that the Trans Am didn't sound intimidating enough. This small modification was made to remind viewers of Trans Am models from 1969, which had in excess of 300 horsepower. The little packy there had Coors and even though it was horribly expensive, we thought it was the elixer of the Gods. 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. 46,000 in 1976, 68,000 in 1977, 93,000 in 1978, 117,000 in 1979. Mr. Reynolds elevated the dreck that he appeared in to a higher level, that is, enjoyable. A dastardly scoundrel? Because sales were so high, Pontiac decided to delay the third-generation model. I am indeed a fan. This movie came out during my early formative years pre grade school. Cinemablend is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Im still trying to get clarification on what a diablo sandwich is though. I was just tweaking Jason. By the end of June, it had played in major Southern markets, including Charlotte, Atlanta, Jacksonville, New Orleans, Memphis, Dallas, and Oklahoma City, grossing $11.9 million. 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. Reynolds actively pushed for her casting after Universal initially resisted, claiming Field was not attractive enough. They find local legend Bo "Bandit" Darville at a roadeo at Lakewood Fairgrounds and offer him US$80,000 (equivalent to $357,738 in 2021) to haul 400 cases of Coors from Texarkana (the closest place it could be legally sold at that time) to Atlanta in 28 hours. 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. Well, the Corvettes success is clearly due to Corvette Summer, @Jim I remember that movie! Remember that Smokey and the Bandit was the 2nd biggest movie of the year, right after Star Wars. Along the way they tussle with tough as nails Texas Sheriff Buford T. Justice (Jackie Gleason), pick up a runaway bride nicknamed Frog (Sally Field), and have all kinds of awesome times on the highway. [5] Sally Field only accepted the part after her agent advised her that she needed a big movie role on her rsum. In the Reynolds portion of the interview, he stated the movie prompted Trans Am sales to jump around 700%. While they did jump, from 46,700 in 1976 to 69,000 for 1977 with another 93,300 for 1978, it wasnt exactly 700%. thebandit77transam 2009-04-14 14:04. andre1969 wrote Pontiac supplied 5 brand-new cars for "Smokey and the Bandit". I have since moved on from them, mainly because in stock form, they were not particularly great cars (though good enough for the times). During a Q&A session on Saturday, filmed by ComicBook.com, a fan asked how many Trans Ams they burned through during production. 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.
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