how many cars destroyed in smokey and the bandit

As such, it took a lot of sweet talking by former stuntman Needham for Pontiac to cough up three Trans Ams and three LeManses. [5], Universal Studios bankrolled Smokey and the Bandit for $5.3 million, figuring it was a good risk. Reynolds actively pushed for her casting after Universal initially resisted, claiming Field was not attractive enough. Here are 20 facts about the Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit. [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. Its lack of additives and preservatives meant that Coors could spoil in one week without refrigeration, explaining the film's 28-hour deadline. He enlists the help of fellow truck driver Cletus The Snowman Snow, played by country music singer Jerry Reed. 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. Let us dissect this flick to better examine it. [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. Soon as I get home, first thing Im gonna do is punch yo mamma in da mouth!. The production team wrecked three for the four cars it received from Pontiac. Smokey and the Bandit star Burt Reynolds passed away in 2018 . A blackguard? Of course, we could argue that Needham could have used the engine note of a Pontiac GTO from the golden muscle car, but the 1955 Custom recordings were probably readily available, and he just didn't need the hassle. His personaround, dumpy, and clipping wordsreminds one of another fictional southern sheriff. However, the U.S. government introduced new emission controls in 1972, and automakers had to step back. A paper on Cognitive psychology was published in the 1990 issue of Computers in Human Perception. Great article! 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). Below is probably another DeKalb County cop car. 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. Burt Reynolds himself drove the car on stage to the song "East Bound and Down" and signed it. I beg to differ Mr -Nate. Just do a search for Crown Victorias on your local CL. The three original films introduced two generations of the Pontiac Trans Am and the Dodge Stealth in the television movies. 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 . 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. 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. 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. 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!) 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. [original research?] I also own a Etrl replica of the Pontiac Bonneville Buford T. Justice drove in Smokey and The Bandit II. 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. We also learn that every launched satellite will eventually fall back to Earth, such as this 1972 Plymouth Satellite (CC here). A 1975 Pontiac Grand Ville, seen toward the end of the movie. 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. While Sheriff Justice doesnt deal well with the pressures of high speed pursuit, as seen above, his Pontiac LeMans (CC here) withstands the most abuse of any car in this entire movie. After passing Buford's badly damaged cruiser on the roadside, Bandit gets on the CB and initially directs him to the Burdettes, but then respectfully gives his real locationright behind Buford, who continues his chase leaving Junior behind, and with more parts falling off his cruiser as he limps off after Bandit. Its amazing, you should watch it. Theres really nothing like an old cop car. 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. I've heard . 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. via iconic premier. Though no authoritative source identifies the composition of the sandwich, there are several possibilities. . I am indeed a fan. Sheriff Justices son, Junior. [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). Oh, and a hooker girlfriend that looked like Annie Potts. I always think scumbum because when I watched it as a kid in the early 90s, it was usually on TBS. I was just tweaking Jason. For Smokey and the Bandit II (1980), Needham asked for and received 10 Trans Ams and 55 Bonnevilles with no trouble. Burt Reynolds may be 79, but he shows no signs of slowing down. I really enjoyed this discussion. I think Stroker Ace is after Smokey and the Bandit, though there was Hooper, which was about a stuntman, it also had Sally Field, it was from 1978 or so. I actually remember the construction of that segment of I-75, as it stopped around Tampa prior to that time. Because sales were so high, Pontiac decided to delay the third-generation model. Plus , I loved those late 1960s through mid 1970s Plymouths even though Im a Bowtie Guy by default . Mr. Reynolds elevated the dreck that he appeared in to a higher level, that is, enjoyable. Producer Hal Needham intended Smokey and the Bandit to be one of the best product placement films of all time. Out of four Trans Ams used for the filming of Smokey And The Bandit, three were completely totaled in the process. 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. [34] In 2015 a Florida-based automobile customization company built 77 Trans Ams modeled after the car that Reynolds drove in the film. http://www.leelofland.com/wordpress/john-fedack-my-days-as-a-dekalb-county-police-officer/. Two units were 1974 models, as evidenced by standard silver Kenworth emblems on the truck grille, and one unit was a 1973 model, as evidenced by the gold-painted Kenworth emblem on the truck's grille, signifying Kenworth's 50 years in business. 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. 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. It opened in other Northern states at the end of July. We stopped in that same Safeway later on the way back home from southern Cal, and they had a huge display of cases of Coors out on the floor near the checkstands. High estimates for the car were up to $80,000, but the actual sale price was $450,000. Put one on and the lady looks like shes not wearing a bra. [29] Alfred Hitchcock claimed that the film was one of his favorites. 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 MASSIVE year over year sales gains came from somewhere. [22] It premiered at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, where it performed badly. The film was followed by two sequels: Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) and Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983). The site's consensus states: "Not much in the head but plenty beneath the hood, Smokey and the Bandit is infectious fun with plenty of car wrecks to keep your eyes glued". I guess the Trans Am proved to have more staying power than the hot 71 Ford in the earlier movie. 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. A 1975 Pontiac Grand Prix with a Buick Electra behind it. [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. Starring Bob Hope, that comedic star of the screen, and the lovely Jane Russell boy what a pair! I never forgot that one. 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. HotCars covers all things automotive: the latest auto news and informative reviews on the car, pickup truck and motorcycle industries. 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. How did any bra manufacturers survive the 70s? 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. Movies like Mad Max: Fury Road and Furious 7 may ruin a lot of cars, but they were far from the first. Also up for auction was a go-kart replica of the car, which sold for nearly $14,000. I have since moved on from them, mainly because in stock form, they were not particularly great cars (though good enough for the times). 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. A 1977 special-edition model once owned by the late actor Burt Reynolds recently wound up on the car auction website Bring a Trailer. I remember reading somewhere that one of the cars was equipped with a 455 for some of the higher speed scenes. You will receive a verification email shortly. 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. What were the police cars in Smokey and the Bandit? Every idiot with more money than brains wanted a Trans Am. Not everything was Pontiac, as evidenced by this 1973 Plymouth Satellite coupe (CC here). The 79-year-old 70s and 80s heartthrob made a rare public appearance over the weekend at Wizard World Chicago. Originally, the film was going to be a B-movie played only in the Southern United States. 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. I dont know if I ever saw one in real life at the time, although I was pretty young then. [31] Smokey and the Bandit was released in the United Kingdom on August 28 and was a success there, garnering positive reviews. Neither Buford nor any other lawmen know of Snowman's illegal manifest, while Bandit is likewise unaware that Buford is chasing him because of Carrie, whose jumpiness inspires Bandit to give her the CB handle "Frog". NY 10036. Needham stated that by the end of production, there really wasnt much left of any of the three. In its place was the nonsensical "scum bum." . 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. Needham had great difficulty getting any studios or producers to take his project seriously, being better known in the film industry as a stuntman. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Whaddya expect outta a guy what drives a conversion van? As a publicity stunt, the Trans Ams used in the movie had different decals on the hood scoop. The T/A is just as quick as my present Challenger is, but the Challenger doesnt have anything close to the throttle response it had, and I miss it. However, as our heroes were successful in delivering their truckload of Coors, the writers effectively poised themselves for a sequel. 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. 1975 Plymouth Fury Police Pursuit Arkansas State Police "Smokey and The Im gonna barbecue your ass in molasses., Re: The picture with 4 ladies and the wagon and van. While the initial concern was it having a regional appeal, it would ultimately play as well in New York City and Chicago as it did Atlanta, Georgia, or Biloxi, Mississippi. I had no idea that it was going to become a 70s classic. Burt Reynolds is originally a Georgia boy. During a Q&A session on Saturday, filmed by ComicBook.com, a fan asked how many Trans Ams they burned through during production. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. All I know is, at the time, if you lived in the east, Coors was some really special beer not unlike microbrews are now. Thats all well and good, and it worked smooth as silk for a good while. 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. How Many Cars Did Blues Brothers Wreck | Car Geek The original Blues Brothers movie from 1980 is a classic, and fans were excited when a sequel was announced in 1998. . Filmmakers destroyed 230 cars in the filming of 'Furious 7.' Smokey And The Bandit: A Car-chase Classic. [10], Principal photography of the film began on August 30, 1976. Burt Reynolds plays truck driver Bo Bandit Darville. How many police cars were wrecked in Smokey and the Bandit? 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. 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. The Trans Am used in the movie was a 1976 model with the front end of a 1977 car. Much of the surrounding scene comes from that immediate vicinity. 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. 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: . Rockford Files also featured Firebird, and was on since 1974, and Fs sold well despite gas crunch I and inflation. Smokey and the Bandit | 4K Ultra HD | The Bandit Takes a 28 Hour Trip As if GM owes them something. Since mentioning the Kenworth, it must be noted it was a redecorator of the highest fashion. Its W.W. Here in Canada they didnt censor it, so we always got the sumbitch version. 1-Smokey and the Bandit-The classic, the original, and the best one by FAR. It was the second-highest-grossing movie of 1977 after Star Wars. It had not been used for some time and was repainted for the film. The cars were wrecked on purpose to create the illusion of a high-speed chase. [6] It would become one of Reed's biggest hits and his signature song.[7]. And it was worth it for the brand, as the nameplate sales decided following the redesign. Well, they simply considered that the Trans Am didn't sound intimidating enough. But would the black and gold T/As be as desirable today without the movie? At the drive-in of all places. Cinemablend is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. The roundup sequence in the desert shows many new Pontiac Le Mans sedans decorated as police cars being destroyed. Great fun! . A few other examples of sound effect replacement occur when the Bandit takes off after getting the reluctant Cledus involved in the bet, the Bandit comes to a screeching halt on a roadway moments before picking up Carrie, and when Buford's car top comes off. The three movie cars were destroyed during various stunts, so the promo car is the only surviving Trans Am connected to this film. As Frog leaves, we are introduced to Sheriff Buford T. Justice, played by Jackie Gleason. radio to help him out. A Pontiac wagon from earlier in the decade. As deals were made for the actors and producers, the studio wanted to renegotiate my deal. I was a junior high school age kid when this film came out. Let me get the popcorn for this one. Field enjoyed making the film, but remembers that virtually the entire project was improvised. 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. UNIVERSAL CUT THE BUDGET JUST AS PRODUCTION WAS ABOUT TO BEGIN. 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. The secrets behind the cars and stunts in 'The Italian Job' - Top Gear how many cars were destroyed in smokey and the bandit 2 In Smokey and the Bandit, there were eight 1977 Trans-Am cars and approximately the same number of police cars (but some said ten). Arguably the most iconic Pontiac Firebird in history. All pictures from the movie were acquired from www.imcdb.org, Fred Lives!!! It was something regarding distribution limits. And theres this nugget from the director of the coming new Shazam movie; I first watched Smokey on quiet swing shifts from the drivers seat of a 1977 Pontiac Le Mans patrol car, parked by thr back fence of the drive-in theater at the far end of town. 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.. This was the lull between Gas Crisis I and II, 1976-78, and Boomers were wanting stylish cars. But 1978 returned sales of 93,351 examples, a jump of around 25,000 cars. While it's sad that the other two cars were destroyed . 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. A dastardly scoundrel? Were they dummies? From living there for my first two decades, I noticed the accent didnt get going good until around Sikeston (not Saxton as it would seem) and it progressed as you went deeper into the Bootheel. It took four evenings to see almost all of the movie in bits and pieces. January 24, 2019 100 comments. These two 1967 Ford Galaxies (CC here), soon to be redecorated by a Kenworth road tractor, do not. One time a friend and I drove back to Kentucky on leave rather than flying; no particular reason, we had plenty of time and wanted to see some of the country. Banzai! How many smokey and the bandit movies are there? The scenes set in Texarkana were filmed in Jonesboro and the surrounding area and many of the chase scenes were filmed in the surrounding areas on Highway 54 between Fayetteville and Jonesboro for a majority of the driving scenes, Mundy's Mill Road, Main Street in Jonesboro, Georgia State Route 400, I-85 (Pleasant Hill exit) and in McDonough. In the 1977 movie Smokey and the Bandit, a high-speed chase ensues between the police and the Bandit (Burt Reynolds). 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. A guy we knew drove his half-ton pickup from western WA to his reserve 2-week stint in his home state in California. 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. Smokey & The Bandit was the first of three movies in that franchise. Jason, Using the words nuance, subtlety, complexity and intellect to describe this movie, is, as they say, trs amusant! 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. I am pretty sure it was filmed in Florida, when I-75 was under construction so they could use the highways while empty. 20 Surprising Facts About The Trans Am From Smokey And The Bandit - HotCars For this purpose, they overdubbed dialogue deemed offensive, which was common practice. Now, having only three Trans Ams to wreck for a movie is minimalist, to say the least. The dubbed version isnt as bad as the Remastered Blu-ray. Unfortunately he passed away a few months ago or that would have been a great question to ask. 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. 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. [4] Reynolds said in 2015 that he most enjoyed this film, and had the most fun making it, of his career.[26]. Behind Sheriff Justices Pontiac, there is a nice looking 1965 or 1966 Ford Mustang fastback and a Toyota pickup. While made to take advantage of the ongoing 1970s CB radio fad, the film added to the craze. One of our favorite movies. The Pontiac Firebird Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit is one of the most famous movie cars of all time. In the original script, Carrie was called Kate while Big Enos and Little Enos were called Kyle and Dickey.