[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). 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. Ive always loved this movie. 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". [5] Reynolds revealed in his autobiography that Needham had written the first draft script on legal pads. Weve got a long way to go and a short time to get there 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. Amazing how a combination of desire and unobtainability can make an ordinary product special. The cars were 1976 models, the engines fitted to them were 455ci powerplants, the last year these engines were offered for sale before withdrawal. And back then what I wanted most of all was a highly customized Vette with exposed headlights. Her groom? Just like the exaggeration sales went up 700%. The scene where Sheriff Justice's car has the door knocked off by a passing semi-truck was shot on Georgia State Route 75, 3 miles (4.8km) north of Helen. He enlists the help of fellow truck driver Cletus The Snowman Snow, played by country music singer Jerry Reed. Apparently the engine sounds were lifted from another movie, I think two lane blacktop? Much of the surrounding scene comes from that immediate vicinity. I drive a conversion van. The uncut version is the best. One of our favorite movies. This small modification was made to remind viewers of Trans Am models from 1969, which had in excess of 300 horsepower. However, the U.S. government introduced new emission controls in 1972, and automakers had to step back. The Kenworth even achieves a trifecta of sorts, as it gave the first dent to Sheriff Justices LeMans. Oh, and a hooker girlfriend that looked like Annie Potts. Just do a search for Crown Victorias on your local CL. Reynolds replied: We went through 12. [22] It premiered at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, where it performed badly. If they werent burning candles to an image of a cowboy hatted Burt Reynolds at Pontiac headquarters. Since mentioning the Kenworth, it must be noted it was a redecorator of the highest fashion. I have since moved on from them, mainly because in stock form, they were not particularly great cars (though good enough for the times). 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%. 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. Naturally, it fetched the highest price with a . The advertisements lampoon the film and feature a Pontiac Trans Am and a cover version of the song East Bound and Down. Tragically, every Trans Am used in filming was destroyed. In Smokey and the Bandit, there were eight 1977 Trans-Am cars and approximately the same number of police cars (but some said ten). 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. 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. 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). 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. 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. Buford, with Junior along, ignores his jurisdiction and doggedly chases Bandit all the way to Georgia to retrieve Carrie while various mishaps cause his cruiser to disintegrate on the way. 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. 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. Most of the dialogue was improvised on set. 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!. [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. you can find it on amazon.com . 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. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. [6] It would become one of Reed's biggest hits and his signature song.[7]. Comments 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. [38], In 2014, petroleum company Mobil 1 produced television commercials, featuring then-NASCAR driver Tony Stewart, closely based on the film. Its weird how it works. Funny that T/A isnt on the movie poster, considering it was the obvious star of the show. 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. I dont know whose idea was to replace the wicked Two Lane Blacktop Chevy sourced engine sound effects with an authentic 200 horsepower muffled smogger 400, but that sumbitch is a scumbum!!! Henry Corden, the voice of cartoon character Fred Flintstone. 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". 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. 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). Movies like Mad Max: Fury Road and Furious 7 may ruin a lot of cars, but they were far from the first. 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. The truck at the shell station is actually a 75 or 76 Toyota Hilux. The differences between the two are major. The other range car was a Chevette for people that wanted to learn on a manual transmission. In my area, nearly every one listed is an ex cop car. Burt Reynolds may be 79, but he shows no signs of slowing down. A blackguard? 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. Due to his financial difficulties in 2014, Reynolds put his vast collection of artwork and memorabilia up for auction, including the Trans Am. 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. Heres how it works. 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. Needing a fast set of wheels to distract law enforcement, Reynolds character purchases this 1977 Pontiac Trans-Am. For Smokey and the Bandit II (1980), Needham asked for and received 10 Trans Ams and 55 Bonnevilles with no trouble. 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". [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. I thought at the time that it was a newer version of White Lightning (also with Burt Reynolds) and that Smokey would be forgotten just as soon. 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. 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. I've heard . 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. "Buford T. Justice" was the name of a real Florida Highway Patrolman known to Reynolds' father, who was once Police Chief of Riviera Beach, Florida. 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. Im pretty sure that the car that barks second when he takes off with Frog had to be a stick. Reynolds actively pushed for her casting after Universal initially resisted, claiming Field was not attractive enough. Im gonna barbecue your ass in molasses., Re: The picture with 4 ladies and the wagon and van. Smokey and the Bandit star Burt Reynolds passed away in 2018 . 5. It was something regarding distribution limits. 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. [original research?] The movie is responsible for something, by 1979 Pontiac was selling 100,000 plus Trans Ams, not the whole Firebird line, JUST Trans Ams, Pontiac sold more T/As in 1979 than any of the cheaper Firebirds combined, Smokey and the Bandit had to have a hand in that. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cODPt3T0cHE, We got a cage strong enough to hold you A couple of years ago, I was sitting around on a lazy Saturday afternoon and it was on TV. It took four evenings to see almost all of the movie in bits and pieces. And it was worth it for the brand, as the nameplate sales decided following the redesign. Well, at least that's what you saw in the movie. Somehow this store had a regular supply. 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. The Trans Am was a high-performance package for the Firebird, Pontiac's take on the Chevrolet Camaro. Because sales were so high, Pontiac decided to delay the third-generation model. Sure Smokey helped, but was not the sole reason T/A and F body sales went up. 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. 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. 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. Reynolds and Field began dating during the filming.[13]. And all of us easterners suddenly discovered it was nothing more than another Budweiser/Miller/etc. During their run, they are pursued by Texas county sheriff Buford T. Justice (Gleason). He paid $550,000 for it, likely a record for any Pontiac Firebird. Five-string banjo player Bobby Thompson is prominent toward the end of "East Bound and Down". It made no sense to me as it was fifty miles north and fifty miles south. Although 1977 models also featured 6.6-liter engines, they were rated at only 200 horses. 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. 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. Behind Sheriff Justices Pontiac, there is a nice looking 1965 or 1966 Ford Mustang fastback and a Toyota pickup. In 2006, a DVD re-release was issued of Smokey and the Bandit featuring a digitally remastered audio track with 5.1 Dolby-compatible surround sound. The Pontiac Firebird Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit is one of the most famous movie cars of all time. 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?????? The owner restored it and sold it at the Scottsdale 2016 auction by Barrett-Jackson. 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. Jane Russell hawked bras on television for full-figured gals like her, a line that evoked snickers among my high-school classmates. 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) . The third-generation Firebird was introduced in 1982, a full two years later than planned. 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. . 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. Gleason was given free rein to ad-lib dialogue and make suggestions. Out of four Trans Ams used for the filming of Smokey And The Bandit, three were completely totaled in the process. Although he's into just about any type of vehicle, Ciprian is not your typical car enthusiast. Every idiot with more money than brains wanted a Trans Am. 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!) Did I mention how much I enjoy reading all the back stories and niggly details I can only get here ? 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. 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. So many classic quotes in this movie. 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. While it's sad that the other two cars were destroyed . The film features the custom clothing and costuming of Niver Western Wear of Fort Worth, Texas. New York, As a publicity stunt, the Trans Ams used in the movie had different decals on the hood scoop. As I did Steve McQueen and Paul Newman. "Smokey and the Bandit Pursuit Pack" is formatted as a box set that in presented in full color in widescreen. The cars were wrecked on purpose to create the illusion of a high-speed chase. Filmmakers destroyed 230 cars in the filming of 'Furious 7.' Smokey And The Bandit: A Car-chase Classic. ARRGH! I guess the Trans Am proved to have more staying power than the hot 71 Ford in the earlier movie. The rub? With Reynolds' salary at $1 million, Needham was left with only $3.3 million to make the film. The film's editors, Walter Hannemann and Angelo Ross, were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing. I actually remember the construction of that segment of I-75, as it stopped around Tampa prior to that time. I certainly hope the guy hired to drive that 74 Ford Torino wagon was paid well for his work. Theres really nothing like an old cop car. It cornered amazingly well for such a large car, but the posi rear end emitted ominous sounds so I passed on it (I was in college and didnt have any place to do major repairs). 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. I also own a Etrl replica of the Pontiac Bonneville Buford T. Justice drove in Smokey and The Bandit II. Watching TV and Movies you would think that sales dropped to nil. radio to help him out. 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. However, as our heroes were successful in delivering their truckload of Coors, the writers effectively poised themselves for a sequel. February 27, 2023 . Many people believed beforehand that the film was not right for . Of course, nobody else cared if it was in the trunk of the car when heading back home. 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. Burt Reynolds himself drove the car on stage to the song "East Bound and Down" and signed it. Wanting to promote the aesthetically modified 1977 model, but lacking cars owing to delays in production start-up, GM modified four 1976 Trans Ams with '77 spec bodywork and decals for the film. Jason, Using the words nuance, subtlety, complexity and intellect to describe this movie, is, as they say, trs amusant! ", "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. I remember reading somewhere that one of the cars was equipped with a 455 for some of the higher speed scenes. 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 just dont like car novices that assume the Pontiac T/A was soley a movie tie in car and the it started in 1977.. Car movies are notorious for being tough on the very vehicles that give them their allure. Burt Reynolds is originally a Georgia boy. 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 . Producer Hal Needham intended Smokey and the Bandit to be one of the best product placement films of all time. I really enjoyed this discussion. 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. How many police cars were wrecked in Smokey and the Bandit? Field enjoyed making the film, but remembers that virtually the entire project was improvised. Likely this isnt any rare engine venting package, but I could be wrong. Bandit attracts more police attention across Dixie as Snowman barrels on toward Atlanta with the contraband beer, but they are helped en route by many colorful characters via CB radio. 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. I know, Ive owned a 75 for 23 years. 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. About two seconds after this picture was taken, these motorcycles were doing their best imitation of a stack of pancakes. I remember borrowing my brothers red 1976 T/A to take a girl to the theater to see Smokey and the Bandit. Here is the LeMans; Gleason literally drives the wheels off: As an aside, heres a curious bit of trivia. 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. I think even the 2nd gen Camaro enjoyed some of the blast wave from Smokey and the Bandit, 1979 was the best year ever for Camaros as well, with over 280,000 Camaros being sold. How much did the Smokey and the Bandit car sell for? S&TB was filmed primarily off Route 400 in Georgia. 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. Mr. Reynolds elevated the dreck that he appeared in to a higher level, that is, enjoyable. The checker, not batting an eye, Do you want that chilled?. The original film had correct sounds that were usually recorded live as the action took place. I still regret selling mine almost 30 years ago. Many of the film's original sounds were replaced. I dont know if I ever saw one in real life at the time, although I was pretty young then. I only got one of them LOL. Sales jumped even higher in 1979 when Pontiac moved 117,108 Trans Ams. And the 400 Pontiac or 403 Olds versions could be made to run well. Another one is, Theres no way youre from my loins.. Smokey and the Bandit II is a 1980 American action comedy film directed by Hal Needham, and starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, . I never understood why dragging a truckload of beer from Colorado to Georgia was such a big deal. 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. Got Greyhound cutout decals on the rear side windows. The change was somewhat strange as most automakers were using cubic-inch numerals to advertise engines. Smokey and the Bandit was all realistic and non fictional, and it still was a big hit that brought a lot of money to Hal Needham and the actors, to pay Pontiac back. Frog not included. [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 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. The MASSIVE year over year sales gains came from somewhere. Nothing annoys him more than car electronics, and he just hates it when performance cars lack a third pedal. 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. 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. Burt Reynolds' 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Sold for $240,000. It became Reed's signature song and is on multiple albums, including Country Legends and his live album Jerry Reed "Live!" The remaining Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am is currently owned by Florida car collector John Staluppi. Not a bad deal, but on the fourth year, no new car. Burt Reynolds as the Bandit can always count on the truckers on the other end of his C.B. thebandit77transam 2009-04-14 14:04. andre1969 wrote Pontiac supplied 5 brand-new cars for "Smokey and the Bandit". document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Good silly fun. It had an AM transmitter and you would tune in the sound on your AM car radio, or on my case, on a transistor radio. 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). When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. All I know is, at the time, if you lived in the east, Coors was some really special beer not unlike microbrews are now. Jesus, did you just call Carmine a car novice? The scene where Sheriff Justice's car has the door knocked off by a passing . So why did they go with sound effects instead of the Trans Am's actually exhaust noise? I beg to differ Mr -Nate. It was the second-highest-grossing movie of 1977 after Star Wars. Smokey & The Bandit Police Cars. That is an excellent question. Justice. His father was also the inspiration for the word "sumbitch" used in the film, a variation of the phrase "son-of-a-bitch" that, according to Reynolds, he uttered quite often.

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