how many cars destroyed in smokey and the bandit

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!!! Below is probably another DeKalb County cop car. It wasnt distributed in Washington in those days either. I was in West Plains the other day and there is yet another variation of it there. The third-generation Firebird was introduced in 1982, a full two years later than planned. Much of the surrounding scene comes from that immediate vicinity. 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. I think more of Smokey and the Bandit II and the awful part 3 were filmed largely in Florida, I dont know if I-75 construction was started by 1976-77, at least the section down to Miami part, when they filmed. A strike at General Motors in 1972 limited the production of the Trans Am to less than 1,300 units that year, and Pontiac almost canceled the nameplate. Some weren't that lucky and were discontinued altogether. [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). The movies are rated PG with a run time of 282 minutes and released to video by Universal Studios. The cars were wrecked on purpose to create the illusion of a high-speed chase. 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. 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. During this time, the Firebird also surpassed sales figures of the Chevrolet Camaro. Not everything was Pontiac, as evidenced by this 1973 Plymouth Satellite coupe (CC here). In fact, after Smokey and the Bandit became a box office hit, Pontiac saw a marked increase in their stock prices. The area around Helen, Georgia, was used for some locations. I started cruising through EBay and the next thing I knew I won the auction for a clean 400/4 speed/T-Top 78 Trans Am. The advertisements lampoon the film and feature a Pontiac Trans Am and a cover version of the song East Bound and Down. 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. 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. UNIVERSAL CUT THE BUDGET JUST AS PRODUCTION WAS ABOUT TO BEGIN. . Its weird how it works. Arguably the most iconic Pontiac Firebird in history. Funny that T/A isnt on the movie poster, considering it was the obvious star of the show. 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. Burt Reynolds may be 79, but he shows no signs of slowing down. 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). Weve got a long way to go and a short time to get there ARRGH! 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. [5] Sally Field only accepted the part after her agent advised her that she needed a big movie role on her rsum. As deals were made for the actors and producers, the studio wanted to renegotiate my deal. Id be surprised. A dastardly scoundrel? Though no authoritative source identifies the composition of the sandwich, there are several possibilities. One of our favorite movies. 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.youtube.com/watch?v=cODPt3T0cHE, We got a cage strong enough to hold you 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. When Smokey and the Bandit first aired on American network television in the early 1980s, censors were faced with the challenge of toning down the raw language of the original film. I have since moved on from them, mainly because in stock form, they were not particularly great cars (though good enough for the times). 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. Musicians such as Beegie Adair and George Tidwell[20] played on the soundtrack. While it's sad that the other two cars were destroyed . Let us dissect this flick to better examine it. 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?????? Burt Reynolds as the Bandit can always count on the truckers on the other end of his C.B. It was destroyed in Smokey and the Bandit II and in a flashback scene in Part 3. The soundtrack album was released in 1977 on vinyl, cassette, and 8-track through MCA Records. By the film's ending, the final surviving Trans Am and LeMans were both barely running and the other cars had become parts donors to keep them running. This was the lull between Gas Crisis I and II, 1976-78, and Boomers were wanting stylish cars. 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. Wouldnt the accent give you away? Filmmakers destroyed 230 cars in the filming of 'Furious 7.' Smokey And The Bandit: A Car-chase Classic. "Smokey and the Bandit Pursuit Pack" is formatted as a box set that in presented in full color in widescreen. The film features the custom clothing and costuming of Niver Western Wear of Fort Worth, Texas. That parking lot was full of Trans Ams! Im still trying to get clarification on what a diablo sandwich is though. New York, This same restaurant was used for a scene in the 1983 Stephen King Movie Christine, which was ultimately cut in the final film (it can be viewed as a deleted scene on the DVD release of the film). I prefer Buford T. Justices 1980 Pontiac Bonneville and his 1983 Pontiac Bonneville in Smokey and The Bandit III. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. 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. How much did the Smokey and the Bandit car sell for? At one point in the movie, the Bandit wrecks a police car. Want proof? Needham stated that by the end of production, there really wasnt much left of any of the three. Likely this isnt any rare engine venting package, but I could be wrong. I remember borrowing my brothers red 1976 T/A to take a girl to the theater to see Smokey and the Bandit. [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. Because sales were so high, Pontiac decided to delay the third-generation model. The theme music "East Bound and Down" was sung and co-written by Reed (credited under his birth name, Jerry Hubbard) and Dick Feller. Burt Reynolds is originally a Georgia boy. The remaining Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am is currently owned by Florida car collector John Staluppi. [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. Now then you mentionned Sheriff JW Pepper, I decided to post some Youtube clips of him. So why did they go with sound effects instead of the Trans Am's actually exhaust noise? [21], Smokey and the Bandit was a sleeper hit. Unfortunately he passed away a few months ago or that would have been a great question to ask. The films are indeed classic and very funny to this day. 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. (Still). Originally, the film was going to be a B-movie played only in the Southern United States. In its place was the nonsensical scum bum. The voice over actor? Of course, nobody else cared if it was in the trunk of the car when heading back home. This movie came out during my early formative years pre grade school. Ive always loved this movie. 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. [17], In 1977, Coors was unavailable for sale east of Oklahoma. Her groom? That's because the Trans Am in Smokey and the Bandit didn't sound like a Trans Am. Im east bound, just watch ol Bandit run.. Anyone with insight is encouraged to share their knowledge on this. http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_301466-Ford-LTD-II-1977.html. Ive since read on the internet that it wasnt illegal so much as a practical thing with it being shipped in refrigerated trucks. It airs on cable tv all the time. Tragically, every Trans Am used in filming was destroyed. This movie trailer gives you an taste of this provocative film, but fails to effectively capture all the subtleties and nuances it contains. 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. 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. Somebody locally is selling a Regis Plymouth Fury ex Florida Police with gasping 318 V8, he will for the right money toss in a 440 with it. Anyway, on the trip east, we stopped at a grocery in Topeka, Kansas and bought 16-18 cases of Coors, all that we had room for in the car. East bound and down, loaded up and truckin In the 1977 movie Smokey and the Bandit, a high-speed chase ensues between the police and the Bandit (Burt Reynolds). Mrs Jason wont let me sell the sumbitch. We just watched this with the kids the other week, along with Cannonball Run. How many police cars were wrecked in Smokey and the Bandit? A 1975 Pontiac Grand Prix with a Buick Electra behind it. Here's everything you should know about one of the most iconic movie cars ever. There has never been anything quite like late 1970s fashion in clothing. Naturally, it fetched the highest price with a . The scene where Sheriff Justice's car has the door knocked off by a passing . 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!. And then they made the biggest mistake of their lives and went to national distribution. He has no less than four movies listed as coming out, and they run the gamut from romantic drama to family comedy to horror mystery to action thriller. I still couldnt resist lighting up the Pontiacs tires while executing my T-turns. As Fred Flintstone was modeled off Ralph Kramden, the Jackie Gleason character from the 1950s television showThe Honeymooners, the tone and intonation of the dubbing was highly convincing. Smokey & The Bandit is the greatest movie of the 20th Century! And all of us easterners suddenly discovered it was nothing more than another Budweiser/Miller/etc. Before Gleason was cast in the film, Richard Boone was originally considered for the role of Buford T. What were the police cars in Smokey and the Bandit? Frederick Amon smuggled it from Colorado to North Carolina and sold it for four times the retail price.[19]. Television censorship and alternative versions, second highest-grossing domestic film of 1977, AFI's 100 Years100 Heroes and Villains, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Smokey and the Bandit at 35: A Case for the Genius of Hal Needham", "Greyhound Lakewood Park (Atlanta, Georgia, USA)", "Burt Reynolds' old Pontiac Trans Am replica sold for $317,500", "An Interview With Jim Wangers: Pontiac and the 1970's", "How the Bandit, Coors and a bunch of Makers changed the course of booze history", "Various Smokey And The Bandit (Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)", "Smokey and the Bandit, Box Office Information", "Burt Reynolds at the 2015 Macon Film Festival", "Seven Quirky Lowbrow Favorite Films of Highbrow Directors", "Remembering Hal Needham and the Birth of Redneck Cinema", "Smokey and the Bandit Film from RadioTimes", "Burt Reynolds' Bandit Trans Am sells for $450,000", "See a "New" Vintage Bandit Trans Am Approved by Burt Reynolds Himself", "Diablo Sandwich Recipe from CMT's Reel Eats", "Diablo Sandwich / "Diablo & Doc" From Smokey & the Bandit, Identified! They quickly escape in one of Big Enos's 13 Cadillacs as police flood the racetrack. 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. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 78% rating based on 32 reviews. http://www.leelofland.com/wordpress/john-fedack-my-days-as-a-dekalb-county-police-officer/. 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. Most of the dialogue was improvised on set. You will receive a verification email shortly. Only one survived, and it's priceless. [6] It would become one of Reed's biggest hits and his signature song.[7]. 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. These two 1967 Ford Galaxies (CC here), soon to be redecorated by a Kenworth road tractor, do not. I know that Trans Am that jumped that bridge broke the axle when it landed. Supposedly there was a stick car for the burnouts and an automatic car for other shots. Sales of the coupe exploded after the film hit the silver screen and set unprecedented records for both Pontiac and the Firebird nameplate. 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. Ive always wanted some sort of de-commission/ex unmarked cop car, something from the 70s preferably. We also learn that every launched satellite will eventually fall back to Earth, such as this 1972 Plymouth Satellite (CC here). For Smokey and the Bandit II (1980), Needham asked for and received 10 Trans Ams and 55 Bonnevilles with no trouble. You want to questions bra sales, check out the youtube video of Hang on Sloopy by the Mccoys, the color version.wowza! Some differences included the use of a supercharged 454-CID (7.4-liter) Chevrolet-sourced engine that put out 840 HP, and four round headlights, which appeared on the 196769 Firebirds/Trans Ams only; the actual 197781 models had rectangular headlights. Nuts about any form of classic motorsport and muscle cars, Ciprian's currently working on a time machine that would take him back to the 1960s for a long vacation alongside Dan Gurney and Jim Hall. Reynolds was the top box office draw from 1975 to 1982, then his movies really started to go downhill. radio to help him out. I was to be paid a salary plus own 7% of the profits. Trigger had a big impact on my taste in cars with the Trans Ams of the late 70s being my favorite. One of those things that will make my kids think Im crazy some day. The story replaced the Coors beer with Mobil 1 products. Did I mention how much I enjoy reading all the back stories and niggly details I can only get here ? Smokey and the Bandit was one of the most iconic movies of the 1970s. Learn how your comment data is processed. At the time, Reynolds was the top box office star in the world. Jason, Using the words nuance, subtlety, complexity and intellect to describe this movie, is, as they say, trs amusant! Movies like Mad Max: Fury Road and Furious 7 may ruin a lot of cars, but they were far from the first. I also own a 1:18 scale version of the Bandit Trans Am. 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. 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. [35], The "diablo sandwich" ordered by Sheriff Justice in the Arkansas barbecue restaurant scene has entered popular culture as a minor reference to the film. They retained the white steering wheels until 72 or so , just the thing to preveny burned fingers in the Desert sun . The film was followed by two sequels: Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) and Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983). 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 three original films introduced two generations of the Pontiac Trans Am and the Dodge Stealth in the television movies. My favorite would have been an ex-WSP 1970 Plymouth they were all Fury IIIs, white on blue with factory air and 440s under the hood; but none ever turned up when I was buying. [15] All four of the cars were badly damaged during production,[16] one of which was all but destroyed during the jump over the dismantled Mulberry bridge. 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. Everything You Should Know About The The Trans Am From Smokey And The Bandit, 10 Most Potentially Unreliable Electric Vehicles According To Consumer Reports, 10 Reasons Why It's Time You Should Buy A Bagger, Here's How Solid-State Batteries Will Change EVs Forever. That is an excellent question. Dodge pitchman Sheriff Joe Higgins. WildI watched this for the first time in years after watching the latest Archer.the whole thing is an homage to S&B. That girl from the McCoys video probably looks like Paula Deen now. 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. These questions all need to be answered. I was 10 when this movie came out and I loved it then and I still do. 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. The redesign was originally planned for 1980, but 1978 and 1979 became record years for GM's division, so the new model was pushed back. Sally Field and Burt Reynolds began a relationship after meeting on set. The trip to Texarkana is uneventful; soon after leaving for the return trip to Georgia, The Bandit encounters Frog, played by Sally Field. When Im driving the Bandit Trans Am while playing one of my many Forza Motorsport games I always put that song on. The LeMans police car did nothing for me because there was a colonnade LeMans sedan in the garage at home. Earlier DVD releases and the 40th Anniversary Blu-ray of the film have the original soundtrack intact. 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. 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. 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. Sales jumped even higher in 1979 when Pontiac moved 117,108 Trans Ams. The three movie cars were destroyed during various stunts, so the promo car is the only surviving Trans Am connected to this film. Yet when I think of a 70s T/A, thats the one I and Im sure millions of other folks think of. [27] In his review in the Chicago Tribune, Gene Siskel gave the film two stars and complained that the film failed to tell the audience when the clock started on the beer run, thus reducing suspense. 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. If I recall correctly, Firebirds in general (along with Camaros) were selling well prior to 1977, but the Trans Am was not the best-selling one. The original uncut sumbitch version. 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. I'm afraid I was responsible for a good few of those. (first posted 2/28/2014) The fourth highest grossing film in the United States in 1977 was the Academy Award nominatedSmokey & The Bandit. Hal Needham did pass away as someone earlier said. Always a favorite. A CC for a 1973 Grand Ville convertible can be found here. Well, at least that's what you saw in the movie. The truck at the shell station is actually a 75 or 76 Toyota Hilux. Remember that Smokey and the Bandit was the 2nd biggest movie of the year, right after Star Wars. January 24, 2019 100 comments. [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. A couple of years ago, I was sitting around on a lazy Saturday afternoon and it was on TV. a custom mandrel bent dual exhaust, and the Mondello bottom end plate to stabilize the windowed mains. And back then what I wanted most of all was a highly customized Vette with exposed headlights. Conversely, I could go to Paducah and be asked where up north I was from. As luck and script writing would have it, Frog has left her groom at the altar. 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. They destroyed all those cars in the films he said. I think thats another line theyve edited out for the television version. Set with his . When it was over, I cried and cried and cried because I didnt want it to end. High estimates for the car were up to $80,000, but the actual sale price was $450,000. 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. And Burt may be from GA originally, but he calls Florida home, which is another reason I heard the movie was filmed here. Reynolds replied: We went through 12. 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. After the movie came out, Firebird sales increased even more, but the Trans Am was now the most popular one. 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. Nothing annoys him more than car electronics, and he just hates it when performance cars lack a third pedal. Gas was a buck a gallon at the time so fuel economy wasnt a major issue. Upon showing it to his friend, Reynolds told Needham that it was the worst script he had ever read, but that he would still make the movie. [8] Niver provided much of the western attire worn in the film, as well as the custom-made sheriff's uniforms (waist size 64") that Gleason wore throughout the film. February 27, 2023 . And Coors itself limited its distribution to west of the Mississippi. 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 second film was a modest box office success, earning $66.1 million against a $17 million budget. I remember that it had a bunch of trim badges on the center of the dashboard. [36] Another proposal, based more closely on images from the film and the shooting location of the scene (at an Old Hickory House restaurant in Georgia), is pulled pork and hot sauce on a hamburger bun. Chevy almost did the same with its counterpart, the Camaro. However, the scene where they drive through the Shell gas station was filmed in Ojai, California, on the corner of Ojai Avenue and El Paseo Road. Launched on the big screen in 1977, Smokey and the Bandit revolves around two bootleggers as they attempt to illegally transport 400 cases of Coors beer from Texarkana to Atlanta. Mines never gone away, especially now that I spend every thee month in Memphis. I ended up buying a 1969 Cadillac ambulance a year later! The DVD set meets NTSC standards. In the original script, Carrie was called Kate while Big Enos and Little Enos were called Kyle and Dickey. 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.