. http://www.leelofland.com/wordpress/john-fedack-my-days-as-a-dekalb-county-police-officer/. They called out equipment like Radial Tuned Suspension, Calibrated Speedometer, and Power Disc Brakes. Maybe even the dual exhausts and the 400-4 merited badges. And all of us easterners suddenly discovered it was nothing more than another Budweiser/Miller/etc. How did any bra manufacturers survive the 70s? Trigger had a big impact on my taste in cars with the Trans Ams of the late 70s being my favorite. Needham stated that by the end of production, there really wasnt much left of any of the three. And the 400 Pontiac or 403 Olds versions could be made to run well. Im east bound, just watch ol Bandit run.. 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! Well, at least that's what you saw in the movie. 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. Put one on and the lady looks like shes not wearing a bra. 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%. 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) . 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. Here are 20 facts about the Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit. [6] It would become one of Reed's biggest hits and his signature song.[7]. Sales jumped even higher in 1979 when Pontiac moved 117,108 Trans Ams. [29] Alfred Hitchcock claimed that the film was one of his favorites. If you notice there are several different angled skid marks on the road in the scene where the Bandit picks up Frog, you can see that they did a couple of takes of the T/A skidding to a stop and taking off again. I drive a conversion van. I was just tweaking Jason. Burt Reynolds himself drove the car on stage to the song "East Bound and Down" and signed it. According to director Hal Needham in the DVD documentary, Pontiac gave them three Trans-Ams and two LeMans (Sheriff Justice's patrol car) for the film. Below is probably another DeKalb County cop car. And lets not forget the Trans Am rental car Steve McQueen drove in his very last movie, The Hunter from 1980. 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. While watching the movie (yes, I did have to diligently research this article), one shot seemed to indicate this may be a dummy scoop. In the 1977 movie Smokey and the Bandit, a high-speed chase ensues between the police and the Bandit (Burt Reynolds). I ended up buying a 1969 Cadillac ambulance a year later! 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. It opened in other Northern states at the end of July. Im still trying to get clarification on what a diablo sandwich is though. 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. Get ready to tear up the highway with the Bandit (Burt Reynolds), a fun-loving, fast-talking trucker who takes on his craziest haul yet - delivering 400 case. Although 1977 models also featured 6.6-liter engines, they were rated at only 200 horses. When Smokey & The Bandit first aired on television in the early 1980s, the Gleason phrase "sum bitch"-a regional butchering of "son of a bitch"-had to be dubbed out. The story replaced the Coors beer with Mobil 1 products. A segment of the CMT program Reel Eats used a sloppy joe-style recipe consisting of seasoned ground beef, corn, and sour cream. In its place was the nonsensical scum bum. The voice over actor? A 1977 special-edition model once owned by the late actor Burt Reynolds recently wound up on the car auction website Bring a Trailer. 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. Jesus, did you just call Carmine a car novice? I think thats another line theyve edited out for the television version. Sally Field and Burt Reynolds began a relationship after meeting on set. Lets take a look at some more cars found in the movie. Always loved this movie growing up. I did help a friend rebuild a late 60s 400 to replace the anemic 301 in his 79, Trans Am. 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. It airs on cable tv all the time. Apparently the engine sounds were lifted from another movie, I think two lane blacktop? 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. [34] In 2015 a Florida-based automobile customization company built 77 Trans Ams modeled after the car that Reynolds drove in the film. Burt Reynolds may be 79, but he shows no signs of slowing down. After the movie did well, Pontiac gave Burt a free Trans Am to drive for a few years. Great write up. Nah, they survived by coming up with bras with very thin cups. Some people have ripped this film as being thin on plot; others have called it a documentary about life south of the Mason-Dixon Line. At the drive-in of all places. The film's editors, Walter Hannemann and Angelo Ross, were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing. [31] Smokey and the Bandit was released in the United Kingdom on August 28 and was a success there, garnering positive reviews. During a Q&A session on Saturday, filmed by ComicBook.com, a fan asked how many Trans Ams they burned through during production. That parking lot was full of Trans Ams! Weve got a long way to go and a short time to get there As Frog leaves, we are introduced to Sheriff Buford T. Justice, played by Jackie Gleason. The original Blues Brothers movie from 1980 is a classic, and fans were excited when a sequel was announced in 1998. . As I am finishing this article while Big Truck Week is winding down, here is a Kenworth with a 1973 Dodge Polara patrol car. They destroyed all those cars in the films he said. A CC for a 1973 Grand Ville convertible can be found here. The LeMans police car did nothing for me because there was a colonnade LeMans sedan in the garage at home. 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: . 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. Smokey and the Bandit was one of the most iconic movies of the 1970s. [4] Reynolds said in 2015 that he most enjoyed this film, and had the most fun making it, of his career.[26]. In Smokey and the Bandit, there were eight 1977 Trans-Am cars and approximately the same number of police cars (but some said ten). 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. 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 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. [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. A black Trans Am is parked in my garage because of this movie. The cashier never batted an eye as she sold us the mass quantities of suds. Here in Canada they didnt censor it, so we always got the sumbitch version. Tragically, every Trans Am used in filming was destroyed. Conversely, I could go to Paducah and be asked where up north I was from. AWESOME! Notify me of follow-up comments by email. And he succeeded as far as the Pontiac Trans Am is concerned. 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 . This movie trailer gives you an taste of this provocative film, but fails to effectively capture all the subtleties and nuances it contains. How many police cars were wrecked in Smokey and the Bandit? And Coors itself limited its distribution to west of the Mississippi. Many people believed beforehand that the film was not right for . 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. The change was somewhat strange as most automakers were using cubic-inch numerals to advertise engines. I know that Trans Am that jumped that bridge broke the axle when it landed. Field enjoyed making the film, but remembers that virtually the entire project was improvised. 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 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. 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. 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. [22] It premiered at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, where it performed badly. Starring Bob Hope, that comedic star of the screen, and the lovely Jane Russell boy what a pair! I never forgot that one. I still think its more entertaining than Star Wars. Bill Justis is the first name on the credits for the soundtrack, as he composed and arranged original music throughout the film. The paint code for each truck was coffee brown with gold trims and the 48-foot (15m) mural trailer used was manufactured by Hobbs Trailers in Texas with a non-operational Thermo King Refrigeration unit. 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. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. How many smokey and the bandit movies are there? The remaining Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am is currently owned by Florida car collector John Staluppi. Cledus "Snowman" Snow (Jerry Reed) drives the truck while his good buddy Bo "Bandit" Darville (Reynolds) serves as the "blocker," a fast car used to divert police attention away from payload. 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. 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. Dodge pitchman Sheriff Joe Higgins. Its W.W. Musicians such as Beegie Adair and George Tidwell[20] played on the soundtrack. The side vents give it away. Chevy brought back the Z28, and cant say S&B was reason. Not a bad deal, but on the fourth year, no new car. I have always loved this movie, watched it dozens and dozens of times on TV, video, DVD, laserdisc, almost any form of media. I think you may be confusing the movie Honky-Tonk Freeway with the filming done during I-75 construction near Sarasota. That is why there are not any left. The Pontiac Firebird Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit is one of the most famous movie cars of all time. That's because the Trans Am in Smokey and the Bandit didn't sound like a Trans Am. Smokey & The Bandit was the first of three movies in that franchise. Film critic Leonard Maltin gave the film a good rating (3 stars out of a possible 4) and characterized it as "about as subtle as The Three Stooges, but a classic compared to the sequels and countless rip-offs which followed". It was the second-highest-grossing movie of 1977 after Star Wars. Producers of Smokey and the Bandit wrecked 26 cars while filming the movie in 1977. 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. One of our favorite movies. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Though no authoritative source identifies the composition of the sandwich, there are several possibilities. It wasnt distributed in Washington in those days either. Every idiot with more money than brains wanted a Trans Am. [30] Upon meeting Reynolds, Billy Bob Thornton told him that the South considers the film to be less cinema and more documentary. 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). I'm afraid I was responsible for a good few of those. Much of the surrounding scene comes from that immediate vicinity. 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". The sticker read "T/A 6.6," which was a reminder of the engine's 6.6-liter displacement. You want to questions bra sales, check out the youtube video of Hang on Sloopy by the Mccoys, the color version.wowza! Its amazing, you should watch it. Supposedly there was a stick car for the burnouts and an automatic car for other shots. Alan Reed was the original voice of Fred Flintstone; Henry Corden only took over after Reeds death in 1977. Reynolds is referenced by name in several early episodes of the series. 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. Movies like Mad Max: Fury Road and Furious 7 may ruin a lot of cars, but they were far from the first. Reynolds replied: We went through 12. When it was over, I cried and cried and cried because I didnt want it to end. Cause theyre thirsty in Atlanta This small modification was made to remind viewers of Trans Am models from 1969, which had in excess of 300 horsepower. 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. As a publicity stunt, the Trans Ams used in the movie had different decals on the hood scoop. It consists of any of the various Louisiana-style hot sauces on Texas toast-style bread alongside the fourth most famous product of Pittsburg, Texas (behind Pilgrim's Pride, Cavender's, and Carroll Shelby)Pittsburg Hot Links. Sonny Shroyer (Enos) was the motorcycle cop who was given the 1-finger salute by Sally Field. Smokey and the Bandit was the second highest-grossing domestic film of 1977 in the United States. [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. Only one survived, and it's priceless. 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. 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". Some weren't that lucky and were discontinued altogether. Watching TV and Movies you would think that sales dropped to nil. I really enjoyed this discussion. Id like to hear from Mr. Needham why so many of those police cars had what look like shaker hood scoops. The movie had an even bigger impact on the Trans Am. 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. Rockford Files also featured Firebird, and was on since 1974, and Fs sold well despite gas crunch I and inflation. The secrets behind the cars and stunts in 'The Italian Job'. If you watched the second clip above, this truck should look familiar. [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. . In the U.K., the heavily dubbed version was shown for several years, particularly by the BBC. 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. Im pretty sure that the car that barks second when he takes off with Frog had to be a stick. Although he's into just about any type of vehicle, Ciprian is not your typical car enthusiast. Gleason was a genius, but this was not one of his better outings I prefer the Hustler and Gigot. I agree, despite people saying you sound cute, it seems like they think Ellie Mae Clapett or Jethro Bodean. 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!!! [10], Principal photography of the film began on August 30, 1976. Ive also looked at a Fox based LTD cop car and an early 1991 whale Caprice 9C1 detective model, burgundy on burgundy cloth. That said, an uncomplimentary accent does exist. With this, the Sheriff begins his pursuit of the Mann Act-violating Banditall the way to Georgia. Reynolds actively pushed for her casting after Universal initially resisted, claiming Field was not attractive enough. 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. I remember borrowing my brothers red 1976 T/A to take a girl to the theater to see Smokey and the Bandit. But the true standout of Smokey and the Bandit is the car driven by The Bandit, the iconic black and gold 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. [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 paper on Cognitive psychology was published in the 1990 issue of Computers in Human Perception. I have worked a long time to eradicate the one I had but it still crops up periodically from exposure, like you experienced. MN12 Thunderbirds had the same appeal to me, for similar reasons. 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. 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. A couple of years ago, I was sitting around on a lazy Saturday afternoon and it was on TV. In my area, nearly every one listed is an ex cop car. In its place was the nonsensical "scum bum." . 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 . 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. The three movie cars were destroyed during various stunts, so the promo car is the only surviving Trans Am connected to this film. Earlier DVD releases and the 40th Anniversary Blu-ray of the film have the original soundtrack intact. Im probably in the minority as usual, but I prefer the Black and Gold 50th Anne. These were the cans with the two circular push buttons on top instead of pull tabs. Ive always wanted some sort of de-commission/ex unmarked cop car, something from the 70s preferably. The roller coaster in the movie was the Greyhound. radio to help him out. For this purpose, they overdubbed dialogue deemed offensive, which was common practice. A Pontiac wagon from earlier in the decade. Jason, Using the words nuance, subtlety, complexity and intellect to describe this movie, is, as they say, trs amusant! Needham had great difficulty getting any studios or producers to take his project seriously, being better known in the film industry as a stuntman. Reed would eventually play the Bandit in Smokey and the Bandit Part 3, in which Reynolds only appeared in a cameo near the end. 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 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 remember that it had a bunch of trim badges on the center of the dashboard. 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. 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. 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. When Im driving the Bandit Trans Am while playing one of my many Forza Motorsport games I always put that song on. Free shipping for many products! Coors wasnt pasteurized. 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. 12 A Total Of 3 Trans Ams Were Destroyed During Filming. 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. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cODPt3T0cHE, We got a cage strong enough to hold you Additionally, he can give you several reasons why theres still no replacement for displacement. Seven: (Three with Burt Reynolds and Crew, and Four without) Smokey and the Bandit - 1977 Smokey and the Bandit II - 1980 Smokey and the Bandit III . Plus , I loved those late 1960s through mid 1970s Plymouths even though Im a Bowtie Guy by default . On top of Burt Reynold's top-notch acting, Smokey and the Bandit is also famous for the Pontiac Trans Am that the actor drove throughout the film. However, the U.S. government introduced new emission controls in 1972, and automakers had to step back.
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