how many cars destroyed in smokey and the bandit

After the movie came out, Firebird sales increased even more, but the Trans Am was now the most popular one. 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. A guy we knew drove his half-ton pickup from western WA to his reserve 2-week stint in his home state in California. 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. And the 400 Pontiac or 403 Olds versions could be made to run well. 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. The cars were wrecked on purpose to create the illusion of a high-speed chase. The secrets behind the cars and stunts in 'The Italian Job'. Before Gleason was cast in the film, Richard Boone was originally considered for the role of Buford T. 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 . He paid $550,000 for it, likely a record for any Pontiac Firebird. American Brands: AMC, Jeep and All Others, Tractors, Lawn Mowers, Off-Road Equipment, CC Outtake: The CC House, and With a New Recent Exotic Addition, CC TV Outtake: This Used Car Commercial Didn't Make It On The Air, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cODPt3T0cHE. If they werent burning candles to an image of a cowboy hatted Burt Reynolds at Pontiac headquarters. 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. They destroyed all those cars in the films he said. I own all three films on a dvd called the Smokey and The Bandit Pursuit Pack. The sound came from a 1955 Chevrolet Custom, the same car that was used in Two-Lane Blacktop and American Graffiti, films launched in 1971 and 1973, respectively. The owner restored it and sold it at the Scottsdale 2016 auction by Barrett-Jackson. 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. Oh, and a hooker girlfriend that looked like Annie Potts. The tow truck driver was a local garage owner, Berlin Wike. No more needs to be said. Ive since read on the internet that it wasnt illegal so much as a practical thing with it being shipped in refrigerated trucks. 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. That girl from the McCoys video probably looks like Paula Deen now. 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. For this purpose, they overdubbed dialogue deemed offensive, which was common practice. Jana, another oddity was that I could go to Carbondale and be asked where down south I was from. You want to questions bra sales, check out the youtube video of Hang on Sloopy by the Mccoys, the color version.wowza! This movie was filmed in Georgia as well. 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. Needham stated that by the end of production, there really wasnt much left of any of the three. 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. Sheriff Justices son, Junior. 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. The side vents give it away. Reynolds is referenced by name in several early episodes of the series. 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". The cop cars with the hood scoops were ex-DeKalb County (Georgia) cruisers. Yet when I think of a 70s T/A, thats the one I and Im sure millions of other folks think of. Pontiac should have made a radio that played that song automatically simply by pushing a button, or maybe made it the horn sound. As I did Steve McQueen and Paul Newman. High estimates for the car were up to $80,000, but the actual sale price was $450,000. 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 remember borrowing my brothers red 1976 T/A to take a girl to the theater to see Smokey and the Bandit. 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. If it wasnt for Smokey & the Bandit, the Dukes of Hazzard TV series would not exist. The Kenworth even achieves a trifecta of sorts, as it gave the first dent to Sheriff Justices LeMans. A 1975 Pontiac Grand Prix with a Buick Electra behind it. Alan Reed was the original voice of Fred Flintstone; Henry Corden only took over after Reeds death in 1977. This was the lull between Gas Crisis I and II, 1976-78, and Boomers were wanting stylish cars. There was still a market for bras in the 1970s. Field enjoyed making the film, but remembers that virtually the entire project was improvised. I really enjoyed this discussion. And lets not forget the Trans Am rental car Steve McQueen drove in his very last movie, The Hunter from 1980. They find local legend Bo "Bandit" Darville at a roadeo at Lakewood Fairgrounds and offer him US$80,000 (equivalent to $357,738 in 2021) to haul 400 cases of Coors from Texarkana (the closest place it could be legally sold at that time) to Atlanta in 28 hours. That came out in 1981. The movies are rated PG with a run time of 282 minutes and released to video by Universal Studios. 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. In my area, nearly every one listed is an ex cop car. It had amazing throttle response, with a hit that either scared people, or made them giggle. Im still trying to get clarification on what a diablo sandwich is though. I was in the Air Force during this era, stationed in California. thebandit77transam 2009-04-14 14:04. andre1969 wrote Pontiac supplied 5 brand-new cars for "Smokey and the Bandit". I remember reading somewhere that one of the cars was equipped with a 455 for some of the higher speed scenes. Burt Reynolds himself drove the car on stage to the song "East Bound and Down" and signed it. I think you may be confusing the movie Honky-Tonk Freeway with the filming done during I-75 construction near Sarasota. One of those things that will make my kids think Im crazy some day. [6] It would become one of Reed's biggest hits and his signature song.[7]. Burt Reynolds as the Bandit can always count on the truckers on the other end of his C.B. 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. 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. How many police cars were wrecked in Smokey and the Bandit? Smokey and the Bandit was one of the most iconic movies of the 1970s. Round and dumpy, just like the Colonnade LeMans! Cape was far enough north that it was watered down and there was so much cross-pollination with the Illinois side you really didnt discern much difference. "Smokey and the Bandit" stars Burt Reynolds, Sally . Frog not included. I am pretty sure it was filmed in Florida, when I-75 was under construction so they could use the highways while empty. 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 cashier never batted an eye as she sold us the mass quantities of suds. 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". 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. 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. These were the cans with the two circular push buttons on top instead of pull tabs. The Bandit Run quickly became a fixture, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the movie with a special 2017 screening of the film attended by Reynolds and a recreation of the jump undertaken by the Bandit and Frog across a river. Her groom? (it did taste a lot better than Bud as I recall). 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. 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. Mines never gone away, especially now that I spend every thee month in Memphis. That is why there are not any left. 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. The LeMans police car did nothing for me because there was a colonnade LeMans sedan in the garage at home. how many cars were destroyed in smokey and the bandit 2. Im gonna barbecue your ass in molasses., Re: The picture with 4 ladies and the wagon and van. A couple of years ago, I was sitting around on a lazy Saturday afternoon and it was on TV. Most reports of his death still didnt have that right! Dodge pitchman Sheriff Joe Higgins. As deals were made for the actors and producers, the studio wanted to renegotiate my deal. 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. I enjoyed the hell out of my 1976 Dart Pursuit. The dubbed version isnt as bad as the Remastered Blu-ray. Additionally, he can give you several reasons why theres still no replacement for displacement. Also up for auction was a go-kart replica of the car, which sold for nearly $14,000. 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!. 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! Car movies are notorious for being tough on the very vehicles that give them their allure. Amazing how a combination of desire and unobtainability can make an ordinary product special. Anyone who enjoys Colonnade sedans will love Smokey & the Bandit. [5] Reynolds revealed in his autobiography that Needham had written the first draft script on legal pads. 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!) 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. 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. and the Dixie Dance Kings, and Burts car was a 57 [56?] . Mr. Reynolds elevated the dreck that he appeared in to a higher level, that is, enjoyable. . . (first posted 2/28/2014) The fourth highest grossing film in the United States in 1977 was the Academy Award nominatedSmokey & The Bandit. Even today when I stumble across this cinematic masterpiece being rerun on cable tv, Ill watch the entire thing. While it's sad that the other two cars were destroyed . [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. Was it a heathen? And all of us easterners suddenly discovered it was nothing more than another Budweiser/Miller/etc. Duarte or maybe ir was Arcadia , it was white with a red & blue pinstripe , we dropped $400 (an ungodly sum back then) on a re paint and pin striping but could _not_ sell that wretched POC , it took us two years IIRC . Coors is still brewed just outside Denver, Colorado. Except for Gleason, the original actors mostly redubbed their lines for the television version. Soon as I get home, first thing Im gonna do is punch yo mamma in da mouth!. That's because the Trans Am in Smokey and the Bandit didn't sound like a Trans Am. The scene featuring the racetrack was filmed at Lakewood Speedway at the old Lakewood Fairgrounds on Atlanta's south side. With this, the Sheriff begins his pursuit of the Mann Act-violating Banditall the way to Georgia. Other sources in East Texas (from whence Sheriff Justice hails) are familiar with the popular regional delicacy known as the Diablo Sandwich. The third film which had no involvement from either Hal Needham or Sally Field and contained only a short cameo appearance by Burt Reynolds revolved entirely around Jackie Gleason's character, was panned by critics, and was a box office bomb, earning only $7 million against a $9 million budget.[41][42][43]. During their run, they are pursued by Texas county sheriff Buford T. Justice (Gleason). It was destroyed in Smokey and the Bandit II and in a flashback scene in Part 3. The little packy there had Coors and even though it was horribly expensive, we thought it was the elixer of the Gods. 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. Im probably in the minority as usual, but I prefer the Black and Gold 50th Anne. This movie just showed how much an urban legend the supposed unobtainability had become. The scene where Sheriff Justice's car has the door knocked off by a passing . When it was over, I cried and cried and cried because I didnt want it to end. But 1978 returned sales of 93,351 examples, a jump of around 25,000 cars. Well, they simply considered that the Trans Am didn't sound intimidating enough. 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). Needing a fast set of wheels to distract law enforcement, Reynolds character purchases this 1977 Pontiac Trans-Am. East bound and down, loaded up and truckin 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. That said, an uncomplimentary accent does exist. 5. The roller coaster in the movie was the Greyhound. Actually, there were 2 future Dukes stars in the movie: Ben Jones (Cooter) was in an early scene helping Big Enos find Bandit. Let me get the popcorn for this one. 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. Naturally, it fetched the highest price with a . I beg to differ Mr -Nate. Anyone with insight is encouraged to share their knowledge on this. Henry Corden, the voice of cartoon character Fred Flintstone. That song often pops into my head at the start of long drives. 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. 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. Its W.W. I am indeed a fan. On the DVD, there is a brief interview with both Burt Reynolds and Hal Needham, who directed this film. "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. The truck at the shell station is actually a 75 or 76 Toyota Hilux. 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. [28] However, this is inaccurate; within seconds of Bandit picking her up, Frog tells him "there is a wedding in search of a bride" and goes on to explain her ill-advised romance with Junior, as the Bandit holds up the CB mic for the Snowman to hear. I have only seen pieces of the second and none of the third; I plan to keep it that way. It became Reed's signature song and is on multiple albums, including Country Legends and his live album Jerry Reed "Live!" My drivers ed driving range car was an ex-patrol colonnade Pontiac LeMans Enforcer. New York, A blackguard? [11] The movie was primarily filmed in Georgia, in the cities of McDonough, Jonesboro, and Lithonia. It seems Plymouth was in a distant second for product placement. I was just tweaking Jason. [5] Sally Field only accepted the part after her agent advised her that she needed a big movie role on her rsum. I agree, despite people saying you sound cute, it seems like they think Ellie Mae Clapett or Jethro Bodean. I ended up buying a 1969 Cadillac ambulance a year later! Always loved this movie growing up. 1-Smokey and the Bandit-The classic, the original, and the best one by FAR. I always think scumbum because when I watched it as a kid in the early 90s, it was usually on TBS. Many people believed beforehand that the film was not right for . Hal Needham did pass away as someone earlier said. After the movie did well, Pontiac gave Burt a free Trans Am to drive for a few years. I was in West Plains the other day and there is yet another variation of it there. Whaddya expect outta a guy what drives a conversion van? 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. Gotta love that guy! Learn how your comment data is processed. The dubbed version is awful. In the 1977 movie Smokey and the Bandit, a high-speed chase ensues between the police and the Bandit (Burt Reynolds). [22] It premiered at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, where it performed badly. Good silly fun. In return, Reynolds portrayed Boss Hogg (originally portrayed by Sorrell Booke) in the film adaptation The Dukes of Hazzard (2005). Ive also looked at a Fox based LTD cop car and an early 1991 whale Caprice 9C1 detective model, burgundy on burgundy cloth. So, for years one, two, and three, he got a shiny new Pontiac. 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 . 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. I dunno about the Foley sounds, I have a T/A with a 400 and an open/no catalytic true dual exhaust, and it sounds really close to how the Bandit car sounds at idle during some scenes from the movie. 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. S&TB was filmed primarily off Route 400 in Georgia. And theres beer in Texarkana.. While watching the movie (yes, I did have to diligently research this article), one shot seemed to indicate this may be a dummy scoop. I remember that it had a bunch of trim badges on the center of the dashboard. 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. Though no authoritative source identifies the composition of the sandwich, there are several possibilities. Your email address will not be published. We gonna do what they say cant be done Every idiot with more money than brains wanted a Trans Am. 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. With four miles left, Bandit, discouraged by the unexpected mounting attention, is ready to give up, but Snowman, who initially thought they would fail, takes the lead and smashes through the roadblock at the fairgrounds' main entrance. The other range car was a Chevette for people that wanted to learn on a manual transmission. 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. At the time, it was illegal to transport Coors east of the Mississippi River and a series of other truckers had been apprehended for trying to accomplish this feat for the Burdettes. 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. [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). I still think its more entertaining than Star Wars. (Still). Great write up. I have since moved on from them, mainly because in stock form, they were not particularly great cars (though good enough for the times). Here are 20 facts about the Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit. It was the second-highest-grossing movie of 1977 after Star Wars. The three movie cars were destroyed during various stunts, so the promo car is the only surviving Trans Am connected to this film. The Burdettes' car is a 1974 Cadillac Eldorado convertible painted in a "Candy Red" color scheme and is seen briefly at the beginning of the movie and in the final scene as the Bandit, the Snowman, Fred the dog, and Frog use it to make their escape. The Bandit takes the bet on the risky and unprecedented task, and recruits his partner Cledus "Snowman" Snow to drive the truck, while Bandit drives a black Pontiac Trans Am bought in advance from the Burdettes as a "blocker" to divert attention away from the truck and its illegal cargo. Most of the dialogue was improvised on set. His automotive adventure started reporting on various motorsport events as a sports writer before moving onto a full-time auto career with various sites, including This Week In Motors and Autoevolution.

Dean Salter Jetstar, Omegaverse Mpreg Raw, Articles H