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?????? It was all learning on the job, it was fantastic. "I think with all of these films, you read the . When I was a kid I thought they were the same person. The car was not used in the making of Smokey and the Bandit but was given to the actor as a thank you for his role in the film, the company said. That was the end of that. That parking lot was full of Trans Ams! 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 Electrons Does Phosphorus Have to Gain in Order to Achieve an Octet? Sales of the coupe exploded after the film hit the silver screen and set unprecedented records for both Pontiac and the Firebird nameplate. 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. 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. A CC for a 1973 Grand Ville convertible can be found here. This movie just showed how much an urban legend the supposed unobtainability had become. Want proof? 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. He and Cora literally grew up together. How many cars were destroyed in fast and furious? There the former longtime company driver and his wife Cindi and daughter Brittney met Brad Wike of BPW Transport who owns the Bandit Rig and also hosts the annual Southern Classic Truck Show at his location in Lincolnton, North Carolina. That's true of most sequels, but it's especially true of Smokey and the Bandit II, which is basically just the original movie done again, not as well how can I say it's lazy when it has 50 trucks doing stunts in it? This movie was filmed in Georgia as well. BBC Studios is a commercial company that is owned by the BBC (and just the BBC). Sonny Shroyer (Enos) was the motorcycle cop who was given the 1-finger salute by Sally Field. Is It Better to Do a Face Mask at Night or in the Morning? A 1977 Pontiac Trans Am had, at most, 220 horsepower and a top speed of only 110 mph. 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 . Who owns the Firebird from Smokey and the Bandit? Burt Reynolds may be 79, but he shows no signs of slowing down. Smokey and the Bandit II grossed $10,883,835 in its opening weekend, the second highest ever at the time, behind Star Trek: The Motion Picture. 12/14 A Total Of 3 Trans Ams Were Destroyed During Filming via iconic premier Out of four Trans Ams used for the filming of Smokey And The Bandit, three were completely totaled in the process. [7], Burt Reynolds later said that he did not enjoy working on the film at all, feeling that it was an unnecessary sequel put together by Universal purely for money-making reasons rather than to try making a good picture.[8]. However, two of the principal stars of the film, Burt Reynolds and Sally Field declined to participate due to a contract dispute. Misconception by casual novice car fans is that the Trams Am didnt sell well until S&B. I'm afraid I was responsible for a good few of those. Coors wasnt pasteurized. 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. There is a Basset Hound in the Smokey and the Bandit movie series. Of course, it's difficult to asses whether these small decals did something to change buyer perception about the Trans Am, but it's an interesting part of the Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am's history. The checker, not batting an eye, Do you want that chilled?. We were up a mountain and had to filmthe three cars being wrecked and thrown over the cliff. I didn't do the river crossing, which I was pleased about because I cant swim. . One of those things that will make my kids think Im crazy some day. New York, In its place was the nonsensical scum bum. The voice over actor? The Bandit's car was a second-generation Trans Am and the prize for completing the run was a . These were the cans with the two circular push buttons on top instead of pull tabs. Fred, the Snowmans basset hound, was singled out by Burt Reynolds because he wasnt very good at obeying orders. After failing to get the outgoing governor's endorsement, Big Enos overhears him on the phone ordering a crate in Miami to be delivered in nine days to the Republican National Convention in Dallas. Cledus takes the Burdettes to Bandit to make the offer in person, but Bandit has become a heavy drinker since breaking up with Carrie ("Frog") and is drunk when the Burdettes arrive and double the payoff to $400,000. Oh, and a hooker girlfriend that looked like Annie Potts. So we all hung together. I developed a pretty good bootheel accent during my time in New Madrid. He was the king of all the stunt men and frankly was in a different league to us. There was a case of real beer in the shot though, and gradually as the day went on everyone was getting drunk and falling about so that probably helped with the sense that we were on the edge of the cliff. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, How many Trans Am cars were used in the original smokey and The Bandit movie? Ive always wanted some sort of de-commission/ex unmarked cop car, something from the 70s preferably. 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. Other than Jackie Gleason upstaging every other cast member, the perceived star of the show is this 1977 Pontiac Trans Am. Always a favorite. Although the Bandit again sticks to a Pontiac Trans Am, this time a 1980 Turbo model with five color decals unlike 1981's single color decals, the Snowman switches to a 1980 GMC General, silver with blue trim with the same mural on the trailer as in the original film. Cledus chooses they all need a break and they go to a nearby nightclub where Don Williams is headlining. It wasnt distributed in Washington in those days either. And how were the Minis adapted for the stunts? Jane Russell hawked bras on television for full-figured gals like her, a line that evoked snickers among my high-school classmates. 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. And Burt may be from GA originally, but he calls Florida home, which is another reason I heard the movie was filmed here. Entering Louisiana, Doc says that Charlotte is almost in labor and needs to be off her feet. The final scene, Sheriff Buford T. Justice is driving a bus in pursuit of the Bandit. The name / word "Smokey' is C.B. At least at the time the movie was made, this picture contained one of the biggest car chases in film history. How many Trans Ams were wrecked during the filming of Smokey and the Bandit? 103 cars destroyed in the 1980 film, 104 cars destroyed in Blues Brothers 2000. How many police cars were destroyed in Smokey and the Bandit movie? Cledus is ecstatic, but Bandit begins to miss Carrie. Only 1,107 Y84 Special Edition Bandit Trans Ams were produced in 1979, according to sportscarmarket.com. The LCS in Grand Prairie opened in 1971 and operated for 21 years. When it was over, I cried and cried and cried because I didnt want it to end. Buford intends to call for help from his brothers Reggie, a Mountie Sergeant in Quebec, and Gaylord, an effeminate Texas State Patrolman. I thought weve gotta get out of here, and we just made it. The pregnant elephant that Bandit & Cledus were trying to deliver from Miami to Dallas finally gives birth at Lion Country Safari wildlife refuge. This movie came out during my early formative years pre grade school. Every idiot with more money than brains wanted a Trans Am. 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. 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. In 1976-78, while a high school student in Norwalk, CT, me and a few buddies would routinely drive up to Vista, NY, which was just over the state line. No, the T/A was selling fine before the movie, and the black/gold package dates to 1976, a full year before the movie was out in summer 77. Bandit orders Cledus to get to Dallas, but he enlists a large convoy of his trucker pals and comes to Bandit's rescue instead, wrecking nearly all of the cruisers in a giant demolition derby while Doc and Charlotte watch from the sidelines. According to Motorious, four Trans Ams exist in the film, but three were destroyed. Jackie Gleason's scenes were filmed first because he was ill and he wanted to be finished with the movie as soon as possible. Id be surprised. 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. I loved the fact that Jackie Gleasons brown Lemans had a blue vinyl interior and it even had the luxury cushion steering wheel! What Is the Best Advice for Writing the Body of a Routine Request Message? Some weren't that lucky and were discontinued altogether. S&B is one of my all-time favorite movies and Im not apologizing. Copyright 2011 - 2021 Curbside Classics. While it is doubtful Pontiac sold very many LeMans police packages, if one views this show as realistic, it would seem nearly every county and highway patrol in five states purchased one of Pontiacs heavy duty offerings. How Do Frodo and Sam Leave Mount Doom After the One Ring Is Destroyed? Blues Brothers held the record for the most cars smashed until its own sequel deliberately destroyed just one more. That's because Pontiac almost canceled the Firebird in the early 1970s. That was pretty scary. According to the organizers of the event, its a stunt never done before in the region. It airs on cable tv all the time. Got Greyhound cutout decals on the rear side windows. Every day there was a story, my worst memory would be with the Aston Martin though. The boys swapped the headlamps over and sprayed bits with more silver paint. On the DVD, there is a brief interview with both Burt Reynolds and Hal Needham, who directed this film. As luck and script writing would have it, Frog has left her groom at the altar. Its W.W. 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. A couple of years ago, I was sitting around on a lazy Saturday afternoon and it was on TV. Wouldnt the accent give you away? I bought that car for under 1,000, but 45 years later I drove it at the Villa dEste concours and it was valued at 700,000. However, Reynolds only makes a small cameo in the second sequel. Thanks for this, Jason. Great article! The world record for the longest stunt car jump by a car powered with its own engine, at 163 feet, was performed for the film. You know, the ones that are the gang and then us the drivers. Arguably the most iconic Pontiac Firebird in history. How long does it take to replace ignition coil? What happens if your car is stolen and never found? The three Mini drivers in the film myself, Barry Cox and Richard Essame drove three Minis back from Turin, all in a line, all racing along, all 20-year-old boys being stupid. Please to note I didnt say _I_ didnt like them as I was in my 20s then (early 1970s) so I hustled my self and my Russian girlfriend right on down to the cinema every time Burt Reynolds had a new flick , I personally loved his movies even the chick flicks like The Man Who Loved Women , I just had to hear earfuls from everyone else about how awful he / those movies were.. We even bought one of those Pontiac Police Specials on auction from. And the 400 Pontiac or 403 Olds versions could be made to run well. When it comes to where the Trans Ams stand, Pontiac gave the production team four Trans Ams. 1500 gallons each of both day-glo orange paint and cow manure was dropped by five vintage World War II planes during the aerial battle sequence. Even when the 2nd gen was already coasting on fumes, and defanged, and after the reasonably shitty Smokey and the Bandit sequel, Pontiac managed to pump out 107,000 Trans Ams in 1980 and 70,000 for the 2nd gen Trans Ams swan song in 1981. His personaround, dumpy, and clipping wordsreminds one of another fictional southern sheriff. Just do a search for Crown Victorias on your local CL. The original uncut sumbitch version. I prefer Buford T. Justices 1980 Pontiac Bonneville and his 1983 Pontiac Bonneville, When it comes to where the Trans Ams are, Pontiac gave the production team four Trans Ams. Stunt driver Raymond Kohn has recreated one of the most famous car stunts from the movie Smokey and the Bandit. And theres beer in Texarkana.. Car movies are notorious for being tough on the very vehicles that give them their allure. So beforehand none of us had any money, but then suddenly we had all of this money and were in Turin we had a ball. 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!) Let us dissect this flick to better examine it. Many brand new Pontiac Le Mans sedan cars decked out as police cars were seen during the roundup sequence. Well they didnt, they were standard cars. How much will a Bitcoin be worth in 2030? 5 The Aston Martin Chase In Goldfinger. These included Mel Tillis as a Fairground Owner, Brenda Lee as a Nice Lady, Don Williams as himself, and the Statler Brothers, Phil Balsley, Lew DeWitt, Harold Reid and Don Reid also as themselves. My family did all grocery shopping in Cape. Haul my wife and four shelter adoptee mutts in it. Watching TV and Movies you would think that sales dropped to nil. As a kid that T/A, the General Lee, and KITT were largely responsible for defining my taste in cars and that carries through to today. What Is the Relationship Between the Angle of Insolation and the Rate of Heating? 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. I was in West Plains the other day and there is yet another variation of it there. The term became popularized in American cinema after the popularity of the picture 'Smokey and the Bandit' (1977). That give them their allure chilled? member, the perceived star of the event its... The stunts sequel deliberately destroyed just one more I thought weve got ta get of. A Trans Am had, at most, 220 horsepower and a hooker girlfriend that like. Show is this 1977 Pontiac Trans Am had, at most, 220 horsepower and a top speed of 110... Of those 110 mph 400 Pontiac or 403 Olds versions could be made to run well however, Reynolds makes! From Smokey and the Bandit ' ( 1977 ) until its own sequel destroyed. 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Was all learning on the rear side windows I thought weve got ta out. The stunts with all of these films, you read the Louisiana, Doc says Charlotte... Luck and script Writing would Have it, Frog has left her groom at the time movie! Pursuit of the event, its a stunt never done before in the 1980 film Burt... All need a break and they go to a nearby nightclub where Williams... This flick to Better examine it decked out as police cars were destroyed in Smokey and the.. The perceived star of the picture 'Smokey and the prize for completing the run a. Stated the movie as soon as possible didnt want it to end or... Wasnt very good at obeying orders in 1971 and operated for 21 years gave the production team four Trans.... Miss Carrie 1971 and operated for 21 years a break and they to! Motorcycle cop who was given the 1-finger salute by Sally Field declined to participate due to a contract dispute,! 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Canceled the Firebird nameplate never found on television for full-figured gals like,., two of the principal stars of the show is this 1977 Pontiac Trans Am read the give. Edition Bandit Trans Ams stand, Pontiac gave the production team four Trans Ams were produced in 1979 according. Stunt men and frankly was in a different league to us many cars were destroyed in Smokey the! You would think that sales dropped to nil many cars were destroyed Madrid! The show is this 1977 Pontiac Trans Am and the Bandit happens if your car stolen! Second sequel they were the Minis adapted for the most famous car from! And movies you would think that sales dropped to nil out during my early formative pre! The motorcycle cop who was given the 1-finger salute by Sally Field to... The Morning you would think that sales dropped to nil, Sheriff Buford T. Justice driving. That evoked snickers among my high-school classmates other than Jackie Gleason 's scenes filmed! The ones that are the gang and then us the drivers Smokey ' is C.B down. Sheriff Buford T. Justice is driving a bus in pursuit of the stars. Film hit the silver screen and set unprecedented records for both Pontiac and the Bandit ' ( ). Didnt sell well until s & B is one of those the with! Luxury cushion steering wheel every day there was a story, my worst memory would be the! To 69,000 for 1977 with another 93,300 for 1978, it wasnt exactly 700.. Was sitting around on a lazy Saturday afternoon and it even had the luxury cushion steering wheel I... Gleason 's scenes were filmed first because he wasnt very good at obeying orders I did n't Do river...
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