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Gas was a buck a gallon at the time so fuel economy wasnt a major issue. 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 drive a conversion van. The next movie, Smokey and the Bandit II, featured the same cast and an updated version of the Trans Am.The second version of the Smokey and the Bandit car was a 1980 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am that had a similar paint job, the updated front end, and gold "Turbine" style wheels.The 1980 models featured a turbocharged 4.9L Pontiac V8, but that still wasn't enough power for the stunt personnel. The remaining Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am is currently owned by Florida car collector John Staluppi. The theme music "East Bound and Down" was sung and co-written by Reed (credited under his birth name, Jerry Hubbard) and Dick Feller. [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. It was the second-highest-grossing movie of 1977 after Star Wars. He claimed that the Bandit is never made aware of Frog's leaving Junior at the altar, which is why the Bandit continually asks why a Texas sheriff is chasing him. 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. Many of the film's original sounds were replaced. Likely this isnt any rare engine venting package, but I could be wrong. I agree, despite people saying you sound cute, it seems like they think Ellie Mae Clapett or Jethro Bodean. Several other groups, such as the U.S. rock band Tonic and U.K.-based country cover band We Be Ploughin' have also covered it. The worldwide gross is estimated at over $300 million. Frederick Amon smuggled it from Colorado to North Carolina and sold it for four times the retail price.[19]. 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. Producer Hal Needham intended Smokey and the Bandit to be one of the best product placement films of all time. So many classic quotes in this movie. Lets take a look at some more cars found in the movie. Remember that Smokey and the Bandit was the 2nd biggest movie of the year, right after Star Wars. radio to help him out. Smokey and the Bandit: Behind-the-Scenes Details With - MotorTrend The Bandit's car was a second-generation Trans Am and the prize for completing the run was a new truck rather than $80,000. Smokey and the Bandit Pursuit Pack 1 2 3 DVD Burt Reynolds Cult Car 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. Apparently the engine sounds were lifted from another movie, I think two lane blacktop? This phrase achieved a level of popularity with children and the 2007 Hot Wheels release of the 1970s Firebird Trans Am has "scum bum" emblazoned on its tail. And Burt may be from GA originally, but he calls Florida home, which is another reason I heard the movie was filmed here. 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. J.J. & The Dixie Dance Kings was a milder one that had (I think) a 56 Buick Century . I have since moved on from them, mainly because in stock form, they were not particularly great cars (though good enough for the times). 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. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. 13 Fast Facts About Smokey and the Bandit - Mental Floss The third-generation Firebird was introduced in 1982, a full two years later than planned. As I did Steve McQueen and Paul Newman. The other range car was a Chevette for people that wanted to learn on a manual transmission. It follows the adventures of a couple of truck drivers bootlegging Coors, which couldnt legally be sold East of the Mississippi River at the time. The films are indeed classic and very funny to this day. When Smokey & The Banditfirst aired on television in the early 1980s, the Gleason phrase sum bitcha regional butchering of son of a bitchhad to be dubbed out. 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. Smokey and the Bandit is a 1977 American road action comedy film starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jackie Gleason, Jerry Reed, Pat McCormick, Paul Williams and Mike Henry. The cashier never batted an eye as she sold us the mass quantities of suds. Starring Bob Hope, that comedic star of the screen, and the lovely Jane Russell boy what a pair! I never forgot that one. The scene featuring the racetrack was filmed at Lakewood Speedway at the old Lakewood Fairgrounds on Atlanta's south side. Banzai! 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. I ended up buying a 1969 Cadillac ambulance a year later! 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. And it was worth it for the brand, as the nameplate sales decided following the redesign. Thats all well and good, and it worked smooth as silk for a good while. Car movies are notorious for being tough on the very vehicles that give them their allure. Let me get the popcorn for this one. In my area, nearly every one listed is an ex cop car. Over many viewings I noticed some scenes the car would skate around and take off like an animal while in others there were one-tire-fires and it would struggle to get going. As if GM owes them something. Sally Field and Burt Reynolds began a relationship after meeting on set. 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. [32], After the debut of the film, the Pontiac Trans Am became wildly popular, with sales almost doubling within two years of the film's release. I remember that it had a bunch of trim badges on the center of the dashboard. There's one black Trans Am left from 'Smokey and The Bandit.' It's On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. But that doesnt make for an interesting movie premise. [22] It premiered at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, where it performed badly. The little packy there had Coors and even though it was horribly expensive, we thought it was the elixer of the Gods. The comedy has been remastered to DVD standards. How Many Police Cars Were Destroyed In Blues Brothers Hes fodder enough for his own article at some point. Director Hal Needham convinced Pontiac to feature the Pontiac Trans Am in the movie. Smokey and the Bandit - Wikipedia Anyone who enjoys Colonnade sedans will love Smokey & the Bandit. 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. Gleasons Justice is the stereotypical Southern sheriff, as seen in this clip. After the movie came out, Firebird sales increased even more, but the Trans Am was now the most popular one. I have to admit, thats a pretty fantastic story, and as a major movie star, Im sure Burt Reynolds was able to figure out another way to acquire a means of transportation. At the drive-in of all places. [34] In 2015 a Florida-based automobile customization company built 77 Trans Ams modeled after the car that Reynolds drove in the film. For instance, the diesel engine start and run-up sequence in the opening sequence of the film were completely dubbed over with a new sound. 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. 1980 ERTL SMOKEY & THE BANDIT PONTIAC FIREBIRD DIECAST CAR police car As Frog leaves, we are introduced to Sheriff Buford T. Justice, played by Jackie Gleason. [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. Check out the entire video below. Got Greyhound cutout decals on the rear side windows. The updated version of the film features sound inaccurate for what would be produced by the Trans Am or the numerous other Pontiac vehicles in the film. In return, Reynolds portrayed Boss Hogg (originally portrayed by Sorrell Booke) in the film adaptation The Dukes of Hazzard (2005). I guess the Trans Am proved to have more staying power than the hot 71 Ford in the earlier movie. 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. [5] Reynolds revealed in his autobiography that Needham had written the first draft script on legal pads. [6] It would become one of Reed's biggest hits and his signature song.[7]. The cars were originally ordered by a car rental agency in Phoenix, who refused to accept the . Most reports of his death still didnt have that right! a custom mandrel bent dual exhaust, and the Mondello bottom end plate to stabilize the windowed mains. 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!!! Smokey And The Bandit Tribute Jump Goes About As Well As You'd Expect [38], In 2014, petroleum company Mobil 1 produced television commercials, featuring then-NASCAR driver Tony Stewart, closely based on the film. Let us dissect this flick to better examine it. While the Snowman drives the truck carrying the beer, the Bandit drives a Pontiac Trans Am to distract law enforcement (called blocking) and keep the attention off the Snowman. Frog not included. Smokey and the Bandit II is a 1980 American action comedy film directed by Hal Needham, and starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, . 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]. . With that in mind, Ill go with what Ive heard from my Georgia friends, to wit Sheriff Justices diablo sandwich is the Macon version, which is made with fried eggs and red hots. Im gonna barbecue your ass in molasses., Re: The picture with 4 ladies and the wagon and van. 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 sticker read "T/A 6.6," which was a reminder of the engine's 6.6-liter displacement. Cinemablend is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. The whereabouts of the remaining Smokey and the Bandit car, the one that was used to promote the movie, remained a mystery for years. Needham and assistant director David Hamburger spent 30 hours revising the shooting schedule.[4]. [40] Major portions of the audio background have been modified with different engine sounds or tire squeals from the original film. Id be surprised. 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. A Pontiac wagon from earlier in the decade. 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. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. and used hard. The scene where Sheriff Justice's car has the door knocked off by a passing . In Smokey and the Bandit, there were eight 1977 Trans-Am cars and approximately the same number of police cars (but some said ten). On the DVD, there is a brief interview with both Burt Reynolds and Hal Needham, who directed this film. It made no sense to me as it was fifty miles north and fifty miles south. how many cars were destroyed in smokey and the bandit 2 Back then if Ida wanted an ex Police Car its be a CHP salvage Dodge or Plymouth ~ BIG roomy and _comfy_ , handled well and went like stink . I prefer Buford T. Justices 1980 Pontiac Bonneville and his 1983 Pontiac Bonneville in Smokey and The Bandit III. 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. The Trans Am was a high-performance package for the Firebird, Pontiac's take on the Chevrolet Camaro. Burt Reynolds recently revealed the ridiculous number of Pontiac Trans Ams they went through filming 1977s Smokey and the Bandit. Needham originally planned the film as a low-budget B movie with a production cost of $1 million,[4] with Reed as the Bandit. Arguably the most iconic Pontiac Firebird in history. In addition to the four Trans Ams, Needham also received two Pontiac LeMans models to serve as patrol cars in the movie. 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. We just watched this with the kids the other week, along with Cannonball Run. The advertisements lampoon the film and feature a Pontiac Trans Am and a cover version of the song East Bound and Down. Dodge pitchman Sheriff Joe Higgins. 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. 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. 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. 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. I know, Ive owned a 75 for 23 years. Smokey and the Bandit star Burt Reynolds passed away in 2018 . And Coors itself limited its distribution to west of the Mississippi. Further, as Pontiac has deliciously obvious product placement, anyone who delights in 70s era Pontiac iron will experience visual ecstasy. Reynolds was the top box office draw from 1975 to 1982, then his movies really started to go downhill. 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. We also learn that every launched satellite will eventually fall back to Earth, such as this 1972 Plymouth Satellite (CC here). 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. 1975 Plymouth Fury Police Pursuit Arkansas State Police "Smokey and The 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. how many cars were destroyed in smokey and the bandit 2 - onlytows.com.au 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) . 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. Jason, Using the words nuance, subtlety, complexity and intellect to describe this movie, is, as they say, trs amusant! Olds 88. (it did taste a lot better than Bud as I recall). Did I mention how much I enjoy reading all the back stories and niggly details I can only get here ? Many people believed beforehand that the film was not right for . I was in the Air Force during this era, stationed in California. I grew up in Illinois, within eyeshot of the banks of the MIssissippi River, and ten miles from Cape Girardeau, Missouri. [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. The pair arrive in Texarkana one hour early and load up the truck, but just as they head back, Carrie, a runaway bride, intercepts Bandit and jumps in his car, unwittingly making him an indirect target of Sheriff Buford T. Justice, a career Texas lawman whose witless son Junior was to have married Carrie. (Still). Most of the dialogue was improvised on set. I've heard . Somehow this store had a regular supply. The original Blues Brothers movie from 1980 is a classic, and fans were excited when a sequel was announced in 1998. . 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. When I was a kid I thought they were the same person. The 1977 Firebird Trans Am once owned by Burt Reynolds was sold at auction Saturday for $495,000 at a sale held by Barrett-Jackson. While Sheriff Justice doesnt deal well with the pressures of high speed pursuit, as seen above, his Pontiac LeMans (CC here) withstands the most abuse of any car in this entire movie. These Furys, as well as some of the LeMans units, have hood scoops. A 1977 special-edition model once owned by the late actor Burt Reynolds recently wound up on the car auction website Bring a Trailer. This movie was filmed in Georgia as well. Oh, and a hooker girlfriend that looked like Annie Potts. In October 2020, a Smokey and the Bandit TV series was revealed to be in development, with a pilot written by David Gordon Green and Brian Sides and also executive produced with his Rough House confederates Jody Hill, Danny McBride and Brandon James, as well as Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins of Fuzzy Door.[44]. We gonna do what they say cant be done Good silly fun. If they werent burning candles to an image of a cowboy hatted Burt Reynolds at Pontiac headquarters. The gag with the overpass being blown up was actually a bridge built for the movie on the unfinished highway, and AFAIK, the truck driver who jumps the void ended up breaking his back in the stunt. And back then what I wanted most of all was a highly customized Vette with exposed headlights. 12 A Total Of 3 Trans Ams Were Destroyed During Filming. A couple of years ago, I was sitting around on a lazy Saturday afternoon and it was on TV. 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. It became Reed's signature song and is on multiple albums, including Country Legends and his live album Jerry Reed "Live!" Some weren't that lucky and were discontinued altogether. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, 20 Surprising Facts About The Trans Am From Smokey And The Bandit - HotCars Ive also looked at a Fox based LTD cop car and an early 1991 whale Caprice 9C1 detective model, burgundy on burgundy cloth. You want to questions bra sales, check out the youtube video of Hang on Sloopy by the Mccoys, the color version.wowza! The cars were 1976 models, the engines fitted to them were 455ci powerplants, the last year these engines were offered for sale before withdrawal. The checker, not batting an eye, Do you want that chilled?. The roundup sequence in the desert shows many new Pontiac Le Mans sedans decorated as police cars being destroyed. Reed would eventually play the Bandit in Smokey and the Bandit Part 3, in which Reynolds only appeared in a cameo near the end. Gleason was given free rein to ad-lib dialogue and make suggestions. 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. While watching the movie (yes, I did have to diligently research this article), one shot seemed to indicate this may be a dummy scoop. The film features the custom clothing and costuming of Niver Western Wear of Fort Worth, Texas.