S&TB was filmed primarily off Route 400 in Georgia. Movies like Mad Max: Fury Road and Furious 7 may ruin a lot of cars, but they were far from the first. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1980 ERTL SMOKEY & THE BANDIT PONTIAC FIREBIRD DIECAST CAR police car set at the best online prices at eBay! 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. 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). [5], Universal Studios bankrolled Smokey and the Bandit for $5.3 million, figuring it was a good risk. February 27, 2023 . As if GM owes them something. The secrets behind the cars and stunts in 'The Italian Job'. But while the cars shown in the movie look like 1977-model-year Trans Ams, they were actually 1976 models. The movie had an even bigger impact on the Trans Am. That song often pops into my head at the start of long drives. As Frog leaves, we are introduced to Sheriff Buford T. Justice, played by Jackie Gleason. 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. During their run, they are pursued by Texas county sheriff Buford T. Justice (Gleason). Reed would eventually play the Bandit in Smokey and the Bandit Part 3, in which Reynolds only appeared in a cameo near the end. [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). Although 1977 models also featured 6.6-liter engines, they were rated at only 200 horses. 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. [30] Upon meeting Reynolds, Billy Bob Thornton told him that the South considers the film to be less cinema and more documentary. . Many people believed beforehand that the film was not right for . Not everything was Pontiac, as evidenced by this 1973 Plymouth Satellite coupe (CC here). 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. And back then what I wanted most of all was a highly customized Vette with exposed headlights. Because sales were so high, Pontiac decided to delay the third-generation model. 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. Id like to hear from Mr. Needham why so many of those police cars had what look like shaker hood scoops. The side vents give it away. You might think that seeing their cars routinely destroyed on movie screens across the country would give the manufacturer pause, but that is not the case at all. 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. 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. Lets take a look at some more cars found in the movie. This movie was filmed in Georgia as well. He enlists the help of fellow truck driver Cletus The Snowman Snow, played by country music singer Jerry Reed. 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. 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. Thats all true. 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. At the drive-in of all places. The little packy there had Coors and even though it was horribly expensive, we thought it was the elixer of the Gods. I thought at the time that it was a newer version of White Lightning (also with Burt Reynolds) and that Smokey would be forgotten just as soon. In the original script, Carrie was called Kate while Big Enos and Little Enos were called Kyle and Dickey. These Furys, as well as some of the LeMans units, have hood scoops. One of those things that will make my kids think Im crazy some day. I certainly hope the guy hired to drive that 74 Ford Torino wagon was paid well for his work. It had not been used for some time and was repainted for the film. Dont let his grumpiness fool you though; hes more than excited to provide the latest news and reviews on the most interesting cars in the industry. The comedy has been remastered to DVD standards. S&B is one of my all-time favorite movies and Im not apologizing. Somewhere along the line, the company acquired a new president who told Reynolds: Im the new president, and I dont like your movies. Needham and assistant director David Hamburger spent 30 hours revising the shooting schedule.[4]. In the U.K., the heavily dubbed version was shown for several years, particularly by the BBC. 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. 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. Nothing annoys him more than car electronics, and he just hates it when performance cars lack a third pedal. 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 . I did help a friend rebuild a late 60s 400 to replace the anemic 301 in his 79, Trans Am. Coors was legal in Missouri and illegal in Illinois. 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. 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. via iconic premier. Only one survived, and it's priceless. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. These new models were built off the same Camaro platform, came with the Pontiac arrowhead, flaming bird, and Bandit logos, and the instrument panels, center consoles, and hood scoops emulating their 1977 counterparts, and were signed by Reynolds. 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. Great write up. I am pretty sure it was filmed in Florida, when I-75 was under construction so they could use the highways while empty. So why did they go with sound effects instead of the Trans Am's actually exhaust noise? Chevy brought back the Z28, and cant say S&B was reason. Chevy almost did the same with its counterpart, the Camaro. Gotta love that guy! 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. Originally, the film was going to be a B-movie played only in the Southern United States. 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 . You will receive a verification email shortly. After the movie did well, Pontiac gave Burt a free Trans Am to drive for a few years. [17], In 1977, Coors was unavailable for sale east of Oklahoma. [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. Reynolds replied: We went through 12. Haul my wife and four shelter adoptee mutts in it. Luckily, both cars survived, and the Trans Am became famous only five years later. In its place was the nonsensical scum bum. The voice over actor? 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 original uncut sumbitch version. Its W.W. Needham stated that by the end of production, there really wasnt much left of any of the three. 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. Of course, it wasnt hard to wake them up. 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". [33] Reynolds was given the 1977 vehicle used during promotion of the film as a gift, though the car itself never actually appeared in the film. The second film was a modest box office success, earning $66.1 million against a $17 million budget. 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. Future President Gerald Ford, after a trip to Colorado, hid it in his luggage to take it back to Washington, D.C. President Dwight D. Eisenhower had a steady supply airlifted by the Air Force to Washington. The MASSIVE year over year sales gains came from somewhere. You want to questions bra sales, check out the youtube video of Hang on Sloopy by the Mccoys, the color version.wowza! The cop cars with the hood scoops were ex-DeKalb County (Georgia) cruisers. Despite growing up next to Cape, most of relatives are from the Mid-South. 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. [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. Got Greyhound cutout decals on the rear side windows. Its amazing, you should watch it. Some of the more recent DVD releases of it redid all of the engine sounds and it sounds much more mellow than the original(not happy about that). Ive always loved this movie. Let me get the popcorn for this one. I really enjoyed this discussion. 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. 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. 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. Always a favorite. J.J. & The Dixie Dance Kings was a milder one that had (I think) a 56 Buick Century . A 1975 Pontiac Grand Prix with a Buick Electra behind it. Tragically, every Trans Am used in filming was destroyed. Smokey and the Bandit was one of the most iconic movies of the 1970s. Heres how it works. Burt Reynolds may be 79, but he shows no signs of slowing down. Want proof? The advertisements lampoon the film and feature a Pontiac Trans Am and a cover version of the song East Bound and Down. Burt Reynolds recently revealed the ridiculous number of Pontiac Trans Ams they went through filming 1977s Smokey and the Bandit. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). S/E T/A with the round headlights. 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. I was to be paid a salary plus own 7% of the profits. It wasnt distributed in Washington in those days either. Sally Field and Burt Reynolds began a relationship after meeting on set. "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. In fact, after Smokey and the Bandit became a box office hit, Pontiac saw a marked increase in their stock prices. Required fields are marked *. And he succeeded as far as the Pontiac Trans Am is concerned. Check out the entire video below. [34] In 2015 a Florida-based automobile customization company built 77 Trans Ams modeled after the car that Reynolds drove in the film. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cODPt3T0cHE, We got a cage strong enough to hold you Not a bad deal, but on the fourth year, no new car.
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