Although he's into just about any type of vehicle, Ciprian is not your typical car enthusiast. 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. 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. Funny that T/A isnt on the movie poster, considering it was the obvious star of the show. [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. The area around Helen, Georgia, was used for some locations. I am still drawn to the shape of these cars, and others that have that long and low look about them. thebandit77transam 2009-04-14 14:04. andre1969 wrote Pontiac supplied 5 brand-new cars for "Smokey and the Bandit". Sales jumped even higher in 1979 when Pontiac moved 117,108 Trans Ams. http://www.leelofland.com/wordpress/john-fedack-my-days-as-a-dekalb-county-police-officer/. 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. 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]. That's because Pontiac almost canceled the Firebird in the early 1970s. Coors was legal in Missouri and illegal in Illinois. New York, But that doesnt make for an interesting movie premise. I am pretty sure it was filmed in Florida, when I-75 was under construction so they could use the highways while empty. That song often pops into my head at the start of long drives. That's because the Trans Am in Smokey and the Bandit didn't sound like a Trans Am. The whereabouts of the remaining Smokey and the Bandit car, the one that was used to promote the movie, remained a mystery for years. 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. How did any bra manufacturers survive the 70s? 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. In the 1977 movie Smokey and the Bandit, a high-speed chase ensues between the police and the Bandit (Burt Reynolds). 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. I just dont like car novices that assume the Pontiac T/A was soley a movie tie in car and the it started in 1977.. The other range car was a Chevette for people that wanted to learn on a manual transmission. Smokey & The Bandit is the greatest movie of the 20th Century! However, as our heroes were successful in delivering their truckload of Coors, the writers effectively poised themselves for a sequel. Pontiac should have made a radio that played that song automatically simply by pushing a button, or maybe made it the horn sound. 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. [4] Just two days before production was to begin, Universal sent a "hatchet man" to Atlanta to inform Needham that the budget was being trimmed by $1 million. . 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. Here are 20 facts about the Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit. The MASSIVE year over year sales gains came from somewhere. The Pontiac Firebird Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit is one of the most famous movie cars of all time. This gives rise to various continuity errors with Justice's patrol car, which during some chase sequences is shown with a black rear fender, which then reverts to the car's bronze color again in later scenes. At one point in the movie, the Bandit wrecks a police car. [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. 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. Frog not included. [31] Smokey and the Bandit was released in the United Kingdom on August 28 and was a success there, garnering positive reviews. 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. A guy we knew drove his half-ton pickup from western WA to his reserve 2-week stint in his home state in California. 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. If you somehow managed to miss Smokey and the Bandit in the years between the films 1977 release and now, you should rectify that situation immediately (to be fair, it was released two days after Star Wars, so its understandable if it slipped through the cracks). [5] Reynolds revealed in his autobiography that Needham had written the first draft script on legal pads. Anyone with insight is encouraged to share their knowledge on this. Chevy brought back the Z28, and cant say S&B was reason. 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. 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. 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. 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 . The dubbed version isnt as bad as the Remastered Blu-ray. What were the police cars in Smokey and the Bandit? 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. Gleason was given free rein to ad-lib dialogue and make suggestions. I was in the Air Force during this era, stationed in California. 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. He's a proud member of the TopSpeed team since early 2014. [11] The movie was primarily filmed in Georgia, in the cities of McDonough, Jonesboro, and Lithonia. Burt Reynolds recently revealed the ridiculous number of Pontiac Trans Ams they went through filming 1977s Smokey and the Bandit. 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. Mrs Jason wont let me sell the sumbitch. And lets not forget the Trans Am rental car Steve McQueen drove in his very last movie, The Hunter from 1980. 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. ARRGH! Alan Reed was the original voice of Fred Flintstone; Henry Corden only took over after Reeds death in 1977. Both sequels used another Trans Am, not a Cadillac Eldorado, as seen below. The Kenworth even achieves a trifecta of sorts, as it gave the first dent to Sheriff Justices LeMans. Ask him to choose between a BMW M4 and an Audi RS5, and hell gladly trade both for a beat-up Cuda. Justice. Frederick Amon smuggled it from Colorado to North Carolina and sold it for four times the retail price.[19]. He enlists the help of fellow truck driver Cletus The Snowman Snow, played by country music singer Jerry Reed. [17], In 1977, Coors was unavailable for sale east of Oklahoma. 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. Here's What We Know So Far, Jonathan Majors On Getting Jacked To Play Kang The Conqueror: Hes In The Avenger (Weight) Class, How 90 Day Fianc: The Other Way's Kris And Jeymi Might Have Already Spoiled Their Storyline, Why Creed IIIs Michael B. Jordan Avoided Saying Action Or Cut On The Set, Young Sheldon's Iain Armitage Reacting To Surprise Video From Survivor's Jeff Probst Is Like Sheldon Cooper Meeting Leonard Nimoy. There definitely was a halo cast around the 2nd gen F-body from its appearance in the movie, which I believe even did extend to the Camaro, which was probably the cheapest way to at least get some of the Bandit vibe, where there other factors too, probably, the 70s, disco, cocaine, mustaches and probably a bunch others.many thought that these car would be the last hurrah for anything performance oriented. Watching TV and Movies you would think that sales dropped to nil. And all of us easterners suddenly discovered it was nothing more than another Budweiser/Miller/etc. Only one survived, and it's priceless. The secrets behind the cars and stunts in 'The Italian Job'. The scenes set in Texarkana were filmed in Jonesboro and the surrounding area and many of the chase scenes were filmed in the surrounding areas on Highway 54 between Fayetteville and Jonesboro for a majority of the driving scenes, Mundy's Mill Road, Main Street in Jonesboro, Georgia State Route 400, I-85 (Pleasant Hill exit) and in McDonough. 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). How many police cars were wrecked in Smokey and the Bandit? In 2006, a DVD re-release was issued of Smokey and the Bandit featuring a digitally remastered audio track with 5.1 Dolby-compatible surround sound. 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. Mr. Reynolds made a bunch of low budget films before this , all had wild chase scenes with cop cars crashing & going into swamps . I have worked a long time to eradicate the one I had but it still crops up periodically from exposure, like you experienced. As luck and script writing would have it, Frog has left her groom at the altar. 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. For Smokey and the Bandit II (1980), Needham asked for and received 10 Trans Ams and 55 Bonnevilles with no trouble. Dodge pitchman Sheriff Joe Higgins. Burt Reynolds as the Bandit can always count on the truckers on the other end of his C.B. Smokey & The Bandit was the first of three movies in that franchise. 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. (first posted 2/28/2014) The fourth highest grossing film in the United States in 1977 was the Academy Award nominatedSmokey & The Bandit. 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. It was something regarding distribution limits. Gator , Stroker Ace , lots of them . 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. [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. The advertisements lampoon the film and feature a Pontiac Trans Am and a cover version of the song East Bound and Down. [4] Reynolds said in 2015 that he most enjoyed this film, and had the most fun making it, of his career.[26]. Jana, another oddity was that I could go to Carbondale and be asked where down south I was from. Out of four Trans Ams used for the filming of Smokey And The Bandit, three were completely totaled in the process. 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 1975 Pontiac Grand Ville, seen toward the end of the movie. A Pontiac wagon from earlier in the decade. [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. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1975 Plymouth Fury Police Pursuit Arkansas State Police "Smokey and The Bandit" at the best online prices at eBay! Plus , I loved those late 1960s through mid 1970s Plymouths even though Im a Bowtie Guy by default . Regular film-goers might not pay much attention to the car's engine sound, but gearheads will quickly notice that something is off. Reynolds is referenced by name in several early episodes of the series. Put one on and the lady looks like shes not wearing a bra. All pictures from the movie were acquired from www.imcdb.org, Fred Lives!!! Haul my wife and four shelter adoptee mutts in it. A CC for a 1973 Grand Ville convertible can be found here. Gotta love that guy! The remaining Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am is currently owned by Florida car collector John Staluppi. When it was over, I cried and cried and cried because I didnt want it to end. Producer Hal Needham intended Smokey and the Bandit to be one of the best product placement films of all time. Let us dissect this flick to better examine it. 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". [12] The area around Helen, Georgia, was used for some locations. That is why there are not any left. I grew up in Illinois, within eyeshot of the banks of the MIssissippi River, and ten miles from Cape Girardeau, Missouri. I really enjoyed this discussion. The soundtrack album was released in 1977 on vinyl, cassette, and 8-track through MCA Records. His personaround, dumpy, and clipping wordsreminds one of another fictional southern sheriff. 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. The cop cars with the hood scoops were ex-DeKalb County (Georgia) cruisers. I distinctly remember my mother buying Coors and being asked if she lived in Missouri or Illinois by the cashier. Reed also penned and performed the song for the opening credits, entitled "The Legend", which tells of some of the Bandit's escapades before the events of the film, and the ballad "The Bandit", which is in several versions in the movie and on the soundtrack. Im east bound, just watch ol Bandit run.. The change was somewhat strange as most automakers were using cubic-inch numerals to advertise engines. Even today when I stumble across this cinematic masterpiece being rerun on cable tv, Ill watch the entire thing. WildI watched this for the first time in years after watching the latest Archer.the whole thing is an homage to S&B. A 1977 special-edition model once owned by the late actor Burt Reynolds recently wound up on the car auction website Bring a Trailer. A blackguard? 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. Just like the exaggeration sales went up 700%. We also learn that every launched satellite will eventually fall back to Earth, such as this 1972 Plymouth Satellite (CC here). I know, Ive owned a 75 for 23 years. Round and dumpy, just like the Colonnade LeMans! 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. The roundup sequence in the desert shows many new Pontiac Le Mans sedans decorated as police cars being destroyed. 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. J.J. & The Dixie Dance Kings was a milder one that had (I think) a 56 Buick Century . The owner restored it and sold it at the Scottsdale 2016 auction by Barrett-Jackson.