how many cars destroyed in smokey and the bandit how many cars destroyed in smokey and the bandit

The cars were wrecked on purpose to create the illusion of a high-speed chase. 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%. These questions all need to be answered. For Smokey and the Bandit II (1980), Needham asked for and received 10 Trans Ams and 55 Bonnevilles with no trouble. The dubbed version is awful. Theres really nothing like an old cop car. This is obvious, because there is no fuel tank on the underside of the trailer to power the refrigeration unit, and the unit is never heard running. 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. It wasnt distributed in Washington in those days either. I am indeed a fan. Reynolds actively pushed for her casting after Universal initially resisted, claiming Field was not attractive enough. 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. Burt Reynolds plays truck driver Bo Bandit Darville. 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. Burt Reynolds as the Bandit can always count on the truckers on the other end of his C.B. 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. The remaining Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am is currently owned by Florida car collector John Staluppi. It was destroyed in Smokey and the Bandit II and in a flashback scene in Part 3. In Smokey and the Bandit, there were eight 1977 Trans-Am cars and approximately the same number of police cars (but some said ten). Filmmakers destroyed 230 cars in the filming of 'Furious 7.' Smokey And The Bandit: A Car-chase Classic. I always think scumbum because when I watched it as a kid in the early 90s, it was usually on TBS. Here is the LeMans; Gleason literally drives the wheels off: As an aside, heres a curious bit of trivia. While watching the movie (yes, I did have to diligently research this article), one shot seemed to indicate this may be a dummy scoop. 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. 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. News . My family did all grocery shopping in Cape. His personaround, dumpy, and clipping wordsreminds one of another fictional southern sheriff. Luckily, both cars survived, and the Trans Am became famous only five years later. 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. Will Walker: Independence Return For Season 2 Amid CW Shakeups? How "Smokey and the Bandit" was born | Fortune The muscle car market reached a peak in the late 1960s, as the car was becoming larger, more powerful, and more aggressive by looks. Many people believed beforehand that the film was not right for . I remember reading somewhere that one of the cars was equipped with a 455 for some of the higher speed scenes. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, how many cars were destroyed in smokey and the bandit 2 The remaining Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am is currently owned by Florida car collector John Staluppi. The cars were 1976 models, the engines fitted to them were 455ci powerplants, the last year these engines were offered for sale before withdrawal. 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. There was still a market for bras in the 1970s. CC Cinema: The Cars of "Smokey & The Bandit - Curbside Classic Of course, we could argue that Needham could have used the engine note of a Pontiac GTO from the golden muscle car, but the 1955 Custom recordings were probably readily available, and he just didn't need the hassle. There has never been anything quite like late 1970s fashion in clothing. A CC for a 1973 Grand Ville convertible can be found here. By the film's ending, the final surviving Trans Am and LeMans were both barely running and the other cars had become parts donors to keep them running. Needing a fast set of wheels to distract law enforcement, Reynolds character purchases this 1977 Pontiac Trans-Am. It was the second-highest-grossing movie of 1977 after Star Wars. "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. (Still). [31] Smokey and the Bandit was released in the United Kingdom on August 28 and was a success there, garnering positive reviews. The Trans Am used in the movie was a 1976 model with the front end of a 1977 car. Smokey and the Bandit II is a 1980 American action comedy film directed by Hal Needham, and starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, . Many nameplates lost their performance credentials, and some of them, like the Ford Mustang, were redesigned without a V-8 engine. I prefer Buford T. Justices 1980 Pontiac Bonneville and his 1983 Pontiac Bonneville in Smokey and The Bandit III. When it was over, I cried and cried and cried because I didnt want it to end. Im still trying to get clarification on what a diablo sandwich is though. A Pontiac wagon from earlier in the decade. Cinemablend is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. I was just tweaking Jason. The little packy there had Coors and even though it was horribly expensive, we thought it was the elixer of the Gods. Coors was legal in Missouri and illegal in Illinois. IMCDb.org: 1977 Pontiac LeMans in "Smokey and the Bandit, 1977" It took four evenings to see almost all of the movie in bits and pieces. When I was a kid, there was an old record from the 50s around the house that was a collection of radio and tv bloopers. One was a radio ad for a movie that went something like: . The scene where Sheriff Justice's car has the door knocked off by a passing . 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. If you watched the second clip above, this truck should look familiar. Your email address will not be published. In 1978, Pontiac delivered 93,351 Trans Ams and 93,944 regular Firebirds for a grand total of 187,295 cars. 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. I have always loved this movie, watched it dozens and dozens of times on TV, video, DVD, laserdisc, almost any form of media. The redesign was originally planned for 1980, but 1978 and 1979 became record years for GM's division, so the new model was pushed back. 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. Well, they simply considered that the Trans Am didn't sound intimidating enough. I guess the Trans Am proved to have more staying power than the hot 71 Ford in the earlier movie. The Pontiac Firebird Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit is one of the most famous movie cars of all time. 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 Bandit's car was a second-generation Trans Am and the prize for completing the run was a new truck rather than $80,000. Id like to hear from Mr. Needham why so many of those police cars had what look like shaker hood scoops. Of course, nobody else cared if it was in the trunk of the car when heading back home. 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. 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. Most reports of his death still didnt have that right! At the drive-in of all places. Justice. Needham and assistant director David Hamburger spent 30 hours revising the shooting schedule.[4]. Even today when I stumble across this cinematic masterpiece being rerun on cable tv, Ill watch the entire thing. 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). 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. Round and dumpy, just like the Colonnade LeMans! [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. I had no idea that it was going to become a 70s classic. 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]. So, for years one, two, and three, he got a shiny new Pontiac. I enjoyed the hell out of my 1976 Dart Pursuit. Additionally, he can give you several reasons why theres still no replacement for displacement. All pictures from the movie were acquired from www.imcdb.org, Fred Lives!!! 1980 ERTL SMOKEY & THE BANDIT PONTIAC FIREBIRD DIECAST CAR police car Good silly fun. I was a junior high school age kid when this film came out. http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_301466-Ford-LTD-II-1977.html. Two cars were reportedly badly damaged in early stunts in the film, while a third car was completely destroyed during the famous bridge jump scene. 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. At one point in the movie, the Bandit wrecks a police car. February 27, 2023 . Field enjoyed making the film, but remembers that virtually the entire project was improvised. I will confess that by the time this movie was out, I was a Mopar guy. Was it a heathen? But that doesnt make for an interesting movie premise. I think you may be confusing the movie Honky-Tonk Freeway with the filming done during I-75 construction near Sarasota. He gave Needham a preview of the song and, getting no reaction, offered to rewrite it. A couple of years ago, I was sitting around on a lazy Saturday afternoon and it was on TV. Oh, and a hooker girlfriend that looked like Annie Potts. The story replaced the Coors beer with Mobil 1 products. Funny that T/A isnt on the movie poster, considering it was the obvious star of the show. In my area, nearly every one listed is an ex cop car. Reynolds replied: We went through 12. I think thats another line theyve edited out for the television version. The original film had correct sounds that were usually recorded live as the action took place. Smokey & The Bandit was the first of three movies in that franchise. It was his idea to have Junior alongside him throughout the film. But 1978 returned sales of 93,351 examples, a jump of around 25,000 cars. Set with his . The DVD set meets NTSC standards. Have the movie, cheesy as hell, but does have appearances by several NASCAR drivers of the day, including Dale Earnhardt (Senior, not Jr) Kyle Petty, Harry Gant, and one of my favorites of the era, Tim Richmond. Id be surprised. Tragically, every Trans Am used in filming was destroyed. Jane Russell hawked bras on television for full-figured gals like her, a line that evoked snickers among my high-school classmates. It airs on cable tv all the time. 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. Reynolds and Needham owned the Skoal Bandit team at the time, so getting these other drivers to appear probably would not taken much more than a six pack of beer and a hug from co-star Loni Anderson . [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. Frog not included. 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. 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. Great article! 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. 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. 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. [10], Principal photography of the film began on August 30, 1976. That is an excellent question. The film features the custom clothing and costuming of Niver Western Wear of Fort Worth, Texas. However, as our heroes were successful in delivering their truckload of Coors, the writers effectively poised themselves for a sequel. Jackie Gleason ad libbed a lot of his lines too. Burt Reynolds himself drove the car on stage to the song "East Bound and Down" and signed it. 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 . 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. Smokey And The Bandit Tribute Jump Goes About As Well As You'd Expect These were the cans with the two circular push buttons on top instead of pull tabs. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Sure Smokey helped, but was not the sole reason T/A and F body sales went up. The films are indeed classic and very funny to this day. AWESOME! The film's theme song, "East Bound and Down", was written virtually overnight by Reed. 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. Well, at least that's what you saw in the movie. While I have read undocumented accounts of there being more than three Trans Ams, Needham stated three is all that were used. 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. One of our favorite movies. I am pretty sure it was filmed in Florida, when I-75 was under construction so they could use the highways while empty. http://www.leelofland.com/wordpress/john-fedack-my-days-as-a-dekalb-county-police-officer/. This was the lull between Gas Crisis I and II, 1976-78, and Boomers were wanting stylish cars. The film was a sleeper hit, and following a poor initial performance, it went on to gross $126.7 million in North America, versus a budget of only $4.3 million. One guy did a while ago a fan-made trailer of Smokey & the Bandit 4. My drivers ed driving range car was an ex-patrol colonnade Pontiac LeMans Enforcer. 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. This movie trailer gives you an taste of this provocative film, but fails to effectively capture all the subtleties and nuances it contains. [21], Smokey and the Bandit was a sleeper hit. Producers of Smokey and the Bandit wrecked 26 cars while filming the movie in 1977. It was something regarding distribution limits. It made no sense to me as it was fifty miles north and fifty miles south. When Im driving the Bandit Trans Am while playing one of my many Forza Motorsport games I always put that song on. 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. Reed would eventually play the Bandit in Smokey and the Bandit Part 3, in which Reynolds only appeared in a cameo near the end. 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. radio to help him out. [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. After the movie did well, Pontiac gave Burt a free Trans Am to drive for a few years. 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. 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. And back then what I wanted most of all was a highly customized Vette with exposed headlights. The second film was a modest box office success, earning $66.1 million against a $17 million budget. Hes fodder enough for his own article at some point. [30] Upon meeting Reynolds, Billy Bob Thornton told him that the South considers the film to be less cinema and more documentary. Other than Jackie Gleason upstaging every other cast member, the perceived star of the show is this 1977 Pontiac Trans Am.