how many cars destroyed in smokey and the bandit

So why did they go with sound effects instead of the Trans Am's actually exhaust noise? The cop cars with the hood scoops were ex-DeKalb County (Georgia) cruisers. Director Hal Needham convinced Pontiac to feature the Pontiac Trans Am in the movie. That said, an uncomplimentary accent does exist. Somehow this store had a regular supply. Gator , Stroker Ace , lots of them . HotCars covers all things automotive: the latest auto news and informative reviews on the car, pickup truck and motorcycle industries. How many smokey and the bandit movies are there? With this, the Sheriff begins his pursuit of the Mann Act-violating Banditall the way to Georgia. [38], In 2014, petroleum company Mobil 1 produced television commercials, featuring then-NASCAR driver Tony Stewart, closely based on the film. 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. Im probably in the minority as usual, but I prefer the Black and Gold 50th Anne. Its weird how it works. The Trans Am was a high-performance package for the Firebird, Pontiac's take on the Chevrolet Camaro. The most noted change made for network broadcast was the replacing of Buford's often-spoken phrase "sumbitch" (a contraction of "son of a bitch"; usually in reference to the Bandit) with the phrase "scum bum". Also up for auction was a go-kart replica of the car, which sold for nearly $14,000. 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 instance, the diesel engine start and run-up sequence in the opening sequence of the film were completely dubbed over with a new sound. The three movie cars were destroyed during various stunts, so the promo car is the only surviving Trans Am connected to this film. The second film was a modest box office success, earning $66.1 million against a $17 million budget. Somebody locally is selling a Regis Plymouth Fury ex Florida Police with gasping 318 V8, he will for the right money toss in a 440 with it. And theres this nugget from the director of the coming new Shazam movie; I first watched Smokey on quiet swing shifts from the drivers seat of a 1977 Pontiac Le Mans patrol car, parked by thr back fence of the drive-in theater at the far end of town. I was in West Plains the other day and there is yet another variation of it there. One guy did a while ago a fan-made trailer of Smokey & the Bandit 4. It consists of any of the various Louisiana-style hot sauces on Texas toast-style bread alongside the fourth most famous product of Pittsburg, Texas (behind Pilgrim's Pride, Cavender's, and Carroll Shelby)Pittsburg Hot Links. Anyone who enjoys Colonnade sedans will love Smokey & the Bandit. 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. Weve got a long way to go and a short time to get there Jason, Using the words nuance, subtlety, complexity and intellect to describe this movie, is, as they say, trs amusant! I had a 78 Trigger lookalike for a while in the mid 90s, until a wrist pin went out, ended up selling it to one of my brothers buddys uncles. With the Smokey and the Bandit actor gone, and the impact the actor had on the Trans Am community, having one of the few connections to him destroyed is too much. The remaining Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am is currently owned by Florida car collector John Staluppi. The movie, in fact, caused sales of the . I certainly hope the guy hired to drive that 74 Ford Torino wagon was paid well for his work. (Still). The original uncut sumbitch version. Actually, there were 2 future Dukes stars in the movie: Ben Jones (Cooter) was in an early scene helping Big Enos find Bandit. They destroyed all those cars in the films he said. The original Blues Brothers movie from 1980 is a classic, and fans were excited when a sequel was announced in 1998. . Let me get the popcorn for this one. The dubbed version isnt as bad as the Remastered Blu-ray. [22] It premiered at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, where it performed badly. This small modification was made to remind viewers of Trans Am models from 1969, which had in excess of 300 horsepower. As luck and script writing would have it, Frog has left her groom at the altar. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. A dastardly scoundrel? 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 film was followed by two sequels: Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) and Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983). S/E T/A with the round headlights. However, in more recent years, the original version has been shown (on ITV, a commercial channel), usually with the stronger language edited out, often quite awkwardly. Mines never gone away, especially now that I spend every thee month in Memphis. 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!) 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. Here in Canada they didnt censor it, so we always got the sumbitch version. Not a bad deal, but on the fourth year, no new car. I was in the Air Force during this era, stationed in California. Needham had great difficulty getting any studios or producers to take his project seriously, being better known in the film industry as a stuntman. Nah, they survived by coming up with bras with very thin cups. how many cars were destroyed in smokey and the bandit 2. The third-generation Firebird was introduced in 1982, a full two years later than planned. I have since moved on from them, mainly because in stock form, they were not particularly great cars (though good enough for the times). [29] Alfred Hitchcock claimed that the film was one of his favorites. The value of their stock rose a startling 70 percent after the films release, and to show their appreciation to Reynolds, the president said they would give the actor a new car each and every year. Ive always loved this movie. 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. Mrs Jason wont let me sell the sumbitch. There was still a market for bras in the 1970s. But 1978 returned sales of 93,351 examples, a jump of around 25,000 cars. Burt Reynolds' 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Sold for $240,000. It had not been used for some time and was repainted for the film. This movie was filmed in Georgia as well. 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. Although he's into just about any type of vehicle, Ciprian is not your typical car enthusiast. The trip to Texarkana is uneventful; soon after leaving for the return trip to Georgia, The Bandit encounters Frog, played by Sally Field. We also learn that every launched satellite will eventually fall back to Earth, such as this 1972 Plymouth Satellite (CC here). 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. In return, Reynolds portrayed Boss Hogg (originally portrayed by Sorrell Booke) in the film adaptation The Dukes of Hazzard (2005). [10], Principal photography of the film began on August 30, 1976. I have always loved this movie, watched it dozens and dozens of times on TV, video, DVD, laserdisc, almost any form of media. As a feature-length car chase, the car was as much of a star as Burt Reynolds, and the film gave birth to the cult of the Trans Am. Of course, nobody else cared if it was in the trunk of the car when heading back home. I still couldnt resist lighting up the Pontiacs tires while executing my T-turns. 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! His automotive adventure started reporting on various motorsport events as a sports writer before moving onto a full-time auto career with various sites, including This Week In Motors and Autoevolution. Gleason probably wanted too much money to provide the dubbing, which is a shame because it ruins the TV version. My family did all grocery shopping in Cape. The 1977 features rectangular quad headlamps instead of only two round lights, a unique slanted and V-shaped nose, and a center-mounted hood scoop. 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 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. Some weren't that lucky and were discontinued altogether. This was the lull between Gas Crisis I and II, 1976-78, and Boomers were wanting stylish cars. 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. [30] Upon meeting Reynolds, Billy Bob Thornton told him that the South considers the film to be less cinema and more documentary. 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. I agree, despite people saying you sound cute, it seems like they think Ellie Mae Clapett or Jethro Bodean. 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. Gleason was given free rein to ad-lib dialogue and make suggestions. Reynolds and Field began dating during the filming.[13]. I distinctly remember my mother buying Coors and being asked if she lived in Missouri or Illinois by the cashier. 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. Nuts about any form of classic motorsport and muscle cars, Ciprian's currently working on a time machine that would take him back to the 1960s for a long vacation alongside Dan Gurney and Jim Hall. 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]. Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox would bring several cases after playing on the West Coast, by stashing them in the equipment trunks on the team's plane. 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. [5] Reynolds revealed in his autobiography that Needham had written the first draft script on legal pads. I will confess that by the time this movie was out, I was a Mopar guy. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. A series of four made-for-TV spin-off films (Bandit Goes Country, Bandit Bandit, Beauty and the Bandit, and Bandit's Silver Angel) were produced in 1994 for Universal Television's Action Pack with actor Brian Bloom playing a younger version of the Bandit. http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_301466-Ford-LTD-II-1977.html. The Trans Am was already pretty popular in the mid-1970s, with sales hitting 68,745 units in 1977. 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. Free shipping for many products! A 1975 Pontiac Grand Prix with a Buick Electra behind it. They retained the white steering wheels until 72 or so , just the thing to preveny burned fingers in the Desert sun . The directorial debut of stuntman Hal Needham, the film follows Bo "Bandit" Darville (Reynolds) and Cledus "Snowman" Snow (Reed), two bootleggers attempting to illegally transport 400 cases of Coors beer from Texarkana to Atlanta. The Trans Am used in the movie was a 1976 model with the front end of a 1977 car. Reynolds actively pushed for her casting after Universal initially resisted, claiming Field was not attractive enough. 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) . We just watched this with the kids the other week, along with Cannonball Run. Thank you for signing up to CinemaBlend. 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. The tow truck driver was a local garage owner, Berlin Wike. [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 hood scoop on these cars says "6.6 LITRE", which, in 1977, would have denoted an Oldsmobile 403-equipped car or a non-W-72, 180 hp version of the 400 Pontiac engine. The cars were 1976 models, the engines fitted to them were 455ci powerplants, the last year these engines were offered for sale before withdrawal. 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. 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. The checker, not batting an eye, Do you want that chilled?. It was destroyed in Smokey and the Bandit II and in a flashback scene in Part 3. And the 400 Pontiac or 403 Olds versions could be made to run well. His expletive is obscured when a passing big rig sounds its horn. The new Hot Pants scene had to quickly be refilmed as a part of a second unit in the San Fernando Valley and was shot at a drive-in restaurant near Hansen Dam named Baby Beef Burgers, which has since been demolished. Likely this isnt any rare engine venting package, but I could be wrong. He paid $550,000 for it, likely a record for any Pontiac Firebird. I never understood why dragging a truckload of beer from Colorado to Georgia was such a big deal. 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. That girl from the McCoys video probably looks like Paula Deen now. ", "The Bandit Run Brought to you by Restore A Muscle Car", "Stewart plays off 'Smokey and the Bandit in Mobil 1 ad", "Smokey and the Bandit: 40th Anniversary Edition", "Smokey and the Bandit II, Box Office Information", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Smokey_and_the_Bandit&oldid=1142751918, Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images, Album articles lacking alt text for covers, All articles that may contain original research, Articles that may contain original research from April 2022, Articles needing additional references from September 2018, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, "Incidental CB Dialogue" (Voice ["Bandit"] , "Incidental CB Dialogue" (Voice ["Bandit"] Burt Reynolds, Voice ["Smokey"] , "Incidental CB Dialogue" (Voice ["Bandit"] Burt Reynolds, Voice ["Smokey"] Jackie Gleason), George Reynolds as Sheriff George Branford, This page was last edited on 4 March 2023, at 04:45. These questions all need to be answered. The rub? The unrestored car reportedly showed up on eBay back in 2015, but no one wanted to buy it. I have at least 4 really good car buddies that will from time to time love popping this movie in to watch. 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. 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. The dubbed version is awful. Lets take a look at some more cars found 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. I remember that it had a bunch of trim badges on the center of the dashboard. Other than Jackie Gleason upstaging every other cast member, the perceived star of the show is this 1977 Pontiac Trans Am. 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. via iconic premier. . How many cars destroyed Blues Brothers 2000? You want to questions bra sales, check out the youtube video of Hang on Sloopy by the Mccoys, the color version.wowza! The LeMans police car did nothing for me because there was a colonnade LeMans sedan in the garage at home. The site's consensus states: "Not much in the head but plenty beneath the hood, Smokey and the Bandit is infectious fun with plenty of car wrecks to keep your eyes glued". Lets take a look. 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. 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. 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. [4] Reynolds said in 2015 that he most enjoyed this film, and had the most fun making it, of his career.[26]. 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. Your email address will not be published. In response, Needham told Reed that he liked the song so much that if Reed changed even a word or a note, Needham would "choke him". The truck at the shell station is actually a 75 or 76 Toyota Hilux. I did help a friend rebuild a late 60s 400 to replace the anemic 301 in his 79, Trans Am. The worldwide gross is estimated at over $300 million. I only got one of them LOL. This movie came out during my early formative years pre grade school. Due to his financial difficulties in 2014, Reynolds put his vast collection of artwork and memorabilia up for auction, including the Trans Am. The cars were originally ordered by a car rental agency in Phoenix, who refused to accept the . The movie is responsible for something, by 1979 Pontiac was selling 100,000 plus Trans Ams, not the whole Firebird line, JUST Trans Ams, Pontiac sold more T/As in 1979 than any of the cheaper Firebirds combined, Smokey and the Bandit had to have a hand in that. I beg to differ Mr -Nate. Car movies are notorious for being tough on the very vehicles that give them their allure. Many of the film's original sounds were replaced. Three Kenworth W900A short-frame semi trucks, driven by Reed, were each equipped with 38-inch sleepers. New York, The cars were wrecked on purpose to create the illusion of a high-speed chase. His father was also the inspiration for the word "sumbitch" used in the film, a variation of the phrase "son-of-a-bitch" that, according to Reynolds, he uttered quite often. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Gleason was a genius, but this was not one of his better outings I prefer the Hustler and Gigot. Theres really nothing like an old cop car. And all of us easterners suddenly discovered it was nothing more than another Budweiser/Miller/etc. I know that Trans Am that jumped that bridge broke the axle when it landed. 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. A 1975 Pontiac Grand Ville, seen toward the end of the movie. I own all three films on a dvd called the Smokey and The Bandit Pursuit Pack. 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. and the Dixie Dance Kings, and Burts car was a 57 [56?] The roller coaster in the movie was the Greyhound. On the DVD, there is a brief interview with both Burt Reynolds and Hal Needham, who directed this film. When it was over, I cried and cried and cried because I didnt want it to end. Thats all true. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Needham stated that by the end of production, there really wasnt much left of any of the three. The differences between the two are major. [34] In 2015 a Florida-based automobile customization company built 77 Trans Ams modeled after the car that Reynolds drove in the film. That's because Pontiac almost canceled the Firebird in the early 1970s. Dodge pitchman Sheriff Joe Higgins. Additionally, he can give you several reasons why theres still no replacement for displacement. And then they made the biggest mistake of their lives and went to national distribution. 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. And Burt may be from GA originally, but he calls Florida home, which is another reason I heard the movie was filmed here. With Reynolds' salary at $1 million, Needham was left with only $3.3 million to make the film. . Burt Reynolds may be 79, but he shows no signs of slowing down. I remember borrowing my brothers red 1976 T/A to take a girl to the theater to see Smokey and the Bandit. In a rare public appearance, Burt Reynolds revealed how many cars they wrecked making Smokey and 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. 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 actually remember the construction of that segment of I-75, as it stopped around Tampa prior to that time. While watching the movie (yes, I did have to diligently research this article), one shot seemed to indicate this may be a dummy scoop. Further, as Pontiac has deliciously obvious product placement, anyone who delights in 70s era Pontiac iron will experience visual ecstasy. Please refresh the page and try again. 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 . Coors was legal in Missouri and illegal in Illinois. Smokey & The Bandit was the first of three movies in that franchise. Justice. As I am finishing this article while Big Truck Week is winding down, here is a Kenworth with a 1973 Dodge Polara patrol car. Were they dummies? Pontiac should have made a radio that played that song automatically simply by pushing a button, or maybe made it the horn sound. I drive a conversion van. Burt Reynolds once claimed in an interview that there were actually 12 Trans Ams featured in Smokey and the Banditand he wrecked every one. A few other examples of sound effect replacement occur when the Bandit takes off after getting the reluctant Cledus involved in the bet, the Bandit comes to a screeching halt on a roadway moments before picking up Carrie, and when Buford's car top comes off. Behind Sheriff Justices Pontiac, there is a nice looking 1965 or 1966 Ford Mustang fastback and a Toyota pickup. I'm afraid I was responsible for a good few of those. http://www.leelofland.com/wordpress/john-fedack-my-days-as-a-dekalb-county-police-officer/. [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). 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.

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