Movies like Mad Max: Fury Road and Furious 7 may ruin a lot of cars, but they were far from the first. Just like the exaggeration sales went up 700%. The movie had an even bigger impact on the Trans Am. As such, it took a lot of sweet talking by former stuntman Needham for Pontiac to cough up three Trans Ams and three LeManses. Gotta love that guy! The side vents give it away. A 1977 special-edition model once owned by the late actor Burt Reynolds recently wound up on the car auction website Bring a Trailer. ARRGH! Comments Mines never gone away, especially now that I spend every thee month in Memphis. Burt Reynolds himself drove the car on stage to the song "East Bound and Down" and signed it. He gave Needham a preview of the song and, getting no reaction, offered to rewrite it. If it wasnt for Smokey & the Bandit, the Dukes of Hazzard TV series would not exist. Sales jumped even higher in 1979 when Pontiac moved 117,108 Trans Ams. Now, having only three Trans Ams to wreck for a movie is minimalist, to say the least. [30] Upon meeting Reynolds, Billy Bob Thornton told him that the South considers the film to be less cinema and more documentary. What were the police cars in Smokey and the Bandit? It seems Plymouth was in a distant second for product placement. Misconception by casual novice car fans is that the Trams Am didnt sell well until S&B. This movie came out during my early formative years pre grade school. 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. Every idiot with more money than brains wanted a Trans Am. I still couldnt resist lighting up the Pontiacs tires while executing my T-turns. So many classic quotes in this movie. 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. Theres really nothing like an old cop car. An effort to recreate a jump from Smokey and the Bandit doesn't go perfectly when the car takes a rough course off the ramp. They quickly escape in one of Big Enos's 13 Cadillacs as police flood the racetrack. 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. 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. Coors is still brewed just outside Denver, Colorado. Free shipping for many products! The comedy has been remastered to DVD standards. I prefer Buford T. Justices 1980 Pontiac Bonneville and his 1983 Pontiac Bonneville in Smokey and The Bandit III. The dubbed version is awful. Many nameplates lost their performance credentials, and some of them, like the Ford Mustang, were redesigned without a V-8 engine. 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.. Some fellow classmates were extras on the film set, and it was a big deal around here at the time. 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. This movie trailer gives you an taste of this provocative film, but fails to effectively capture all the subtleties and nuances it contains. Nice job, I know its cheesy as heck but I love this movie and still tend to watch it when I see its on TV. Of course, nobody else cared if it was in the trunk of the car when heading back home. 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. 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". In return, Reynolds portrayed Boss Hogg (originally portrayed by Sorrell Booke) in the film adaptation The Dukes of Hazzard (2005). At the time, it was illegal to transport Coors east of the Mississippi River and a series of other truckers had been apprehended for trying to accomplish this feat for the Burdettes. 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. In its place was the nonsensical "scum bum." . As luck and script writing would have it, Frog has left her groom at the altar. The roller coaster in the movie was the Greyhound. Needham had great difficulty getting any studios or producers to take his project seriously, being better known in the film industry as a stuntman. Of course, it wasnt hard to wake them up. 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. I think more of Smokey and the Bandit II and the awful part 3 were filmed largely in Florida, I dont know if I-75 construction was started by 1976-77, at least the section down to Miami part, when they filmed. [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. I think thats another line theyve edited out for the television version. The three original films introduced two generations of the Pontiac Trans Am and the Dodge Stealth in the television movies. That said, an uncomplimentary accent does exist. Other sources in East Texas (from whence Sheriff Justice hails) are familiar with the popular regional delicacy known as the Diablo Sandwich. 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. 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. Im gonna barbecue your ass in molasses., Re: The picture with 4 ladies and the wagon and van. Here is the LeMans; Gleason literally drives the wheels off: As an aside, heres a curious bit of trivia. Actor Henry Corden, who voiced Fred Flintstone after original performer Alan Reed died the same year the film was released, was used to replace a considerable amount of Sheriff Justice's dialogue. [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. 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. 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. 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 secrets behind the cars and stunts in 'The Italian Job'. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). The remaining Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am is currently owned by Florida car collector John Staluppi. 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. [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. Great fun! [29] Alfred Hitchcock claimed that the film was one of his favorites. Your email address will not be published. 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. After passing Buford's badly damaged cruiser on the roadside, Bandit gets on the CB and initially directs him to the Burdettes, but then respectfully gives his real locationright behind Buford, who continues his chase leaving Junior behind, and with more parts falling off his cruiser as he limps off after Bandit. 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. As deals were made for the actors and producers, the studio wanted to renegotiate my deal. A dastardly scoundrel? and used hard. With Reynolds' salary at $1 million, Needham was left with only $3.3 million to make the film. The tow truck driver was a local garage owner, Berlin Wike. [22] It premiered at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, where it performed badly. The Trans Am was already pretty popular in the mid-1970s, with sales hitting 68,745 units in 1977. These two 1967 Ford Galaxies (CC here), soon to be redecorated by a Kenworth road tractor, do not. Here's everything you should know about one of the most iconic movie cars ever. A 1975 Pontiac Grand Ville, seen toward the end of the movie. 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. The theatrical release has a few lines deleted, including an edit in which Sheriff Justice tells a state trooper to "fuck off" after the sheriff called his vehicle "a piece of crap". Gas was a buck a gallon at the time so fuel economy wasnt a major issue. 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. This small modification was made to remind viewers of Trans Am models from 1969, which had in excess of 300 horsepower. 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. While I have read undocumented accounts of there being more than three Trans Ams, Needham stated three is all that were used. From what I have read the artist did the poster rendering from some blown up stills that he was shown from the movie, and none of them for some mysterious reason included the Trans Am, the truck, Reynolds, Gleason, Sally Field, crashing police cars, but no T/A. Round and dumpy, just like the Colonnade LeMans! Ive always loved this movie. Musicians such as Beegie Adair and George Tidwell[20] played on the soundtrack. The other range car was a Chevette for people that wanted to learn on a manual transmission. 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. And Coors itself limited its distribution to west of the Mississippi. Well, at least that's what you saw in the movie. Much of the surrounding scene comes from that immediate vicinity. Cause theyre thirsty in Atlanta In the 1977 movie Smokey and the Bandit, a high-speed chase ensues between the police and the Bandit (Burt Reynolds). Nah, they survived by coming up with bras with very thin cups. 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. I only got one of them LOL. That came out in 1981. I drive a conversion van. I was just tweaking Jason. [38], In 2014, petroleum company Mobil 1 produced television commercials, featuring then-NASCAR driver Tony Stewart, closely based on the film. The film features the custom clothing and costuming of Niver Western Wear of Fort Worth, Texas. I still think its more entertaining than Star Wars. Despite growing up next to Cape, most of relatives are from the Mid-South. 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. When Smokey and the Bandit first aired on American network television in the early 1980s, censors were faced with the challenge of toning down the raw language of the original film. I have worked a long time to eradicate the one I had but it still crops up periodically from exposure, like you experienced. Gleason was given free rein to ad-lib dialogue and make suggestions. Smokey & The Bandit is the greatest movie of the 20th Century! Coors was legal in Missouri and illegal in Illinois. In fact, after Smokey and the Bandit became a box office hit, Pontiac saw a marked increase in their stock prices. I know, Ive owned a 75 for 23 years. 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. Gleasons Justice is the stereotypical Southern sheriff, as seen in this clip. There has never been anything quite like late 1970s fashion in clothing. 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. They retained the white steering wheels until 72 or so , just the thing to preveny burned fingers in the Desert sun . 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: . I grew up in Illinois, within eyeshot of the banks of the MIssissippi River, and ten miles from Cape Girardeau, Missouri. 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. UNIVERSAL CUT THE BUDGET JUST AS PRODUCTION WAS ABOUT TO BEGIN. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. On the DVD, there is a brief interview with both Burt Reynolds and Hal Needham, who directed this film. Other than Jackie Gleason upstaging every other cast member, the perceived star of the show is this 1977 Pontiac Trans Am. At the time, Reynolds was the top box office star in the world. 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! He contacted Pontiac and an agreement was made that four 1977 Trans Ams and two Pontiac LeMans four-door sedans would be provided for the movie. When I was a kid I thought they were the same person. 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. You will receive a verification email shortly. 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. After the movie did well, Pontiac gave Burt a free Trans Am to drive for a few years. 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. I remember reading somewhere that one of the cars was equipped with a 455 for some of the higher speed scenes. His expletive is obscured when a passing big rig sounds its horn. We just watched this with the kids the other week, along with Cannonball Run. As Frog leaves, we are introduced to Sheriff Buford T. Justice, played by Jackie Gleason. For Smokey and the Bandit II (1980), Needham asked for and received 10 Trans Ams and 55 Bonnevilles with no trouble. Soon as I get home, first thing Im gonna do is punch yo mamma in da mouth!. I think Stroker Ace is after Smokey and the Bandit, though there was Hooper, which was about a stuntman, it also had Sally Field, it was from 1978 or so. So lets explore this car (and truck) heavy flick, all while giving those who have not seen it a glimpse into a movie whose complexity and intellect remains unparalleled within the history of cinema. 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. [40] Major portions of the audio background have been modified with different engine sounds or tire squeals from the original film. Ive always wanted some sort of de-commission/ex unmarked cop car, something from the 70s preferably. 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 theme music "East Bound and Down" was sung and co-written by Reed (credited under his birth name, Jerry Hubbard) and Dick Feller. And theres beer in Texarkana.. Its lack of additives and preservatives meant that Coors could spoil in one week without refrigeration, explaining the film's 28-hour deadline. You want to questions bra sales, check out the youtube video of Hang on Sloopy by the Mccoys, the color version.wowza! Hal Needham did pass away as someone earlier said. And all of us easterners suddenly discovered it was nothing more than another Budweiser/Miller/etc. All pictures from the movie were acquired from www.imcdb.org, Fred Lives!!! I agree, despite people saying you sound cute, it seems like they think Ellie Mae Clapett or Jethro Bodean. The original Blues Brothers movie from 1980 is a classic, and fans were excited when a sequel was announced in 1998. . Somehow this store had a regular supply. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 78% rating based on 32 reviews. 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. Thats all true. 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. Not everything was Pontiac, as evidenced by this 1973 Plymouth Satellite coupe (CC here). It had not been used for some time and was repainted for the film. A blackguard? 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. 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. 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. 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. Burt Reynolds plays truck driver Bo Bandit Darville. The story replaced the Coors beer with Mobil 1 products. AWESOME! The remaining Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am is currently owned by Florida car collector John Staluppi. The scoops were added by the department because the engines ran so hot. Was it a heathen? The DVD set meets NTSC standards. Smokey and the Bandit star Burt Reynolds passed away in 2018 . Reynolds replied: We went through 12. 1979 was equally successful for the brand, joining 1978 to create Pontiac's best sales years ever. 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 know that Trans Am that . Though no authoritative source identifies the composition of the sandwich, there are several possibilities. 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. The cars were originally ordered by a car rental agency in Phoenix, who refused to accept the . 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. Arguably the most iconic Pontiac Firebird in history. It was destroyed in Smokey and the Bandit II and in a flashback scene in Part 3. During their run, they are pursued by Texas county sheriff Buford T. Justice (Gleason). Great article! (it did taste a lot better than Bud as I recall). I ended up buying a 1969 Cadillac ambulance a year later! The commercials were produced after Stewart mentioned that the movie was one of his favorites.[39]. Want proof? Only one survived, and it's priceless. His personaround, dumpy, and clipping wordsreminds one of another fictional southern sheriff. [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 really enjoyed this discussion. Set with his . 2-Smokey and the Bandit II-Pretty bad, still has some funny campy crap, the Dom DeLuise Italian Dr. bit is ok, Gleason is still pretty funny, the Turbo T/A is pretty weak, but still cool to see. So these kind of represented a rebellion attitude to the government mandated diesel econo hatches everyone thought we were going to be forced to drive in the 80sinterestingly 1979 was also the best year for the Corvette too. 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. It was destroyed in Smokey and the Bandit II and in a flashback scene in Part 3. The cashier never batted an eye as she sold us the mass quantities of suds. Many hardcore fans of Burt Reynolds' most iconic movie, 1977's "Smokey and The Bandit," know that none of those cool black Pontiac Trans Ams with gold trim survived the stunts in the film. Hes fodder enough for his own article at some point. 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. 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. I have at least 4 really good car buddies that will from time to time love popping this movie in to watch. In its place was the nonsensical scum bum. The voice over actor? But while the cars shown in the movie look like 1977-model-year Trans Ams, they were actually 1976 models. 46,000 in 1976, 68,000 in 1977, 93,000 in 1978, 117,000 in 1979. Depends upon what he converted it from. S&B is one of my all-time favorite movies and Im not apologizing. The Trans Am used for said jump was equipped with a booster rocket, the same type that was used by Evel Knievel during his failed Snake River Canyon jump. Another one is, Theres no way youre from my loins.. Dodge pitchman Sheriff Joe Higgins. News . With Reynolds agreement to do the movie, and his insistence upon casting Gleason as Sheriff Justice, the movie became a larger venture. The checker, not batting an eye, Do you want that chilled?. I developed a pretty good bootheel accent during my time in New Madrid. Im still trying to get clarification on what a diablo sandwich is though. 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. He enlists the help of fellow truck driver Cletus The Snowman Snow, played by country music singer Jerry Reed. Your email address will not be published. Plus , I loved those late 1960s through mid 1970s Plymouths even though Im a Bowtie Guy by default . I still regret selling mine almost 30 years ago. The man does get around. 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. 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. I own all three films on a dvd called the Smokey and The Bandit Pursuit Pack. This movie was filmed in Georgia as well. I imagine that they borrowed some of the character from Sheriff JW Pepper from the 1973 and 1974 James Bond movies, Live and Let Die and The Man with the Golden Gun. When it is finally torn off along with the car's roof in the impact with the girder, the missing fender still reappears later on in the film. As a former Club Wagon pilot, I happen to like his Econoline. Whaddya expect outta a guy what drives a conversion van? Free shipping for many products! 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 Bill Justis is the first name on the credits for the soundtrack, as he composed and arranged original music throughout the film. During this time, the Firebird also surpassed sales figures of the Chevrolet Camaro. Coors wasnt pasteurized. Well, the Corvettes success is clearly due to Corvette Summer, @Jim I remember that movie! Jason, Using the words nuance, subtlety, complexity and intellect to describe this movie, is, as they say, trs amusant! 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). I dont know if I ever saw one in real life at the time, although I was pretty young then. A black Trans Am is parked in my garage because of this movie. I always think scumbum because when I watched it as a kid in the early 90s, it was usually on TBS. 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. Yet when I think of a 70s T/A, thats the one I and Im sure millions of other folks think of. Needham stated that by the end of production, there really wasnt much left of any of the three. 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!!! The sound came from a 1955 Chevrolet Custom, the same car that was used in Two-Lane Blacktop and American Graffiti, films launched in 1971 and 1973, respectively. Watching TV and Movies you would think that sales dropped to nil. I never understood why dragging a truckload of beer from Colorado to Georgia was such a big deal. Id like to hear from Mr. Needham why so many of those police cars had what look like shaker hood scoops. Revisit this scene featuring "East Bound and. I am indeed a fan. Get ready to tear up the highway with the Bandit (Burt Reynolds), a fun-loving, fast-talking trucker who takes on his craziest haul yet - delivering 400 case.