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

The soundtrack album was released in 1977 on vinyl, cassette, and 8-track through MCA Records. 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. I loved the fact that Jackie Gleasons brown Lemans had a blue vinyl interior and it even had the luxury cushion steering wheel! Nothing annoys him more than car electronics, and he just hates it when performance cars lack a third pedal. Theres really nothing like an old cop car. In addition to the four Trans Ams, Needham also received two Pontiac LeMans models to serve as patrol cars in the movie. 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! 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 distinctly remember my mother buying Coors and being asked if she lived in Missouri or Illinois by the cashier. I have since moved on from them, mainly because in stock form, they were not particularly great cars (though good enough for the times). Frederick Amon smuggled it from Colorado to North Carolina and sold it for four times the retail price.[19]. Neither Buford nor any other lawmen know of Snowman's illegal manifest, while Bandit is likewise unaware that Buford is chasing him because of Carrie, whose jumpiness inspires Bandit to give her the CB handle "Frog". 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. . I fondly remember lots and lots of terrible B grade movies @ the drive in in the early to mid 1970s all featuring cars racing , smashing and so on . Burt Reynolds himself drove the car on stage to the song "East Bound and Down" and signed it. Weve got a long way to go and a short time to get there How many police cars were wrecked in Smokey and the Bandit? It wasnt distributed in Washington in those days either. 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. 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. Today, Smokey and the Bandit remains one of the most popular car action films ever made, and the 1977 Pontiac Trans Am will forever be wed to the movie. High estimates for the car were up to $80,000, but the actual sale price was $450,000. Got Greyhound cutout decals on the rear side windows. 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. 1979 was equally successful for the brand, joining 1978 to create Pontiac's best sales years ever. MN12 Thunderbirds had the same appeal to me, for similar reasons. 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. 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. There was a true concern (for some minuscule reason) about it going east of the Mississippi River. The scene featuring the racetrack was filmed at Lakewood Speedway at the old Lakewood Fairgrounds on Atlanta's south side. Needing a fast set of wheels to distract law enforcement, Reynolds character purchases this 1977 Pontiac Trans-Am. 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: . Of course, it wasnt hard to wake them up. 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. I still think its more entertaining than Star Wars. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. They retained the white steering wheels until 72 or so , just the thing to preveny burned fingers in the Desert sun . Back in 1984, I went to look at a late 1970s Plymouth cop car as well. After the movie did well, Pontiac gave Burt a free Trans Am to drive for a few years. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. 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. The Trans Am was already pretty popular in the mid-1970s, with sales hitting 68,745 units in 1977. East bound and down, loaded up and truckin 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". I think you may be confusing the movie Honky-Tonk Freeway with the filming done during I-75 construction near Sarasota. As luck and script writing would have it, Frog has left her groom at the altar. While it's sad that the other two cars were destroyed . Five-string banjo player Bobby Thompson is prominent toward the end of "East Bound and Down". [6] It would become one of Reed's biggest hits and his signature song.[7]. 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. Some differences included the use of a supercharged 454-CID (7.4-liter) Chevrolet-sourced engine that put out 840 HP, and four round headlights, which appeared on the 196769 Firebirds/Trans Ams only; the actual 197781 models had rectangular headlights. 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 . That song often pops into my head at the start of long drives. [12] The area around Helen, Georgia, was used for some locations. 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. 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. The cashier never batted an eye as she sold us the mass quantities of suds. And theres beer in Texarkana.. The original Blues Brothers movie from 1980 is a classic, and fans were excited when a sequel was announced in 1998. . 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. Thats all true. He paid $550,000 for it, likely a record for any Pontiac Firebird. 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. That came out in 1981. I really enjoyed this discussion. The roundup sequence in the desert shows many new Pontiac Le Mans sedans decorated as police cars being destroyed. 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. That parking lot was full of Trans Ams! Here in Canada they didnt censor it, so we always got the sumbitch version. 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". I have always loved this movie, watched it dozens and dozens of times on TV, video, DVD, laserdisc, almost any form of media. Whaddya expect outta a guy what drives a conversion van? His expletive is obscured when a passing big rig sounds its horn. One of those things that will make my kids think Im crazy some day. The dubbed version is awful. Sales of the coupe exploded after the film hit the silver screen and set unprecedented records for both Pontiac and the Firebird nameplate. Its lack of additives and preservatives meant that Coors could spoil in one week without refrigeration, explaining the film's 28-hour deadline. The worldwide gross is estimated at over $300 million. 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. The third-generation Firebird was introduced in 1982, a full two years later than planned. Required fields are marked *. During this time, the Firebird also surpassed sales figures of the Chevrolet Camaro. I think thats another line theyve edited out for the television version. The side vents give it away. 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. I did help a friend rebuild a late 60s 400 to replace the anemic 301 in his 79, Trans Am. The secrets behind the cars and stunts in 'The Italian Job'. That is why there are not any left. Sally Field and Burt Reynolds began a relationship after meeting on set. These questions all need to be answered. And back then what I wanted most of all was a highly customized Vette with exposed headlights. The original uncut sumbitch version. The whereabouts of the remaining Smokey and the Bandit car, the one that was used to promote the movie, remained a mystery for years. 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. Free shipping for many products! The roller coaster in the movie was the Greyhound. While I have read undocumented accounts of there being more than three Trans Ams, Needham stated three is all that were used. 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. Will Walker: Independence Return For Season 2 Amid CW Shakeups? Two units were 1974 models, as evidenced by standard silver Kenworth emblems on the truck grille, and one unit was a 1973 model, as evidenced by the gold-painted Kenworth emblem on the truck's grille, signifying Kenworth's 50 years in business. Gleasons Justice is the stereotypical Southern sheriff, as seen in this clip. When I was a kid I thought they were the same person. A paper on Cognitive psychology was published in the 1990 issue of Computers in Human Perception. The area around Helen, Georgia, was used for some locations. Check out the entire video below. 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. 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. It follows the adventures of a couple of truck drivers bootlegging Coors, which couldnt legally be sold East of the Mississippi River at the time. 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 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. Producer Hal Needham intended Smokey and the Bandit to be one of the best product placement films of all time. 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. Cape was far enough north that it was watered down and there was so much cross-pollination with the Illinois side you really didnt discern much difference. So many classic quotes in this movie. [40] Major portions of the audio background have been modified with different engine sounds or tire squeals from the original film. I still regret selling mine almost 30 years ago. http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_301466-Ford-LTD-II-1977.html. and the Dixie Dance Kings, and Burts car was a 57 [56?] [10], Principal photography of the film began on August 30, 1976. Needham and assistant director David Hamburger spent 30 hours revising the shooting schedule.[4]. Mines never gone away, especially now that I spend every thee month in Memphis. The three movie cars were destroyed during various stunts, so the promo car is the only surviving Trans Am connected to this film. Free shipping for many products! 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. A segment of the CMT program Reel Eats used a sloppy joe-style recipe consisting of seasoned ground beef, corn, and sour cream. In the U.K., the heavily dubbed version was shown for several years, particularly by the BBC. He's a proud member of the TopSpeed team since early 2014. 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. The film features the custom clothing and costuming of Niver Western Wear of Fort Worth, Texas. The second film was a modest box office success, earning $66.1 million against a $17 million budget. They quickly escape in one of Big Enos's 13 Cadillacs as police flood the racetrack. Bill Justis is the first name on the credits for the soundtrack, as he composed and arranged original music throughout the film. Most of the dialogue was improvised on set. I was in the Air Force during this era, stationed in California. [5] Sally Field only accepted the part after her agent advised her that she needed a big movie role on her rsum. [30] Upon meeting Reynolds, Billy Bob Thornton told him that the South considers the film to be less cinema and more documentary. Another one is, Theres no way youre from my loins.. [29] Alfred Hitchcock claimed that the film was one of his favorites. As deals were made for the actors and producers, the studio wanted to renegotiate my deal. Stroker Ace is after S&B, 1983, and features the then new for 83 aero Fox Body Thunderbird. [5] Reynolds revealed in his autobiography that Needham had written the first draft script on legal pads. It took four evenings to see almost all of the movie in bits and pieces. Many of the film's original sounds were replaced. When Im driving the Bandit Trans Am while playing one of my many Forza Motorsport games I always put that song on. 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.