Movies like Mad Max: Fury Road and Furious 7 may ruin a lot of cars, but they were far from the first. During a Q&A session on Saturday, filmed by ComicBook.com, a fan asked how many Trans Ams they burned through during production. 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. 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Earlier DVD releases and the 40th Anniversary Blu-ray of the film have the original soundtrack intact. With Reynolds' salary at $1 million, Needham was left with only $3.3 million to make the film. The differences between the two are major. A CC for a 1973 Grand Ville convertible can be found here. Lets take a look. 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 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. Needing a fast set of wheels to distract law enforcement, Reynolds character purchases this 1977 Pontiac Trans-Am. If you watched any of these clips, you heard a goodly number of phrases that still cannot be used on television in the United States. AWESOME! 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. Luckily, both cars survived, and the Trans Am became famous only five years later. If I recall correctly, Firebirds in general (along with Camaros) were selling well prior to 1977, but the Trans Am was not the best-selling one. 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. The Trans Am used in the movie was a 1976 model with the front end of a 1977 car. 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". Burt Reynolds' 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Sold for $240,000. [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. 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. [6] It would become one of Reed's biggest hits and his signature song.[7]. 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. 3-Smokey and the Bandit 3-A crime against humanity, not even LSD can make it watchable since you spend the whole night fighting imaginary flying cobras with Jackie Gleasons head on them. [23] It then opened in just the South of the United States over the Memorial Day weekend and grossed $2,689,851 in 386 theaters. 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. Not that Id kick either front end style out of the garage for dripping oil, as long as they dont have the 403 in them anyway. Cause theyre thirsty in Atlanta 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. Jesus, did you just call Carmine a car novice? 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. And Coors itself limited its distribution to west of the Mississippi. Some people have ripped this film as being thin on plot; others have called it a documentary about life south of the Mason-Dixon Line. You will receive a verification email shortly. [11] The movie was primarily filmed in Georgia, in the cities of McDonough, Jonesboro, and Lithonia. Id been driving for years by the time I was 15, so I just wanted to complete the course with as little static as possible. Smokey & The Bandit Police Cars. These Furys, as well as some of the LeMans units, have hood scoops. Smokey and the Bandit was all realistic and non fictional, and it still was a big hit that brought a lot of money to Hal Needham and the actors, to pay Pontiac back. [21], Smokey and the Bandit was a sleeper hit. 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. 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. Gotta love that guy! Gleason probably wanted too much money to provide the dubbing, which is a shame because it ruins the TV version. Smokey and the Bandit was the second highest-grossing domestic film of 1977 in the United States. Anyone who enjoys Colonnade sedans will love Smokey & the Bandit. Misconception by casual novice car fans is that the Trams Am didnt sell well until S&B. S&B is one of my all-time favorite movies and Im not apologizing. If you watched the second clip above, this truck should look familiar. Some fellow classmates were extras on the film set, and it was a big deal around here at the time. I was in the Air Force during this era, stationed in California. . The cars were 1976 models, the engines fitted to them were 455ci powerplants, the last year these engines were offered for sale before withdrawal. 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. 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. how many cars were destroyed in smokey and the bandit 2. Tragically, every Trans Am used in filming was destroyed. Both sequels used another Trans Am, not a Cadillac Eldorado, as seen below. The secrets behind the cars and stunts in 'The Italian Job'. The scoops were added by the department because the engines ran so hot. Sales of the coupe exploded after the film hit the silver screen and set unprecedented records for both Pontiac and the Firebird nameplate. How many police cars were wrecked in Smokey and the Bandit? 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. Bandit attracts more police attention across Dixie as Snowman barrels on toward Atlanta with the contraband beer, but they are helped en route by many colorful characters via CB radio. They destroyed all those cars in the films he said. While it's sad that the other two cars were destroyed . 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. The 1977 model wasn't out yet when filming began, so General Motors provided 1976 cars with front clips from the soon-to-be-released 1977 update. The Bandit takes the bet on the risky and unprecedented task, and recruits his partner Cledus "Snowman" Snow to drive the truck, while Bandit drives a black Pontiac Trans Am bought in advance from the Burdettes as a "blocker" to divert attention away from the truck and its illegal cargo. These questions all need to be answered. Anyone with insight is encouraged to share their knowledge on this. The trip to Texarkana is uneventful; soon after leaving for the return trip to Georgia, The Bandit encounters Frog, played by Sally Field. A Pontiac wagon from earlier in the decade. Whaddya expect outta a guy what drives a conversion van? My family did all grocery shopping in Cape. In return, Reynolds portrayed Boss Hogg (originally portrayed by Sorrell Booke) in the film adaptation The Dukes of Hazzard (2005). Also up for auction was a go-kart replica of the car, which sold for nearly $14,000. One guy did a while ago a fan-made trailer of Smokey & the Bandit 4. During their run, they are pursued by Texas county sheriff Buford T. Justice (Gleason). [27] In his review in the Chicago Tribune, Gene Siskel gave the film two stars and complained that the film failed to tell the audience when the clock started on the beer run, thus reducing suspense. Some of the more recent DVD releases of it redid all of the engine sounds and it sounds much more mellow than the original(not happy about that). Naturally, it fetched the highest price with a . Dont let his grumpiness fool you though; hes more than excited to provide the latest news and reviews on the most interesting cars in the industry. $30.00 + $11.45 shipping. [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. Let me get the popcorn for this one. Frog not included. Coors is still brewed just outside Denver, Colorado. I still think its more entertaining than Star Wars. Here's everything you should know about one of the most iconic movie cars ever. [12] The area around Helen, Georgia, was used for some locations. Another one is, Theres no way youre from my loins.. A dastardly scoundrel? I have at least 4 really good car buddies that will from time to time love popping this movie in to watch. Sheriff Justices son, Junior. And it was worth it for the brand, as the nameplate sales decided following the redesign. 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 . Dodge pitchman Sheriff Joe Higgins. Remember that Smokey and the Bandit was the 2nd biggest movie of the year, right after Star Wars. (it did taste a lot better than Bud as I recall). Reynolds actively pushed for her casting after Universal initially resisted, claiming Field was not attractive enough. Hes fodder enough for his own article at some point. I've heard . 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. For Smokey and the Bandit II (1980), Needham asked for and received 10 Trans Ams and 55 Bonnevilles with no trouble. 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. Every idiot with more money than brains wanted a Trans Am. Not a bad deal, but on the fourth year, no new car. However, as our heroes were successful in delivering their truckload of Coors, the writers effectively poised themselves for a sequel. One of our favorite movies. 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. I also own a 1:18 scale version of the Bandit Trans Am. Rockford Files also featured Firebird, and was on since 1974, and Fs sold well despite gas crunch I and inflation. The cars were originally ordered by a car rental agency in Phoenix, who refused to accept the . 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. Smokey and the Bandit II is a 1980 American action comedy film directed by Hal Needham, and starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, . I am indeed a fan. . On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The cop cars with the hood scoops were ex-DeKalb County (Georgia) cruisers. Coors was legal in Missouri and illegal in Illinois. and used hard. Good silly fun. 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 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. The change was somewhat strange as most automakers were using cubic-inch numerals to advertise engines. The checker, not batting an eye, Do you want that chilled?. Sales jumped even higher in 1979 when Pontiac moved 117,108 Trans Ams. 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. and the Dixie Dance Kings, and Burts car was a 57 [56?] [17], In 1977, Coors was unavailable for sale east of Oklahoma. 5. He paid $550,000 for it, likely a record for any Pontiac Firebird. Smokey & The Bandit is the greatest movie of the 20th Century! It seems Plymouth was in a distant second for product placement. [5] Reynolds revealed in his autobiography that Needham had written the first draft script on legal pads. Just do a search for Crown Victorias on your local CL. On the DVD, there is a brief interview with both Burt Reynolds and Hal Needham, who directed this film. . The other range car was a Chevette for people that wanted to learn on a manual transmission. 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. 12 A Total Of 3 Trans Ams Were Destroyed During Filming. Due to his financial difficulties in 2014, Reynolds put his vast collection of artwork and memorabilia up for auction, including the Trans Am. I remember reading somewhere that one of the cars was equipped with a 455 for some of the higher speed scenes. For Smokey and the Bandit II (1980), Needham asked for and received 10 Trans Ams and 55 Bonnevilles with no trouble. I think thats another line theyve edited out for the television version. 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. As a former Club Wagon pilot, I happen to like his Econoline. http://www.leelofland.com/wordpress/john-fedack-my-days-as-a-dekalb-county-police-officer/. His expletive is obscured when a passing big rig sounds its horn. ", "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.
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