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. Trigger had a big impact on my taste in cars with the Trans Ams of the late 70s being my favorite. Not everything was Pontiac, as evidenced by this 1973 Plymouth Satellite coupe (CC here). A 1977 special-edition model once owned by the late actor Burt Reynolds recently wound up on the car auction website Bring a Trailer. 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. Smokey and the Bandit: Behind-the-Scenes Details With - MotorTrend 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 . Starring Bob Hope, that comedic star of the screen, and the lovely Jane Russell boy what a pair! I never forgot that one. [6] It would become one of Reed's biggest hits and his signature song.[7]. Lets take a look at some more cars found in the movie. [14] The Trans Ams were actually 1976-model cars with 1977 front ends (from 1970 to 1976, both the Firebird/Trans Am and Chevrolet Camaro have two round headlights and in 1977, the Firebird/Trans Am was changed to four rectangular headlights, and the Camaro remained unchanged). 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. I have always loved this movie, watched it dozens and dozens of times on TV, video, DVD, laserdisc, almost any form of media. Ive always loved this movie. These were the cans with the two circular push buttons on top instead of pull tabs. What were the police cars in Smokey and the Bandit? 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. J.J. & The Dixie Dance Kings was a milder one that had (I think) a 56 Buick Century . Reed would eventually play the Bandit in Smokey and the Bandit Part 3, in which Reynolds only appeared in a cameo near the end. That said, an uncomplimentary accent does exist. 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. Haul my wife and four shelter adoptee mutts in it. The updated version of the film features sound inaccurate for what would be produced by the Trans Am or the numerous other Pontiac vehicles in the film. Needham served as the driver for the stunt (in place of Reynolds), while Lada St. Edmund was in the same car (in place of Field). Frederick Amon smuggled it from Colorado to North Carolina and sold it for four times the retail price.[19]. [29] Alfred Hitchcock claimed that the film was one of his favorites. His expletive is obscured when a passing big rig sounds its horn. He obtained the attention of studios and aimed the film at a more mainstream release after his friend Reynolds read the script and agreed to portray the Bandit, with Reed now portraying the Bandit's friend the Snowman. There are an abundance of cars in this movie. Below is probably another DeKalb County cop car. I have at least 4 really good car buddies that will from time to time love popping this movie in to watch. But while the cars shown in the movie look like 1977-model-year Trans Ams, they were actually 1976 models. I developed a pretty good bootheel accent during my time in New Madrid. Will Walker: Independence Return For Season 2 Amid CW Shakeups? 1980 ERTL SMOKEY & THE BANDIT PONTIAC FIREBIRD DIECAST CAR police car Im east bound, just watch ol Bandit run.. There has never been anything quite like late 1970s fashion in clothing. With Reynolds' salary at $1 million, Needham was left with only $3.3 million to make the film. Bill Justis is the first name on the credits for the soundtrack, as he composed and arranged original music throughout the film. In its place was the nonsensical scum bum. The voice over actor? Round and dumpy, just like the Colonnade LeMans! That parking lot was full of Trans Ams! Gleason probably wanted too much money to provide the dubbing, which is a shame because it ruins the TV version. Gas was a buck a gallon at the time so fuel economy wasnt a major issue. [12] The area around Helen, Georgia, was used for some locations. Movies like Mad Max: Fury Road and Furious 7 may ruin a lot of cars, but they were far from the first. How many cop cars were destroyed in Smokey and the Bandit? I've heard . He had quite a few orders for Coors beer, and when he stopped in Weed, CA, on the way home, he went into the Safeway and asked for twenty-four cases of Coors. 5. Rockford Files also featured Firebird, and was on since 1974, and Fs sold well despite gas crunch I and inflation. Needham stated that by the end of production, there really wasnt much left of any of the three. Apparently the engine sounds were lifted from another movie, I think two lane blacktop? Due to his financial difficulties in 2014, Reynolds put his vast collection of artwork and memorabilia up for auction, including the Trans Am. In its place was the nonsensical "scum bum." . 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. The movie had an even bigger impact on the Trans Am. The movie, in fact, caused sales of the . It outsold its Chevrolet Camaro counterpart for the first time. 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. While I have read undocumented accounts of there being more than three Trans Ams, Needham stated three is all that were used. 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) . In 1978, Pontiac delivered 93,351 Trans Ams and 93,944 regular Firebirds for a grand total of 187,295 cars. I know that Trans Am that jumped that bridge broke the axle when it landed. This movie came out during my early formative years pre grade school. The cars were originally ordered by a car rental agency in Phoenix, who refused to accept the . Chevy brought back the Z28, and cant say S&B was reason. The checker, not batting an eye, Do you want that chilled?. It had amazing throttle response, with a hit that either scared people, or made them giggle. Soon as I get home, first thing Im gonna do is punch yo mamma in da mouth!. With Reynolds agreement to do the movie, and his insistence upon casting Gleason as Sheriff Justice, the movie became a larger venture. Hal Needham did pass away as someone earlier said. It took four evenings to see almost all of the movie in bits and pieces. They retained the white steering wheels until 72 or so , just the thing to preveny burned fingers in the Desert sun . 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. They quickly escape in one of Big Enos's 13 Cadillacs as police flood the racetrack. $30.00 + $11.45 shipping. Smokey and the Bandit | East Bound and Down - YouTube Burt Reynolds is originally a Georgia boy. I prefer Buford T. Justices 1980 Pontiac Bonneville and his 1983 Pontiac Bonneville in Smokey and The Bandit III. Im gonna barbecue your ass in molasses., Re: The picture with 4 ladies and the wagon and van. I had no idea that it was going to become a 70s classic. In a rare public appearance, Burt Reynolds revealed how many cars they wrecked making Smokey and Heres how it works. The change was somewhat strange as most automakers were using cubic-inch numerals to advertise engines. It is now sold in all states as Coors ships it in refrigerated train cars and bottled locally and sold in different parts of the country including the eastern US states. (first posted 2/28/2014) The fourth highest grossing film in the United States in 1977 was the Academy Award nominatedSmokey & The Bandit. The story replaced the Coors beer with Mobil 1 products. All I know is, at the time, if you lived in the east, Coors was some really special beer not unlike microbrews are now. The film was followed by two sequels: Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) and Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983). 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. I remember borrowing my brothers red 1976 T/A to take a girl to the theater to see Smokey and the Bandit. 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. If you watched the second clip above, this truck should look familiar. 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. A 1975 Pontiac Grand Prix with a Buick Electra behind it. How did any bra manufacturers survive the 70s? Both sequels used another Trans Am, not a Cadillac Eldorado, as seen below. [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. 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%. 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. Naturally, it fetched the highest price with a . It had not been used for some time and was repainted for the film. The Trans Am used in the movie was a 1976 model with the front end of a 1977 car. How many cars destroyed Blues Brothers 2000? (it did taste a lot better than Bud as I recall). These questions all need to be answered. I know, Ive owned a 75 for 23 years. Good silly fun. 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. 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. 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. Was it a heathen? Its lack of additives and preservatives meant that Coors could spoil in one week without refrigeration, explaining the film's 28-hour deadline. . Mines never gone away, especially now that I spend every thee month in Memphis. 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. Mr. Reynolds elevated the dreck that he appeared in to a higher level, that is, enjoyable. Were they dummies? As such, it took a lot of sweet talking by former stuntman Needham for Pontiac to cough up three Trans Ams and three LeManses. 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. 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. Somewhere along the line, the company acquired a new president who told Reynolds: Im the new president, and I dont like your movies. How Many Cars Did Blues Brothers Wreck | Car Geek Smokey & The Bandit was the first of three movies in that franchise. The film's editors, Walter Hannemann and Angelo Ross, were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing. 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. 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. January 24, 2019 100 comments. Every idiot with more money than brains wanted a Trans Am. And all of us easterners suddenly discovered it was nothing more than another Budweiser/Miller/etc. 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. It made no sense to me as it was fifty miles north and fifty miles south. We gonna do what they say cant be done Jackie Gleason ad libbed a lot of his lines too. Except that shes not sagging. 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. 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. 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. Burt Reynolds recently revealed the ridiculous number of Pontiac Trans Ams they went through filming 1977s Smokey and the Bandit. Jesus, did you just call Carmine a car novice? Producer Hal Needham intended Smokey and the Bandit to be one of the best product placement films of all time. You can see in some shots in the movie that the Bandit Trans Am has 1976 style gold honeycomb wheels instead of the gold snowflake wheels from the 1977, I think at least one of the cars used in filming was a 1976 converted with a 1977 front clip. I have since moved on from them, mainly because in stock form, they were not particularly great cars (though good enough for the times). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. You want to questions bra sales, check out the youtube video of Hang on Sloopy by the Mccoys, the color version.wowza! 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! Other sources in East Texas (from whence Sheriff Justice hails) are familiar with the popular regional delicacy known as the Diablo Sandwich. 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. 12 A Total Of 3 Trans Ams Were Destroyed During Filming. But 1978 returned sales of 93,351 examples, a jump of around 25,000 cars. New York, There was still a market for bras in the 1970s. how many cars were destroyed in smokey and the bandit 2 You will receive a verification email shortly. Other than Jackie Gleason upstaging every other cast member, the perceived star of the show is this 1977 Pontiac Trans Am. The production team wrecked three for the four cars it received from Pontiac. There was a problem. It wasnt distributed in Washington in those days either. Well, they simply considered that the Trans Am didn't sound intimidating enough. 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!) 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. you can find it on amazon.com . Somehow this store had a regular supply. Thank you for signing up to CinemaBlend. There's one black Trans Am left from 'Smokey and The Bandit.' It's 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. 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: . Only one survived, and it's priceless. The sticker read "T/A 6.6," which was a reminder of the engine's 6.6-liter displacement. Despite growing up next to Cape, most of relatives are from the Mid-South. Thats all true. 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!!! As if GM owes them something. 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. 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. Two of the most high-octane films of 2015, Mad Max: Fury Road and Furious 7, each burned through hundreds (Furious 7 alone destroyed a reported 230 cars), but theyre far from the first to do so. How many police cars were wrecked in Smokey and the Bandit? About two seconds after this picture was taken, these motorcycles were doing their best imitation of a stack of pancakes. How many police cars were wrecked in Smokey and the Bandit? 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. How "Smokey and the Bandit" was born | Fortune Burt Reynolds plays truck driver Bo Bandit Darville. Behind Sheriff Justices Pontiac, there is a nice looking 1965 or 1966 Ford Mustang fastback and a Toyota pickup. [5] Reynolds revealed in his autobiography that Needham had written the first draft script on legal pads. Remember that Smokey and the Bandit was the 2nd biggest movie of the year, right after Star Wars. Many of the film's original sounds were replaced. Gleason was a genius, but this was not one of his better outings I prefer the Hustler and Gigot. I think you may be confusing the movie Honky-Tonk Freeway with the filming done during I-75 construction near Sarasota. Arguably the most iconic Pontiac Firebird in history. thebandit77transam 2009-04-14 14:04. andre1969 wrote Pontiac supplied 5 brand-new cars for "Smokey and the Bandit". 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. I was just tweaking Jason. I enjoyed the hell out of my 1976 Dart Pursuit. 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. Great write up. I never understood why dragging a truckload of beer from Colorado to Georgia was such a big deal. 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. February 27, 2023 . 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. The theme music "East Bound and Down" was sung and co-written by Reed (credited under his birth name, Jerry Hubbard) and Dick Feller. In return, Reynolds portrayed Boss Hogg (originally portrayed by Sorrell Booke) in the film adaptation The Dukes of Hazzard (2005). I beg to differ Mr -Nate. 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 recall a big smokey burnout right after they left Snowmans house that looked 455-worthy and also after Bandit picked up Fields he left two strips after nailing second (right before the tire thieves crossed the road), which makes me think there was also a 4 speed car used. 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. In my area, nearly every one listed is an ex cop car. radio to help him out. However, the scene and the obscured expletive were played for comedy value and written as such, with the passing truck being the gag of the scene more than a way to avoid the censors. With this, the Sheriff begins his pursuit of the Mann Act-violating Banditall the way to Georgia. 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! 46,000 in 1976, 68,000 in 1977, 93,000 in 1978, 117,000 in 1979. 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. Conversely, I could go to Paducah and be asked where up north I was from. The area around Helen, Georgia, was used for some locations. [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). Set with his . One guy did a while ago a fan-made trailer of Smokey & the Bandit 4. When I was a kid I thought they were the same person. Except for Gleason, the original actors mostly redubbed their lines for the television version. Many nameplates lost their performance credentials, and some of them, like the Ford Mustang, were redesigned without a V-8 engine. 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. How many cars did they wreck in Smokey and the Bandit? Coors wasnt pasteurized. Learn how your comment data is processed. [17], In 1977, Coors was unavailable for sale east of Oklahoma. 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. They return one minute after their time limit, but instead of taking the payoff, Carrie and Bandit accept a double-or-nothing offer from Little Enos: a challenge to run up to Boston and bring back clam chowder in 18 hours. Well, at least that's what you saw in the movie. I drive a conversion van. 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. I was in the Air Force during this era, stationed in California. [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. S/E T/A with the round headlights. However, the U.S. government introduced new emission controls in 1972, and automakers had to step back. The roller coaster in the movie was the Greyhound. Gotta love that guy! 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. 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. 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. I was to be paid a salary plus own 7% of the profits. Most of the dialogue was improvised on set. As a publicity stunt, the Trans Ams used in the movie had different decals on the hood scoop. Needham originally planned the film as a low-budget B movie with a production cost of $1 million,[4] with Reed as the Bandit. Revisit this scene featuring "East Bound and. 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. Sally Field and Burt Reynolds began a relationship after meeting on set. A CC for a 1973 Grand Ville convertible can be found here. Luckily, both cars survived, and the Trans Am became famous only five years later. Reed also penned and performed the song for the opening credits, entitled "The Legend", which tells of some of the Bandit's escapades before the events of the film, and the ballad "The Bandit", which is in several versions in the movie and on the soundtrack. That is why there are not any left. Sonny Shroyer (Enos) was the motorcycle cop who was given the 1-finger salute by Sally Field. So, for years one, two, and three, he got a shiny new Pontiac. The gag with the overpass being blown up was actually a bridge built for the movie on the unfinished highway, and AFAIK, the truck driver who jumps the void ended up breaking his back in the stunt. Did Jerry Reed really drive the truck in Smokey and the Bandit