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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. [28] However, this is inaccurate; within seconds of Bandit picking her up, Frog tells him "there is a wedding in search of a bride" and goes on to explain her ill-advised romance with Junior, as the Bandit holds up the CB mic for the Snowman to hear. Hes fodder enough for his own article at some point. They quickly escape in one of Big Enos's 13 Cadillacs as police flood the racetrack. The three movie cars were destroyed during various stunts, so the promo car is the only surviving Trans Am connected to this film. Good silly fun. [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). Most reports of his death still didnt have that right! Musicians such as Beegie Adair and George Tidwell[20] played on the soundtrack. I've heard . radio to help him out. Gleasons Justice is the stereotypical Southern sheriff, as seen in this clip. With this, the Sheriff begins his pursuit of the Mann Act-violating Banditall the way to Georgia. 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. . Let me get the popcorn for this one. 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. The cars were wrecked on purpose to create the illusion of a high-speed chase. Sure Smokey helped, but was not the sole reason T/A and F body sales went up. Always loved this movie growing up. I drive a conversion van. 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. Ive always loved this movie. Producers of Smokey and the Bandit wrecked 26 cars while filming the movie in 1977. When Im driving the Bandit Trans Am while playing one of my many Forza Motorsport games I always put that song on. You want to questions bra sales, check out the youtube video of Hang on Sloopy by the Mccoys, the color version.wowza! Have the movie, cheesy as hell, but does have appearances by several NASCAR drivers of the day, including Dale Earnhardt (Senior, not Jr) Kyle Petty, Harry Gant, and one of my favorites of the era, Tim Richmond. 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. [21], Smokey and the Bandit was a sleeper hit. It had amazing throttle response, with a hit that either scared people, or made them giggle. That is why there are not any left. Just do a search for Crown Victorias on your local CL. 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. The 79-year-old 70s and 80s heartthrob made a rare public appearance over the weekend at Wizard World Chicago. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, Despite growing up next to Cape, most of relatives are from the Mid-South. 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. How many police cars were wrecked in Smokey and the Bandit? Let us dissect this flick to better examine it. At one point in the movie, the Bandit wrecks a police car. Many people believed beforehand that the film was not right for . Duarte or maybe ir was Arcadia , it was white with a red & blue pinstripe , we dropped $400 (an ungodly sum back then) on a re paint and pin striping but could _not_ sell that wretched POC , it took us two years IIRC . 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. How did any bra manufacturers survive the 70s? Yet when I think of a 70s T/A, thats the one I and Im sure millions of other folks think of. The rub? Below is probably another DeKalb County cop car. Gleason was given free rein to ad-lib dialogue and make suggestions. Well, the Corvettes success is clearly due to Corvette Summer, @Jim I remember that movie! And Burt may be from GA originally, but he calls Florida home, which is another reason I heard the movie was filmed here. [9] Though the film Moonrunners (1975) is the precursor to the television series The Dukes of Hazzard (19791985), from the same creator and with many identical settings and concepts, the popularity of Smokey and the Bandit and similar films helped get the Dukes series on the air. Burt Reynolds is originally a Georgia boy. 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 still regret selling mine almost 30 years ago. a custom mandrel bent dual exhaust, and the Mondello bottom end plate to stabilize the windowed mains. 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. I guess the Trans Am proved to have more staying power than the hot 71 Ford in the earlier movie. 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. Free shipping for many products! According to an interview with Susie McIver Ewing on The RetroZest Podcast, she was picked to play the role of Hot Pants Hilliard after the dailies footage (shot in the Atlanta area) of the original actress playing the role was inadvertently destroyed on its way from Atlanta to Los Angeles. It took four evenings to see almost all of the movie in bits and pieces. These were the cans with the two circular push buttons on top instead of pull tabs. That girl from the McCoys video probably looks like Paula Deen now. Arguably the most iconic Pontiac Firebird in history. 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. 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. 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. Well, they simply considered that the Trans Am didn't sound intimidating enough. I loved the fact that Jackie Gleasons brown Lemans had a blue vinyl interior and it even had the luxury cushion steering wheel! Thats all true. This movie was filmed in Georgia as well. 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. UNIVERSAL CUT THE BUDGET JUST AS PRODUCTION WAS ABOUT TO BEGIN. Behind Sheriff Justices Pontiac, there is a nice looking 1965 or 1966 Ford Mustang fastback and a Toyota pickup. A 1977 special-edition model once owned by the late actor Burt Reynolds recently wound up on the car auction website Bring a Trailer. However, as our heroes were successful in delivering their truckload of Coors, the writers effectively poised themselves for a sequel. 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. That parking lot was full of Trans Ams! 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. [22] It premiered at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, where it performed badly. While watching the movie (yes, I did have to diligently research this article), one shot seemed to indicate this may be a dummy scoop. NY 10036. That song often pops into my head at the start of long drives. East bound and down, loaded up and truckin 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. It was his idea to have Junior alongside him throughout the film. Funny that T/A isnt on the movie poster, considering it was the obvious star of the show. Due to his financial difficulties in 2014, Reynolds put his vast collection of artwork and memorabilia up for auction, including the Trans Am. The owner restored it and sold it at the Scottsdale 2016 auction by Barrett-Jackson. When I was a kid I thought they were the same person. 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. The cars were 1976 models, the engines fitted to them were 455ci powerplants, the last year these engines were offered for sale before withdrawal. Of the many cars saved from the fire was the only surviving Knight Rider KITT Super Pursuit Mode car created by Jay Orberg. Reynolds and Field began dating during the filming.[13]. I have always loved this movie, watched it dozens and dozens of times on TV, video, DVD, laserdisc, almost any form of media. and used hard. 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. 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. Many of the film's original sounds were replaced. Before Gleason was cast in the film, Richard Boone was originally considered for the role of Buford T. 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. Coors was legal in Missouri and illegal in Illinois. I was to be paid a salary plus own 7% of the profits. http://www.leelofland.com/wordpress/john-fedack-my-days-as-a-dekalb-county-police-officer/. Another one is, Theres no way youre from my loins.. Id be surprised. [10], Principal photography of the film began on August 30, 1976. Back in 1984, I went to look at a late 1970s Plymouth cop car as well. I never understood why dragging a truckload of beer from Colorado to Georgia was such a big deal. 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. 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. A black Trans Am is parked in my garage because of this movie. As I did Steve McQueen and Paul Newman. It airs on cable tv all the time. Burt Reynolds' 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Sold for $240,000. He paid $550,000 for it, likely a record for any Pontiac Firebird. The second film was a modest box office success, earning $66.1 million against a $17 million budget. 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. The 1977 Firebird Trans Am once owned by Burt Reynolds was sold at auction Saturday for $495,000 at a sale held by Barrett-Jackson. 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. For a little visual variety of sorts, and possibly an indicator of what car was about to be wrecked, the producers did branch out to use the 1975-era Plymouth Fury as another police car. 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. 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. Depends upon what he converted it from. How much did the Smokey and the Bandit car sell for? Ive always wanted some sort of de-commission/ex unmarked cop car, something from the 70s preferably. The sticker read "T/A 6.6," which was a reminder of the engine's 6.6-liter displacement. My family did all grocery shopping in Cape. Sales of the coupe exploded after the film hit the silver screen and set unprecedented records for both Pontiac and the Firebird nameplate. 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. Thank you for signing up to CinemaBlend. I beg to differ Mr -Nate. 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 advertisements lampoon the film and feature a Pontiac Trans Am and a cover version of the song East Bound and Down. 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. Gator , Stroker Ace , lots of them . [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). Probably the most famous TV edit of all time is I have had it with these monkey-fightin snakes on this Monday-to-Friday plane!. Im pretty sure that the car that barks second when he takes off with Frog had to be a stick. Here are 20 facts about the Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit. I remember borrowing my brothers red 1976 T/A to take a girl to the theater to see Smokey and the Bandit. There was still a market for bras in the 1970s. The cashier never batted an eye as she sold us the mass quantities of suds. I know that Trans Am that jumped that bridge broke the axle when it landed. Your email address will not be published. Its weird how it works. 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. From living there for my first two decades, I noticed the accent didnt get going good until around Sikeston (not Saxton as it would seem) and it progressed as you went deeper into the Bootheel. The Trans Am was a high-performance package for the Firebird, Pontiac's take on the Chevrolet Camaro. Five-string banjo player Bobby Thompson is prominent toward the end of "East Bound and Down". 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. 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!) I also own a Etrl replica of the Pontiac Bonneville Buford T. Justice drove in Smokey and The Bandit II. Naturally, it fetched the highest price with a . 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. Out of four Trans Ams used for the filming of Smokey And The Bandit, three were completely totaled in the process. Supposedly there was a stick car for the burnouts and an automatic car for other shots. Three actors from the main cast of The Dukes of Hazzard appear in small uncredited roles in Smokey and the Bandit: Ben Jones, John Schneider, and Sonny Shroyer (who played a police officer in both). I still think its more entertaining than Star Wars. 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.