As such, it took a lot of sweet talking by former stuntman Needham for Pontiac to cough up three Trans Ams and three LeManses. 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. The advertisements lampoon the film and feature a Pontiac Trans Am and a cover version of the song East Bound and Down. As I am finishing this article while Big Truck Week is winding down, here is a Kenworth with a 1973 Dodge Polara patrol car. 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. In return, Reynolds portrayed Boss Hogg (originally portrayed by Sorrell Booke) in the film adaptation The Dukes of Hazzard (2005). 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. A blackguard? 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. 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. The film was followed by two sequels: Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) and Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983). Starring Bob Hope, that comedic star of the screen, and the lovely Jane Russell boy what a pair! I never forgot that one. I only got one of them LOL. MN12 Thunderbirds had the same appeal to me, for similar reasons. The cashier never batted an eye as she sold us the mass quantities of suds. He's a proud member of the TopSpeed team since early 2014. I enjoyed the hell out of my 1976 Dart Pursuit. I really enjoyed this discussion. 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. 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". Hal Needham did pass away as someone earlier said. Everything You Should Know About The The Trans Am From Smokey And The With that in mind, Ill go with what Ive heard from my Georgia friends, to wit Sheriff Justices diablo sandwich is the Macon version, which is made with fried eggs and red hots. Needing a fast set of wheels to distract law enforcement, Reynolds character purchases this 1977 Pontiac Trans-Am. The original film had correct sounds that were usually recorded live as the action took place. No more needs to be said. [17], In 1977, Coors was unavailable for sale east of Oklahoma. Much of the surrounding scene comes from that immediate vicinity. The Pontiac Firebird Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit is one of the most famous movie cars of all time. Smokey & The Bandit is the greatest movie of the 20th Century! It wasnt distributed in Washington in those days either. I am indeed a fan. $30.00 + $11.45 shipping. What Sports Cars Are In Smokey And The Bandit - OsVehicle I still couldnt resist lighting up the Pontiacs tires while executing my T-turns. Cause theyre thirsty in Atlanta 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. For Smokey and the Bandit II (1980), Needham asked for and received 10 Trans Ams and 55 Bonnevilles with no trouble. I have worked a long time to eradicate the one I had but it still crops up periodically from exposure, like you experienced. Mr. Reynolds elevated the dreck that he appeared in to a higher level, that is, enjoyable. While I have read undocumented accounts of there being more than three Trans Ams, Needham stated three is all that were used. Im still trying to get clarification on what a diablo sandwich is though. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. The differences between the two are major. [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. The cars were originally ordered by a car rental agency in Phoenix, who refused to accept the . Gleason probably wanted too much money to provide the dubbing, which is a shame because it ruins the TV version. 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. As if GM owes them something. The area around Helen, Georgia, was used for some locations. The Trans Am was a high-performance package for the Firebird, Pontiac's take on the Chevrolet Camaro. 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. I was in the Air Force during this era, stationed in California. Many of the film's original sounds were replaced. Sales of the coupe exploded after the film hit the silver screen and set unprecedented records for both Pontiac and the Firebird nameplate. Burt Reynolds may be 79, but he shows no signs of slowing down. Oh, and a hooker girlfriend that looked like Annie Potts. They find local legend Bo "Bandit" Darville at a roadeo at Lakewood Fairgrounds and offer him US$80,000 (equivalent to $357,738 in 2021) to haul 400 cases of Coors from Texarkana (the closest place it could be legally sold at that time) to Atlanta in 28 hours. Despite growing up next to Cape, most of relatives are from the Mid-South. And theres beer in Texarkana.. Gas was a buck a gallon at the time so fuel economy wasnt a major issue. Because sales were so high, Pontiac decided to delay the third-generation model. I've heard . Not everything was Pontiac, as evidenced by this 1973 Plymouth Satellite coupe (CC here). 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. 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. I certainly hope the guy hired to drive that 74 Ford Torino wagon was paid well for his work. 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. 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! It consists of any of the various Louisiana-style hot sauces on Texas toast-style bread alongside the fourth most famous product of Pittsburg, Texas (behind Pilgrim's Pride, Cavender's, and Carroll Shelby)Pittsburg Hot Links. 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. Her groom? In fact, after Smokey and the Bandit became a box office hit, Pontiac saw a marked increase in their stock prices. 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. The cars were wrecked on purpose to create the illusion of a high-speed chase. New York, I never understood why dragging a truckload of beer from Colorado to Georgia was such a big deal. A segment of the CMT program Reel Eats used a sloppy joe-style recipe consisting of seasoned ground beef, corn, and sour cream. All pictures from the movie were acquired from www.imcdb.org, Fred Lives!!! how many cars were destroyed in smokey and the bandit 2. Burt Reynolds' 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Sold for $240,000. 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. In a rare public appearance, Burt Reynolds revealed how many cars they wrecked making Smokey and Here is the LeMans; Gleason literally drives the wheels off: As an aside, heres a curious bit of trivia. 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. Actually, there were 2 future Dukes stars in the movie: Ben Jones (Cooter) was in an early scene helping Big Enos find Bandit. Did Jerry Reed really drive the truck in Smokey and the Bandit Soon as I get home, first thing Im gonna do is punch yo mamma in da mouth!. Reynolds replied: We went through 12. Behind Sheriff Justices Pontiac, there is a nice looking 1965 or 1966 Ford Mustang fastback and a Toyota pickup. Additionally, he can give you several reasons why theres still no replacement for displacement. Smokey and the Bandit was the second highest-grossing domestic film of 1977 in the United States. [31] Smokey and the Bandit was released in the United Kingdom on August 28 and was a success there, garnering positive reviews. 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. As a former Club Wagon pilot, I happen to like his Econoline. Coors was legal in Missouri and illegal in Illinois. Sheriff Justices son, Junior. Smokey & The Bandit was the first of three movies in that franchise. The original uncut sumbitch version. Trigger had a big impact on my taste in cars with the Trans Ams of the late 70s being my favorite. And it was worth it for the brand, as the nameplate sales decided following the redesign. East bound and down, loaded up and truckin 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. Also up for auction was a go-kart replica of the car, which sold for nearly $14,000. The truck at the shell station is actually a 75 or 76 Toyota Hilux. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 78% rating based on 32 reviews. Ive also looked at a Fox based LTD cop car and an early 1991 whale Caprice 9C1 detective model, burgundy on burgundy cloth. For this purpose, they overdubbed dialogue deemed offensive, which was common practice. The checker, not batting an eye, Do you want that chilled?. Burt Reynolds recently revealed the ridiculous number of Pontiac Trans Ams they went through filming 1977s Smokey and the Bandit. 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. [4] Just two days before production was to begin, Universal sent a "hatchet man" to Atlanta to inform Needham that the budget was being trimmed by $1 million. 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. Id be surprised. how many cars were destroyed in smokey and the bandit 2 - onlytows.com.au . These questions all need to be answered. 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. 1979 was equally successful for the brand, joining 1978 to create Pontiac's best sales years ever. Amazing how a combination of desire and unobtainability can make an ordinary product special. Burt Reynolds once claimed in an interview that there were actually 12 Trans Ams featured in Smokey and the Banditand he wrecked every one. [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. Well, the Corvettes success is clearly due to Corvette Summer, @Jim I remember that movie! While watching the movie (yes, I did have to diligently research this article), one shot seemed to indicate this may be a dummy scoop. 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. The original Blues Brothers movie from 1980 is a classic, and fans were excited when a sequel was announced in 1998. . Funny that T/A isnt on the movie poster, considering it was the obvious star of the show. There's one black Trans Am left from 'Smokey and The Bandit.' It's Im gonna barbecue your ass in molasses., Re: The picture with 4 ladies and the wagon and van. When it was over, I cried and cried and cried because I didnt want it to end. Cinemablend is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. And Coors itself limited its distribution to west of the Mississippi. Revisit this scene featuring "East Bound and. 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. Except for Gleason, the original actors mostly redubbed their lines for the television version. Coors wasnt pasteurized. 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. Please refresh the page and try again. 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. How many police cars were wrecked in Smokey and the Bandit? [37], The first run in 2007 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the movie, The Bandit Run was the brainchild of Dave Hall, owner of Restore A Muscle Car. J.J. & The Dixie Dance Kings was a milder one that had (I think) a 56 Buick Century . 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 . . A paper on Cognitive psychology was published in the 1990 issue of Computers in Human Perception. Wouldnt the accent give you away? [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). A CC for a 1973 Grand Ville convertible can be found here. I have always loved this movie, watched it dozens and dozens of times on TV, video, DVD, laserdisc, almost any form of media. The directorial debut of stuntman Hal Needham, the film follows Bo "Bandit" Darville (Reynolds) and Cledus "Snowman" Snow (Reed), two bootleggers attempting to illegally transport 400 cases of Coors beer from Texarkana to Atlanta. They retained the white steering wheels until 72 or so , just the thing to preveny burned fingers in the Desert sun . Some fellow classmates were extras on the film set, and it was a big deal around here at the time. 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. The sticker read "T/A 6.6," which was a reminder of the engine's 6.6-liter displacement. That is why there are not any left. The third-generation Firebird was introduced in 1982, a full two years later than planned. News . For Smokey and the Bandit II (1980), Needham asked for and received 10 Trans Ams and 55 Bonnevilles with no trouble. Although 1977 models also featured 6.6-liter engines, they were rated at only 200 horses. It had not been used for some time and was repainted for the film. 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. Smokey and the Bandit | East Bound and Down - YouTube [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. 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. I remember reading somewhere that one of the cars was equipped with a 455 for some of the higher speed scenes. The unrestored car reportedly showed up on eBay back in 2015, but no one wanted to buy it. 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. It outsold its Chevrolet Camaro counterpart for the first time. The commercials were produced after Stewart mentioned that the movie was one of his favorites.[39]. thebandit77transam 2009-04-14 14:04. andre1969 wrote Pontiac supplied 5 brand-new cars for "Smokey and the Bandit". Though no authoritative source identifies the composition of the sandwich, there are several possibilities. 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. Good silly fun. Most of the shots that show Reynolds and Field in the car talking were filmed with the T/A being towed along on a lowboy trailer. Jane Russell hawked bras on television for full-figured gals like her, a line that evoked snickers among my high-school classmates. The film's editors, Walter Hannemann and Angelo Ross, were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing. 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! 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 .