20 Surprising Facts About The Trans Am From Smokey And The Bandit - HotCars During a Q&A session on Saturday, filmed by ComicBook.com, a fan asked how many Trans Ams they burned through during production. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. These were the cans with the two circular push buttons on top instead of pull tabs. Launched on the big screen in 1977, Smokey and the Bandit revolves around two bootleggers as they attempt to illegally transport 400 cases of Coors beer from Texarkana to Atlanta. The theatrical release has a few lines deleted, including an edit in which Sheriff Justice tells a state trooper to "fuck off" after the sheriff called his vehicle "a piece of crap". I still think its more entertaining than Star Wars. I developed a pretty good bootheel accent during my time in New Madrid. In the U.K., the heavily dubbed version was shown for several years, particularly by the BBC. Oh, and a hooker girlfriend that looked like Annie Potts. I was in West Plains the other day and there is yet another variation of it there. Id be surprised. That said, an uncomplimentary accent does exist. Smokey & The Bandit is the greatest movie of the 20th Century! radio to help him out. But while the cars shown in the movie look like 1977-model-year Trans Ams, they were actually 1976 models. How many cars did they wreck in Smokey and the Bandit? In my area, nearly every one listed is an ex cop car. Some fellow classmates were extras on the film set, and it was a big deal around here at the time. Smokey and the Bandit star Burt Reynolds passed away in 2018 . During this time, the Firebird also surpassed sales figures of the Chevrolet Camaro. The roundup sequence in the desert shows many new Pontiac Le Mans sedans decorated as police cars being destroyed. Reed would eventually play the Bandit in Smokey and the Bandit Part 3, in which Reynolds only appeared in a cameo near the end. 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. I have since moved on from them, mainly because in stock form, they were not particularly great cars (though good enough for the times). Burt Reynolds once claimed in an interview that there were actually 12 Trans Ams featured in Smokey and the Banditand he wrecked every one. 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 . I beg to differ Mr -Nate. Revisit this scene featuring "East Bound and. Great article! I thought at the time that it was a newer version of White Lightning (also with Burt Reynolds) and that Smokey would be forgotten just as soon. 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 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. via iconic premier. Gotta love that guy! 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. New York, The Smokey and the Bandit Car - Carsforsale.com 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. When it was over, I cried and cried and cried because I didnt want it to end. 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. And theres beer in Texarkana.. 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. On the DVD, there is a brief interview with both Burt Reynolds and Hal Needham, who directed this film. While I have read undocumented accounts of there being more than three Trans Ams, Needham stated three is all that were used. 1979 was equally successful for the brand, joining 1978 to create Pontiac's best sales years ever. "Buford T. Justice" was the name of a real Florida Highway Patrolman known to Reynolds' father, who was once Police Chief of Riviera Beach, Florida. In particular, the scene where Sheriff Justice unknowingly encounters the Bandit in the "choke and puke" (a roadside diner) was not in the original story but was rather Gleason's idea. Ive also looked at a Fox based LTD cop car and an early 1991 whale Caprice 9C1 detective model, burgundy on burgundy cloth. Anyone who enjoys Colonnade sedans will love Smokey & the Bandit. There was a true concern (for some minuscule reason) about it going east of the Mississippi River. 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. We gonna do what they say cant be done How many cop cars were destroyed in Smokey and the Bandit? It seems Plymouth was in a distant second for product placement. [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). 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. 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. [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. I guess the Trans Am proved to have more staying power than the hot 71 Ford in the earlier movie. It took four evenings to see almost all of the movie in bits and pieces. 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. 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". For this purpose, they overdubbed dialogue deemed offensive, which was common practice. I still couldnt resist lighting up the Pontiacs tires while executing my T-turns. Mr. Reynolds made a bunch of low budget films before this , all had wild chase scenes with cop cars crashing & going into swamps . A 1977 special-edition model once owned by the late actor Burt Reynolds recently wound up on the car auction website Bring a Trailer. When Smokey & The Bandit first aired on television in the early 1980s, the Gleason phrase "sum bitch"-a regional butchering of "son of a bitch"-had to be dubbed out. Smokey and the Bandit II - Wikipedia Its amazing, you should watch it. Gleason was a genius, but this was not one of his better outings I prefer the Hustler and Gigot. Smokey & The Bandit was the first of three movies in that franchise. Likely this isnt any rare engine venting package, but I could be wrong. At one point in the movie, the Bandit wrecks a police car. The secrets behind the cars and stunts in 'The Italian Job' - Top Gear 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. That's because the Trans Am in Smokey and the Bandit didn't sound like a Trans Am. I know that Trans Am that . Thats all true. I have only seen pieces of the second and none of the third; I plan to keep it that way. It airs on cable tv all the time. Now, having only three Trans Ams to wreck for a movie is minimalist, to say the least. Other sources in East Texas (from whence Sheriff Justice hails) are familiar with the popular regional delicacy known as the Diablo Sandwich. 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. Before Gleason was cast in the film, Richard Boone was originally considered for the role of Buford T. The cars were originally ordered by a car rental agency in Phoenix, who refused to accept the . 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. I remember that it had a bunch of trim badges on the center of the dashboard. About two seconds after this picture was taken, these motorcycles were doing their best imitation of a stack of pancakes. 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. Round and dumpy, just like the Colonnade LeMans! Jane Russell hawked bras on television for full-figured gals like her, a line that evoked snickers among my high-school classmates. 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. Not a bad deal, but on the fourth year, no new car. How many police cars were wrecked in Smokey and the Bandit? It was destroyed in Smokey and the Bandit II and in a flashback scene in Part 3. Theres really nothing like an old cop car. Its weird how it works. Musicians such as Beegie Adair and George Tidwell[20] played on the soundtrack. In 1976-78, while a high school student in Norwalk, CT, me and a few buddies would routinely drive up to Vista, NY, which was just over the state line. Burt Reynolds recently revealed the ridiculous number of Pontiac Trans Ams they went through filming 1977s Smokey and the Bandit. Many of the film's original sounds were replaced. I always think scumbum because when I watched it as a kid in the early 90s, it was usually on TBS. Sally Field and Burt Reynolds began a relationship after meeting on set. As a publicity stunt, the Trans Ams used in the movie had different decals on the hood scoop. The Kenworth even achieves a trifecta of sorts, as it gave the first dent to Sheriff Justices LeMans. Remember that Smokey and the Bandit was the 2nd biggest movie of the year, right after Star Wars. Actor Henry Corden, who voiced Fred Flintstone after original performer Alan Reed died the same year the film was released, was used to replace a considerable amount of Sheriff Justice's dialogue. 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. The other range car was a Chevette for people that wanted to learn on a manual transmission. 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. The cashier never batted an eye as she sold us the mass quantities of suds. 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. The scene where Sheriff Justice's car has the door knocked off by a passing . When I was a kid I thought they were the same person. Justice. So lets explore this car (and truck) heavy flick, all while giving those who have not seen it a glimpse into a movie whose complexity and intellect remains unparalleled within the history of cinema. The story replaced the Coors beer with Mobil 1 products. The LeMans police car did nothing for me because there was a colonnade LeMans sedan in the garage at home. Tragically, every Trans Am used in filming was destroyed. 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. 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. I was 10 when this movie came out and I loved it then and I still do. 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. 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. Though no authoritative source identifies the composition of the sandwich, there are several possibilities. But that doesnt make for an interesting movie premise. [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. Rockford Files also featured Firebird, and was on since 1974, and Fs sold well despite gas crunch I and inflation. The whereabouts of the remaining Smokey and the Bandit car, the one that was used to promote the movie, remained a mystery for years.

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