Smokey and the Bandit is lauded by many fans as one of the best films ever made and one of the only films that ever needs to be remembered, period. I don’t know about that but it was entertaining and might even stand out as one of Burt Reynolds’ best performances ever. And to tell the truth it’s not much more than a high stakes beer run that takes a few wild turns and involves some high quality car chases that are very impressive for the time and provide a good deal of entertainment. I might not be a Burt Reynolds fan like other folks but this film is one of those fortunate few that time hasn’t managed to dull down and make fairly ridiculous thanks to the advent of technology. This is just good fun and is one of the best movies ever created.
But how much did you really know about it?
10. A lot of lines were improvised.
Jackie Gleason was a bit part of this since a lot of his lines weren’t in the script and came off the top of his head.
9. Burt Reynolds was promised a Trans-Am if the film was a hit.
Obviously the film was a hit, but Reynolds didn’t get his car. He didn’t want to rock the boat but when he went to check on the car he found out that the executive that promised him the car had retired, and the new senior executive wouldn’t honor the promise.
8. Coors actually wasn’t allowed east of Mississippi at the time this film was made.
Coors wasn’t allowed in certain states due to the fact that it wasn’t pasteurized and needed to be kept cold at all times. That’s what spawned the idea for the movie.
7. Alfred Hitchcock enjoyed this movie.
Can you just imagine the master of suspense sitting back and enjoying a good old-fashioned car chase?
6. Three different Trans-Am’s were used in the production of the movie.
Not a one of them were serviceable by the time the film was done, but they all managed to serve their purpose while they were running.
5. Jackie Gleason modeled his character after Burt Reynolds’ father.
Burt Reynolds directed him on how to talk and how to act in order to make the best impression out of it.
4. Trans-Am sales soared after this movie was released.
The number of Trans-Am’s sold when the movie came out was close to 69,000 a year, while it jumped to well over 100,000 only a couple of years later.
3. Burt Reynolds pushed for Sally Field to be in on the movie.
She accepted since it allowed her to enjoy a lighter and much more carefree role. She would also play his girlfriend in a few other movies.
2. The Trans-Am used for the bridge stunt was wrecked beyond repair.
The stunt went alright and no one was hurt thankfully but the car was just totaled.
1. The Bandit actually breaks the fourth wall.
At the fifteen-minute mark in the movie Bandit looks at the camera and smiles. So yeah, fourth-wall breaks are nothing new.
One of the best movies ever made, hands down.
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