Cannonball! (1976)

User Rating:

5.1/10   

Director:

Paul Bartel

Writers:

Paul Bartel (writer)
Don Simpson (writer)

Release Date:

6 July 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy

Tagline:

The annual Trans-American outlaw road race - A cross country demolition derby without rules!

Plot:

This is another story of the secret Coast to Coast auto race across America The only rule is, the first to finish is the winner...

Plot Keywords:

Hitman | Automobile Racing | Mafia | Automobile | Road

US TV Schedule:

Fri. Oct. 10	9:00 AM	SHOW
Tue. Oct. 14	6:50 AM	SHOW

Cast

David Carradine	...	Coy 'Cannonball' Buckman
Bill McKinney	...	Cade Redman
Veronica Hamel	...	Linda Maxwell
Gerrit Graham	...	Perman Waters
Robert Carradine	...	Jim Crandell
Belinda Balaski	...	Maryann
Judy Canova	...	Sharma Capri
Archie Hahn	...	Zippo Friedman
Carl Gottlieb	...	Terry McMillan
Mary Woronov	...	Sandy Harris, Girl in the Van #1
Diane Lee Hart	...	Wendy, Girl in the Van #2
Glynn Rubin	...	Ginny, Girl in the Van #3
James Keach	...	Wolf Messer
Dick Miller	...	Bennie Buckman
Stanley Bennett Clay	...	Beutell (as Stanley Clay)
David Arkin	...	TV Producer Anchorman
John Herzfeld	...	Sharpe
Louisa Moritz	...	Louisa
Patrick M. Wright	...	Brad Phillips (as Patrick Wright)
John Alderman	...	Ken Hooper
Deirdre Ardell	...	Older McMillan Daughter
Gretchen Ardell	...	Younger McMillan Daughter
Allan Arkush	...	Panama
Gary Austin	...	Len
Paul Bartel	...	Lester Marks
Wendy Bartel	...	Reporter at Finish Line
Linda Civitello	...	Piano Teacher
Jim Connors	...	Deke Scanton
Roger Corman	...	District Attorney
Peter Cornberg	...	Man in Blue Car
Joe Dante	...	Kid
Miller Drake	...	Reporter at Finish Line
Michael Finnell	...	Helicopter Pilot (as Mike Finnell)
Samuel W. Gelfman	...	Dr. Magritte
Paul Glickler	...	Arresting Officer
David N. Gottlieb	...	Brad Phillips' Aide
Lea Gould	...	Harriet McMillan
Glenn Johnson	...	Cameraman in Helicopter
Jonathan Kaplan	...	All-Night Gas Station Attendant
Aron Kincaid	...	David
Saul Krugman	...	Mr. Schulenberg
James Lashly	...	Desert Gas Station Attendant
Joseph McBride	...	Reporter at Finish Line
Todd McCarthy	...	Reporter at Finish Line
Keith Michl	...	Airplane Pilot
Read Morgan	...	Cop
Mary-Robin Redd	...	Mrs. Schulenberg
Martin Scorsese	...	Mafioso
Don Simpson	...	Assistant District Attorney (as Donald C. Simpson)
Joe Wong	...	Oriental Cop
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sylvester Stallone	...	Mafioso (uncredited)
George Wagner	...	Cameraman (uncredited)

Directed by
Paul Bartel

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Paul Bartel		writer
Don Simpson		writer (as Donald C. Simpson)

Produced by
Gustave M. Berne	....	executive producer (as Gustav Berne)
Samuel W. Gelfman	....	producer
Run Run Shaw	....	executive producer

Original Music by
David A. Axelrod

Cinematography by
Tak Fujimoto

Film Editing by
Morton Tubor

Art Direction by
Michel Levesque

Makeup Department
Cheri Ruff	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Peter Cornberg	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Alan Gibbs	....	second unit director
Jan R. Lloyd	....	second assistant director
Catherine McCabe	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Keith Michl	....	property master

Sound Department
James M. McCann	....	sound (as Jim McCann)
Alex Van Der Kar	....	sound mixer
Peggy Ann Waggoner	....	boom operator (as Peggy Waggoner)

Stunts
Janet Brady	....	stunts
Alan Gibbs	....	stunt coordinator
Greg Walker	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Ed Barger	....	camera operator
Robert E. Collins	....	photographer: second unit (as Bob Collins)
Paul Dillingham	....	camera operator
Paul Hipp	....	key grip
Ron Johnson	....	first assistant camera
Michael Katz	....	gaffer
Domenic Mastrippolito	....	camera operator (as Domenic Nicholas Mastrippolito)
Bob McVay	....	key grip
Douglas Olivares	....	second assistant camera (as Doug Olivares)
Bruce Pearn	....	best boy
Chuck Record	....	gaffer
Henning Schellerup	....	action photographer
Gary Strange	....	grip
Gerald B. Wolfe	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Thomas Baxter	....	assistant costumer
Cheryl Beasley Blackwell	....	costumer (as Cheryl Beasley)
Hollis Trainer	....	costumer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Margot Duxler	....	assistant editor
Bruce Green	....	assistant editor
Ron Horwitz	....	assistant editor

Transportation Department
Gary Strange	....	driver

Other crew
Dick Bernstein	....	production assistant
Linda Civitello	....	production secretary
Michael Finnell	....	production assistant (as Mike Finnell)
Betty Goldberg	....	script supervisor
David N. Gottlieb	....	location manager (as David Gottlieb)
John Hale	....	on-set mechanic
Carson Parlan	....	production assistant
Edwin D. Rich	....	production accountant
Rebecca Ross	....	production assistant
Chuck Russell	....	production assistant: second unit
Richard Peter Schroer	....	production assistant (as Richard Schroer)
Katherine Wooten	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Cross Country
• Harbor Productions
• New World Pictures
• Shaw Brothers

Distributors

• New World Pictures (1976) (USA) (theatrical)
• CBS Television (1979) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Astro Distribution (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• Blue Underground (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Hemdale Film Distribution (UK)
• International Film Distributors (Canada)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
• Monarex Hollywood Corporation (1995) (Germany) (video)
• Roadshow Home Video
• Video Film Express (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video
• Zircon Vídeo (Brazil) (video)

Also Known As:

Carquake (UK)

Runtime:

Hong Kong:93 min | USA:93 min | Portugal:90 min (TV version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Iceland:16 | West Germany:12 (TV version) | West Germany:18 (cinema release) | Australia:R | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG | UK:12 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Harbor Freeway, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Cross Country

Trivia:

Both this film and "The Cannonball Run" (1981) were novelized by the same author, Michael Avallone.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the sequence where the girls in the van give the black guy in the Lincoln a spray of the fire extinguisher, the road they are on changes from a two-lane road to a four-lane highway between shots.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Unleashing the Beast: Making 'The Howling' (2003) (V)

One of the best car movies

Of all the movies about cross country road races (Cannonball 1 and 2, Gumball Rally, et all) I always thought this was easily the best, even though you tend to hear about it the least. David Carradine is great as the star driver, trying to reclaim some past glory and get another shot at a racing career. And Dick Miller as his corrupt brother? Magnificent! Other New World Pictures stars abound!

Lots of great cars, and car action as well, especially the final chase between Carradine and the film's villain, driving a wicked Dodge Charger. Sure there's some bad acting and some bad direction, but as far as being a 70's car/B-flick, it ranks high. One interesting note - the very last image shown in New World's "Death Race 2000" was of an incompleted elevated highway road section, just like the kind Carradine jumps his car across during the big chase. You gotta buy an old used video if you wanna see this one, which would be great on a widescreen DVD. I actually saw this in the theater and would love to see in widescreen again!