The Cannonball Run (1981)

A wide variety of eccentric competitors participate in a wild and illegal cross-country car race.

Director:

Hal Needham

Writer:

Brock Yates

Stars:

Burt Reynolds, Roger Moore, Farrah Fawcett

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Burt Reynolds	...	J. J. McClure
Roger Moore	...	Seymour
Farrah Fawcett	...	Pamela
Dom DeLuise	...	Victor Prinzim
Dean Martin	...	Jamie Blake
Sammy Davis Jr.	...	Fenderbaum
Jack Elam	...	Doctor Nikolas Van Helsing
Adrienne Barbeau	...	Marcie
Terry Bradshaw	...	Terry
Jackie Chan	...	Subaru Driver #1
Bert Convy	...	Brad
Jamie Farr	...	Sheik
Peter Fonda	...	Chief Biker
George Furth	...	A. F. Foyt
Michael Hui	...	Subaru Driver #2

Storyline

A wild, illegal, and popular cross-country car race is organized, and the eccentric entrants will do anything to win, including low-down, dirty tricks.

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Plot Keywords:

race | car | cross country | car race | racer | 

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Taglines:

You'll root for them all...but you'll never guess who wins.

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Genres:

Action | Comedy

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA Hong Kong

Language:

English Cantonese Japanese Arabic

Release Date:

19 June 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Cannonball Trophy

Filming Locations:

King Harbor, Redondo Beach, California, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$59,900,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Golden Harvest Company, Eurasia Investments

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Legendary odds-maker Jimmy the Greek had a cameo in this movie where he did a scene with Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. Jimmy the Greek and Dean Martin both grew up in Steubenville, Ohio and were friends since childhood.

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Goofs

When J.J. lands the plane in the middle of a town square so Victor can get beer, if you look in the background, you can see the barriers that were used to block off the streets. You can also see people standing around watching in the background when Victor is running into the store for the beer.

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Quotes

Organizer: Of course you know certain sceptics note that perhaps 10,000 of the nations's most elite highway patrolmen are out there waiting for us after we start, but let's stay positively: Think of the fact that there's not one state in the 50 that has the death penalty for speeding... although I'm not so sure about Ohio.

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Crazy Credits

An animated car drives around the 20th Century Fox logo, hiding out in the zero. It is chased by a police car, which crashes into one of the searchlights. The sequence ends with Burt Reynold's trademark laugh.

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Connections

Spin-off Stockers (1981)

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Soundtracks

"Just for the Hell of It"
Written by Ray Stevens (as R. Stevens)
Performed by Ray Stevens

User Reviews

Good Car Movie

I like car movies, so I am somewhat prejudiced, but this was a good movie. It was original, it had funny moments, it had those seemingly standard car jumps and wrecks for a car movie. I will admit that it has flaws, like the story does not explain why the Cannonball Run was started, or how it jumps between characters is a bit confusing, but I can live with that. It has a Lambourghini, a Ferrari, a couple of Trans Ams, an Aston Martin, a Rolls, and many other cars, so I enjoyed it. It is a pretty good movie. I liked seeing the various cars competing and even though the movie is a bit predictable, and sometimes the actors' lines seem cheesy, it is an enjoyable movie for a gearhead, a racing fan, or just someone who likes cars.