Smokey and the Bandit (1977)

The Bandit is hired on to run a tractor trailer full of beer over state lines, in hot pursuit by a pesky sheriff.

Director:

Hal Needham

Writers:

Hal Needham (story), Robert L. Levy (story)

Stars:

Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jerry Reed

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Burt Reynolds	...	Bandit
Sally Field	...	Carrie
Jerry Reed	...	Cledus
Mike Henry	...	Junior
Paul Williams	...	Little Enos
Pat McCormick	...	Big Enos
Alfie Wise	...	Patrolman at Traffic Jam
George Reynolds	...	Branford
Macon McCalman	...	Mr. B
Linda McClure	...	Waynette
Susie Ewing	...	Hot Pants (as Susan McIver)
Laura Lizer Sommers	...	Little Beaver (as Laura Lizer)
Michael Mann	...	Branford's Deputy
Lamar Jackson	...	Sugar Bear
Ronnie Gay	...	Georgia Trooper

Storyline

Bandit and Cledus are two truck-driving southerners who accept a dare from big-shots Big and Little Enos to pick up a truckload of beer from Texas and return it to them within a specified amount of time. Picking it up is simple enough, but as they are leaving Texas, Bandit unwittingly picks up Carrie, a hitchhiking bride-to-be who just left her groom, Junior, at the altar. Junior, however, is the son of Sheriff Buford T. Justice. And when Buford and Junior discover what has happened, they go on a "high-speed pursuit" across the Southeast to catch the bandit.

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Plot Keywords:

sheriff | coors beer | trucker | road movie | police chase | 

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Taglines:

It's Burt Reynolds, Sally Field and Jackie Gleason, in high gear and hot water!

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Genres:

Action | Comedy

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Pat McCormick (Big Enos Burdette) was only 13 years older than Paul Williams (Little Enos Burdette).

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Goofs

Reflections from a windshield in Buford's car can be seen in a scene set long after it was broken off.

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Quotes

[after kicking one of the car thieves in the rear]
Buford T. Justice: That's an attention-getter.

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Alternate Versions

The TV print needed extensive overdubbing to reduce the amount of profanity. In particular, Jackie Gleason's expression "Sum-bitch!" was replaced with "Scum-bum." This new word became a popular catch phrase with kids after the film made its TV debut.

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Connections

Referenced in Puff, Puff, Pass (2006)

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Soundtracks

East Bound And Down
By Dick Feller and Jerry Reed
Sung by Jerry Reed

User Reviews

Simple Times, Simple Movie, Simply FUN!!!!!!

I grew up in the south as a teen in the 70's and this movie was the South at that time. It was all about CB radios. I remember when my dad got one in his 1972 cherry red Chevy Impala. He had this big ol' whip antennae on the back and his CB handle(name) was Midnight(because he worked the night shift at Pan Am airlines). I think part of the reason Smokey was such a huge hit was threefold. First off, we were going thru an energy crisis and the age of muscle cars was over and most of us were driving around in small pieces of crap like the Chevette or the VW Rabbit! The thrill of seeing a muscle car like the Pontiac Trans Am tearing across the land was a huge thrill! Secondly, the country as a whole was in a malaise of the "Me Generation"..and all the self-help crap! People were listening to soft-rock like Helen Reddy and John Denver and taking self-help courses like est! People wore earth-tone colors and sandals. So when we saw these 'real-men" like Burt and Jerry Reed in thier plaid shirts and tight jeans, taking on the establishment by disregarding the rules of the road and all that, we got excited! Finally, the sheer delight in seeing people enjoying life was a thrill we all wanted to partake in! I can see why so many people, who were bored with life in the pre-disco late 70's, really enjoyed the escapism of this simple but extremely fun flick! We wanted to be a part of it! It was late-night chocolate we never admitted to eating. It was a movie you partly felt dumb to admitting you liked! But the movie itself inspired the hugely popular TV series Dukes of Hazzard, right down to the cast. Burt and Jerry became Bo and Luke Duke..Sally turned into a Daisy(with better legs!) and Sheriff Buford T. Justice became Boss Hogg with his bumbling sidekick Sheriff Roscoe B. Coltrane! And of course the Trans Am was replaced by a true muscle car, the 1969 Dodge Charger (was thier ever a better muscle car than the 69 Charger?) What followed in the aftermath of this movie was the explosion of disco and letting oneself enjoy life again! The whole world got back into living life and having fun! Maybe Smokey had something

Details

Official Sites:

Burt Reynolds' old Pontiac Trans Am replica sold for $317,500 Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 May 1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bandit

Filming Locations:

Phillips Rd and S. Stone Mountain Lithonia Rd, Lithonia, Georgia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$4,300,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$126,737,428

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$126,737,428

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Rastar Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1