The Cannonball Run (1981)

A wide variety of eccentric competitors participate in a wild and illegal cross-country road race. However, the eccentric entrants will do anything to win the road race, including low-down, dirty tricks.

Director:

Hal Needham

Writer:

Brock Yates

Stars:

Burt Reynolds, Roger Moore, Farrah Fawcett

1 win & 2 nominations.

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

This comedy movie brings Burt Reynolds, Sir Roger Moore, Farrah Fawcett, Dom DeLuise, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr. and an all-star cast to the starting line of the ultimate auto race, a madcap cross-country scramble that roars full-speed ahead. This action-comedy was inspired by an actual event: the Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, an anything goes, all-stops-out, and very much illegal, competition that has grown to legendary proportions within the last ten years.

---

Plot Keywords:

batman character | van helsing character | van helsing | three word title | cult favorite | 

---

Taglines:

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

---

Genres:

Action | Comedy | Sport

---

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:

St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$18,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$11,765,654, 21 June 1981

Gross USA:

$72,179,579

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$72,179,579

Company Credits

Production Co:

Golden Harvest Company, Eurasia Investments, Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Peter Fonda's cameo as a Hell's Angel, is a reference to The Wild Angels (1966) and Easy Rider (1969).

---

Goofs

During the opening chase between the black Lamborghini and the police car, a shot is reused as the same RV can be seen driving around a corner on the freeway and towards the Lamborghini twice.

---

Quotes

[during the brawl with the mean bikers, Seymour Goldfarb Jr stands aside with his girlfriend, until one of the bikers menacingly approaches them, holding heavy wrench]
Seymour Goldfarb Jr: [to his girlfriend] Step back, my dear.
[the girl steps back. Seymour makes karate moves, with the music of James Bond movies is played in the background]
Seymour Goldfarb Jr: [to the biker] I must warn you, I'm Roger Moore!
Biker: [frowns] Who?
Seymour Goldfarb Jr: [bends forward so the biker can hear him better] Roger Moore!
[...]

---

Crazy Credits

Outtakes are shown during the credits.

---

Alternate Versions

For some reason, the video version dubs over some of the language heard in the big screen and pay channel versions. For example, when Bert Convay asks Peter Fonda what he wants, Fonda answers "Your ass" in the original, but is heard to say "You're asking me?" on the video version.

---

Connections

Referenced in The Larry Sanders Show: The Grand Opening (1993)

---

Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

a fun filled race across the US

The Cannonball Run has been vilified by many critics over the years but I love this movie and have been watching it ever since I was little. This movie is what happens when a bunch of movie stars who just happen to be close friends in real life decide to make a movie just for fun. The plot is simple enough, race from one end of the country to the other for a million dollars and avoid the law on the way. The cast is jammed with big names and just about everyone in the movie that has a speaking part is a star of some stature. This movie is simply great fun and has a lot in common with the rest of director Hal Needham's films,i.e. Smokey and the Bandit. I can't really say that this film is full of great acting because the entire cast horses around through the whole movie. Jackie Chan makes his first appearance in a American movie with this film and both Hal Needham and writer Brock Yates have cameos. Don't expect a lot in the way of plot or acting or effects or anything like that and just enjoy the ride. The outtakes at the end of this and Cannonball Run II are hilarious and it makes it more fun for me anyway to know that this movie was just like a big meeting of old friends. Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. are great as Blake and Fenderbaum respectively. Burt Reynolds and Dom Deluise anchor this film (they're the main characters)and the give and take between these two make them one of the best comedy teams I have ever seen. Bottom Line: Buy this flick, drag it out every once in a while, and have fun watching it with family or friends. A truly fun movie to watch.