The Cannonball Run

19811981
PGPG
1h 35min

Adrienne Barbeau, Farrah Fawcett, Roger Moore, Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. in The Cannonball Run (1981)

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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.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.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.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.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.

See production, box office & company info

See production, box office & company info

Awards
- 1 win & 2 nominations

Videos4

Trailer

How the Best Racing Films Raise the Stakes

How the Best Racing Films Raise the Stakes

25 Years After 'Pulp Fiction', Tarantino Delivers a 'Hollywood' Masterwork

25 Years After 'Pulp Fiction', Tarantino Delivers a 'Hollywood' Masterwork

Sneak Previews Season 3 Episode 34

Sneak Previews Season 3 Episode 34

Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, and John Fiedler in The Cannonball Run (1981)

Adrienne Barbeau, Jackie Chan, Farrah Fawcett, Roger Moore, Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Jack Elam, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Rick Aviles, Warren Berlinger, Tara Buckman, Bert Convy, Jamie Farr, Michael Hui, Joe Klecko, Hal Needham, Mel Tillis, and Alfie Wise in The Cannonball Run (1981)

Adrienne Barbeau, Farrah Fawcett, Roger Moore, Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. in The Cannonball Run (1981)

The Cannonball Run (1981)

Adrienne Barbeau, Farrah Fawcett, Roger Moore, Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. in The Cannonball Run (1981)

Adrienne Barbeau, Farrah Fawcett, Roger Moore, Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. in The Cannonball Run (1981)

Adrienne Barbeau, Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, Farrah Fawcett, Roger Moore, Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Dean Martin, Martin Short, and Sammy Davis Jr. in The Cannonball Run (1981)

Valerie Perrine in The Cannonball Run (1981)

Adrienne Barbeau and Tara Buckman in The Cannonball Run (1981)

Adrienne Barbeau and Tara Buckman in The Cannonball Run (1981)

Vickie Reigle in The Cannonball Run (1981)

Vickie Reigle in The Cannonball Run (1981)

Cannonball Run II

5.1

Cannonball Run II

Smokey and the Bandit

7.0

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Smokey and the Bandit II

5.3

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Hooper

6.4

Stroker Ace

4.9

Smokey and the Bandit Part 3

3.5

Smokey and the Bandit Part 3

Cannonball!

5.5

The Longest Yard

7.1

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Any Which Way You Can

6.1

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Brewster's Millions

6.5

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6.3

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48 Hrs.

6.9

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. —Murray Chapman <muzzle@cs.uq.oz.au>

racer competition on the road road trip car racing 127 more

Taglines
- You'll root for them all...but you'll never guess who wins.
Genres
Certificate
- PG
Parents guide

Trivia
Jackie Chan made one of his first U.S. movie appearances. Inspired by director Hal Needham's notion of including bloopers during the closing credits, Chan began a tradition of doing the same in most of his movies, from this point onward.

Goofs
Even though the beginning of the race makes a blatant point of explaining that racers are scored by time, not order of arrival at the finish line, the ending seems to suggest the contrary. Since time is the main factor, any racer who started after the Lamborghini team should still have been able to check-in and beat them. Instead, everyone fights over being the first one to clock in, and the instant she checks in, everyone else simply gives up.

Quotes
Jackie Chan, Subaru Driver: [the duo is driving at night with the headlights off, to avoid detection] This infrared is the cat's ass.

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.

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 Convy 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
Featured in Sneak Previews: Stripes/Eyes of a Stranger/The Cannonball Run/Superman II (1981)

Soundtracks
Cannonball
Written by Ray Stevens (as R. Stevens)
Performed by Ray Stevens

Top review

10/10

Cannonball Run rules!!!

Captain Chaos, The Rat Pack, Terry Bradshaw and Mel Tillis! Burt, Roger Moore, and Mr...um...Foyt! Some say this isn't a masterpiece, there are no digital effects or Oscar nominated performances. Please! It's just fun watching some of the greats who have passed on and some others who were in their prime having a blast doing a movie that makes little sense and that's just the way I like it. I promise you will laugh and you won't know why, but you won't care! Great movie for anyone who wants to have a beer with his friends and watch a funny, pointless, silly movie. Unfortunately, I also recommend Peter Jackson's King Kong for the same reasons.

helpful•46

9

wolleks-1
Jun 12, 2006

Is the race in this movie based on any real race?

Release date
- June 19, 1981 (United States)
Countries of origin
- United States
- Hong Kong
Languages
Also known as
- The Cannonball Trophy
Filming locations
- Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Production companies
See more company credits at IMDbPro

Budget
- $18,000,000 (estimated)
Gross US & Canada
- $72,179,579
Opening weekend US & Canada
- $11,765,654
- Jun 21, 1981
Gross worldwide
- $72,179,579

See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

Runtime
- 1h 35min
Color
- Color
Sound mix
- Mono
Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1

Burt Reynolds Laid to Rest in Hollywood Cemetery Over Two Years After His Death

Burt Reynolds Laid to Rest in Hollywood Cemetery Over Two Years After His Death

Warren Berlinger Dies: ‘Happy Days’, ‘Cannonball Run’ Actor Was 83

Warren Berlinger Dies: ‘Happy Days’, ‘Cannonball Run’ Actor Was 83

Dec 3Deadline Film + TV

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