Every time I watch "Smokey and the Bandit" (which I've seen at least 100 times, btw), I am constantly reminded of an America that used to be a proud nation to live in & that the simple pleasures of life were the best (good times with good friends, good beer, etc.). Seeing that "Happy Birthday America" sign of an adjacent business next to the warehouse where Burt & Jerry arrive to pick up a cargo of Coors. The movie was filmed in 1976 - a much simpler time when people were nicer & music was loads better. That America sadly no longer exists. Bravo, Smokey & The Bandit!
Similar story to hear in Australia, but I do believe the spirit of those days does still exist in America (and Australia). Look at the classic muscle car culture as a prime example. Still going strong in the US (and here). The era of current day muscle cars from Chevy, Ford and Dodge are at their peak in terms of models and performance, you could say it is a golden era at the moment..but of course PC has infected most areas of our life as have modern devices. Life certainly is faster paced and more complicated. My kids are much more life savvy than I was at their age....
Gosh I miss those days. Things were so much better back then even with the good things happening since. I absolutely KNEW that the store on 75 near Helen was the shoot location but I heard different things. My sister (living near ATL) told me in '77 about the filming they did at the Old Hickory House. Sad to see so much change around the filming shoots. I would NOT go to some of these places at night.
I am about the same age as the original poster. Yes I miss many simpler things from 30 years ago, but I disagree things are not as good. I think things are better today. Your idea is common, and has been common for thousands of years. Of course we miss the things from our youth, just like our great-grand parents did and our grand kids and their grand kids will. Change is not inherently bad, it is just the way it is.
My family was at the flea market that Saturday on GA85 and 138 at mark 1:15 on the video where Snowman follows the Bandit. My cousin and brother got stuck in the medium when the cops closed off the intersection and the camera crew rolled in. Burt waved at all of us as he was going by and we were all hooping hollering and yelling. I remember seeing that beautiful Trans Am and That beautiful tractor trailer go by and was in awe. Thank you for the memories. I would later see the results of the Helen, Ga skid marks that lasted for years.
Skid marks I would have to pay dwn by them and then tell my cousin "take a pic. w/my 📱 phone. He would say WTF, dude ur living in the future... And I reply "I meant my 📷 camera" then wink at the camera as he's taking my pic.next to the iconic SKID MARKS... funny they look like the SKID marks of a certain DeLoren I've seen somewhere... In the future? Perhaps ... Peace my friends see ya in the Gods paradise future.. Amen
Lakewood fairgrounds was such a big part of this legendary movie....you would think someone could save it just for that reason alone. Incredible how much things change in 30 years time.
A couple shots of Jerry Reed were bittersweet especially in the next pic it was like he just faded away..really good stuff Seeing the Old Grandstand and and some of the old buildings 30 years later, hits home, that we are not that young anymore
I lived outside of Atlanta for 10 years, I went to the old Lakewood area many times for concerts and I would see the old grandstands and the other structures and I knew I was standing on History. I used to travel those highways everyday for a job I had there and I traveled many back roads too, I didn't know every road but after watching this, I remember some of the buildings and landscapes.......Thank You so much for making this video, it brought a tear to my eyes, this is probably one of the greatest movies ever made in my opinion.
Bravo miss hicks that is exactly wat uploads like this one are for the years are of joy and bittersweet sadness but more 😂 keep up them good memories of ur youth and God will let u relive them in paradise.. All it takes is a lil FAITH..everyday that is.. God bless be at peace AMEN..
What a beautiful part of the south, immortalized on film.Thank you thebanditrunphotos for this video,and rest in peace Jackie Gleason and Jerry Reed.............
What a beautiful way to remember a movie more than thirty years later!! You guys did a great job! It's so sad to see how some places have went to nothing all because of "progress." :( Again, I thank you for this video. I had tears in my eyes....:(
Nostalgia seems to always paint prettier pictures of how great times used to be,......but the facts are, times were much simpler back then,...and the real joys and pleasures of life back then cost nothing.....this classic film captures the mood , the energy , and vibrancy of these great times in 1970s America.....
its sad to see how much things have changed and this also makes me remember things in my own past that i wish were still here especialy the people. i have a hard time remembering my past sometimes until something like this jogs my memory and then i remember and it sometimes makes me very sad and then other times very happy so thanks for the memories, both of the movie and my personal ones it makes me want to be a kid all over again
vikeirishman thanks i really do wish i could go back to this time or maybe even further back in time when life was much simpler. i know for some people things are better now but for me life was better back in the 70's
Kevin Peterson the 70's - don't know if it was my teens - the music - the real cars with design and big front ends - the movies - Saturday night live - but I say it was the best decade to be alive
The scene right after Bandit knocks over the mail boxes there is a man standing on the other side of the road near an 18 Wheeler. His name was Bud Anderson a co-worker of my father. They were laying a pipeline through that area when the movie was being shot. Cool video! Thanks for the reminder of years gone by! :-)
I was on the other side of the camera at the truck stop at I 85 and pleasant hill to help set up the cars on each other.I was a tow truck driver back then.We picked up one car from the front and backed the other car under it and set it down.It was so great to see jackie gleason at work.
I was 8 years old when this movie came out, and have been addicted every since. I own a '77 SE T/A, my wife says I'm insane over smokey and the bandit! Great video, well done!!
Sad that the restaurant with the "Happy Birthday America" sign is now some chi-chi coffee bar and the beer distributor is now some antique store. And the abandoned fairgrounds speaks most of all about an America that was once proud and fun and is now ashamed and meek.
+paktype Man you said a mouthful. It is a horrific shame what our nation has declined to. Makes me sick. We better get our shit together and quickly if we are going to have any chance of saving it.
The music , nostalgia, everything makes this video so emotional . I remember watching this movie with my dad , he was a truck driver . He passed away in 07 , I miss hearing his laugh , I miss him so much . Great movie , great cast .
Everytime I see a vid about remembering a show from the mid-70s I always get teary eyed knowing that that era is reaching the 40 year mark. Mostly those cool shows like this one and The Dukes (maybe more, but I've been rugged on research). The 70s though in genearl was the one of the best era's for America and now it's becoming harder and harder to say goodbye to an era gone by. Come on guys we all know that adventually we're going to have to hug our former self goodbye. The good ol' 50s, the beutiful 60s and the roaring 70s. All are fading. I'm going to miss them soo much I've only lived in the 21st century, but I've studied those era's like their my family. I mean my family lived in the last comple eras of the 20th century. My grandparents were born in the late 40s, my mom and dad early 70s, the brother and sister late 90s.
This has to be one of the most beautiful flashbacks of a childs history in film. Our first VHS cassette was Smokey And The Bandit , im 36 now, and while movies are great now, they just arent made the way they were. Thank you for such a fantastic youtube vid.
40 years since smokey and the bandit came out, til this day everything that you've seen in the movie has change. I have all three of the movies and proud to watch them. they made us laugh for years and will make us laugh years to come. I would like to say thank you to the people who filmed this in 1977, thank you Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jerry reed, and Jacky Gleason for 40 years of laughter.
The scenes near highway 141 and 400, was a transmission /salvage business in middle of nowhere on 141. Went there many times, they had several of the patrol cars from the movie there and the Police motorcycle that they crashed on 141 in the movie. Had I a thought back then I would have at least bought the motorcycle off them for cheap, would be cool to have it.
They ran this movie at the local drive-in movie in my little town all summer after it was released, it was a big party every night. We knew every line by heart. Those were really fun times. As many of you have said, I miss them too. They should add an intro to the DVD explaining the context of the movie to the younger generations. Long story short, the government enacted a nationwide 55 mph speed limit on all highways, including interstates to save fuel, decrease our dependence on foreign oil. Everyone hated it. Can you imagine trudging across the Great Plains states at 55 mph? Neither could we. I was doing a lot of long road trips back then so I lived this. All the state highway patrols were enforcing the speed limit rigidly, or trying to. So CB radios became a national craze, enabling communication between drivers on the road so we could warn each other of speed traps ahead. Although truckers had been doing this for years, young people took it a little further and it became kind of like social media in your car, everyone had their "handle" and yakked on the radio all the time. This movie sent that fad over the top for a while. Eventually they dropped the 55 MPH speed limit and that era ended as quickly as it began. It was also a time when Coors beer couldn't be shipped to eastern states. This gave it sort of a trendy mystique, because it was something we couldn't have I guess. It was often smuggled and sold at high prices. Really. So that's the whole premise behind that.
great job to whoever did this. Fantastic tribute to an american classic movie and some of the best men/actors/singers ever to grace this world! Thanks!
Joshua Meeks: Try to indulge the idea. I lived/worked in metro-Atlanta for two years in the mid-2000s (had transferred with my job) and the good folks there filled me in with where to go and what to see as it pertained to Smokey and the Bandit and also The Dukes of Hazzard (Covington, Georgia) and I could never make myself make the time to go exploring. For much of the first six months I was acclimating to my area (very beautiful and heavily wooded) and battling homesickness. I ought to have checked-out the area's attractions while I had the chance.
wow, it does make me homesick for a time when I was happier, now life is so complicated and the people then are about all gone, makes me feel so darn lonesome to watch things like this, but thank you for a very good video and informative to.
I went to the movie theater & watched this movie with my Dad. This brought back alot of happy & sad emotions. Thank you for the trip down memory lane. :)
ahhh.... the memories of all those locations. grew up around there and got to watch some of it being filmed.. used to ride the roller coaster at the fairgrounds ..
I enjoy this more and more every time I watch it. Amazing work here, showcasing some amazing stars. I was thankful to live in the Atlanta area for 20 years, and this brings back some great memories both of beautiful North Georgia growing up and of this forever classic film. Thank you for sharing this with us, very well done!💯
Great vid! Amazing, Smokey and the Bandit is one of those movies I can watch over and over again as if it was the first time. Timeless and unforgettable.
I know I am late in finding this but thanks for posting. I watched this growing up in New England when I was a kid. I live in Georgia now and have been to many of these places.
Thanks For posting this!!!!! Im from Scotland and own a 1981 Turbo Transam and grew up watching this great movie!! You've just given m,e a Great idea for my 40 th Birthday next year!!! I was planning on Having 2 or 3 days in Florida(near Daytona)then heading to Boston for 2 nights then New York for 7,Im just gonna have to squeeze in a Smokey and the Bandit Tour en route now!!!!!
Ive watched this several times and every time I watch it, there are sections I just have my mouth wide open in aww.......This was very well done! I've never been to any of these locations, but this video just makes me wish I could be there.....it almost brings tears to my eyes~~especially the ones with Jackie Gleason.
Some of these locations haven't changed at all while others have been radically altered and some aren't there at all anymore. Time has sure flown since this movie was made. Some of the characters aren't with us anymore while others are old and gray. Burt is now in his 80's and doesn't look well and Jerry Reed is gone. It was great being young & healthy back then. Cherish your life because one day it'll be gone. Long live *Smokey & the Bandit* :)
It's sad burt Reynolds finally passed buford is probably kicking mr bandits ass around the moon by now rip snowman buford t justice and the bandit himself
Progress is something that we will never stop. It's amazing how some of the locations haven't changed at all. Seeing the fairgrounds which once attracted lot of people is sad reminder of what change can do.
I know progress is progress....but its sad to see locally famous spots dissappear....all over the country I'm sure it's like that....just like here in New Hampshire
I grew up in Fayetteville, and my grandmother lived in Jonesboro. Her house had a common boundary with Cletus', and we visited her to see her autographs. Granny's church was Canaan, which was just out of the shot at Mundy's Mill Rd. I think that kudzu covered barn appears in Mississippi and Georgia in the movie. I dated a girl in hs from J'boro, so I passed Fred's pond almost daily. I got a Camaro sideways there once. Shopped at Wayne's, too. We all talked about seeing helicopters and such during filming, though I was only 6 or 7. Cool stuff. I remember all the "proper" moms being offended by the language and lecturing us. The lone "F" gets drowned out by traffic noise, oh well. Thanks for the post!
Wow I really didnt think this would have an effect on me but as I watched it and remembered those times, and the iconic actors we've lost, and how things have changed. I was really touched and moved by it all. Guess that movie had a bigger impact on me than I thought.
Outstanding video, thank you! This movie is one of my all time favorites - it’s a classic fun and feel good movie that evokes so many great memories watching this with family (I was born in 1969). A classic!
great video. Looking to see all the progress and build up after 30 years......nope. LOL. Actually kinda cool that nothing changed from a nostalgia point of view
Wow...lifetime GA resident here..I had no idea the movie was primarily filmed in the metro Atlanta area...the Lakewood Fairgrounds area brought back memories of my temporary residence there while serving law enforcement duties for the 96 Olympics..the state put up a temporary trailer park there for us to live in that summer...right where the pic of Jerry Reed and Burt Reynolds is with the large building in the background. Great posting. Thanks!!!
This video is both happy and sad. Happy to see back in time, and how things looked way back in 1977, but sad at the same time to see how some things, like my body, has fallen apart. Love that movie. Just watched all three of them last week, but the first one will always be my favorite...didn't care too much for the third one, but I still enjoy watching it. Great video work 👍, must have taking you forever to research and film those awesome locations... thank you.
That was a nice trip down memory lane for me. I remember seeing that movie as a kid when it first came out and the critics were ripping it to pieces. I'd never laughed so hard in my young life and not as hard since. As a long haul trucker, I have visited many of the places that were film locations without even having known it, but I can still closely relate to the transitory nature of the life "Bandit" might have lived, although the highway hi-jinks are 99.999% fiction. These days, the cops would use spike strips and probably a TOW missile to stop a truck they were after. Thanks for the ride
What a touching video. How its changed so much since the time of the great smokey and the bandit ruled those roads. Incredible differences. Life is life, always changing. I'm pleased to see some areas remained as is, and not timbered down. Great video.
As a teen living in stockbridge / jonesboro area. This is great to see. I used to fish in the pond the police car slides into. caught a 10 pound based on the right hand point that ran out there. ..man what great times back then. our country was at peace for the most part.
An awesome look back at hands-down one of the funniest films of all time with the greatest cast-fascinating to see all those places, and some of them still looking a lot like they did nearly forty years ago. Thanks, gentlemen, for the tremendous trip through time.
Very good! it's almost errie,and makes you think.I saw the movie in 1978 and it's been a part of me,being a trucker you know. We take this to heart.Thank you.By the way we have a pilot here in Titusville,Fl. named Craig German,who flys the parachute jumpers from here.lol
Awesome video. Amazing how some areas change throughout time and others remain the same. Love that movie and hard to believe its been 36 years ago. Great job and thanks for helping to keep Smokey & the Bandit alive.
Sad see things change . Day they made movie. Sad why let State Fair area looking bad. Nice to remember movie . Lots things change though years. Thank you so much video clip. Alway enjoy Smoky and The Bandit movie. Classic hit movie. I buying so many movie and wear out so quickly. Have two left. Always remember good ol days.
..and this fantastic video is 8 years old now!! Other than the Fairgrounds, it's good to see that in most cases the locations look better 'now' (now being 2007 when this vid was done) than they did back then. The level of detail in terms of location spotting is just outstanding. I haven't seen this vid in a while but I always thoroughly enjoy it (as my username would suggest!) Might give my Smokey and the Bandit I , II & III DVD's another 'run' this weekend ;-)
I wasn’t born until the late 90’s... but this brings me a certain kind of sadness... maybe it’s the music. One of my favorite movies. And one of my goals in life; to travel these roads..
Now THAT'S the way any Then & Now vid should be shot. I especially liked the highway shots showing both the S&B's truck and a truck from present-day. Awesome job. And "Help Me Remember'' was a perfect choice. Thanks for posting.
Every time I watch "Smokey and the Bandit" (which I've seen at least 100 times, btw), I am constantly reminded of an America that used to be a proud nation to live in & that the simple pleasures of life were the best (good times with good friends, good beer, etc.). Seeing that "Happy Birthday America" sign of an adjacent business next to the warehouse where Burt & Jerry arrive to pick up a cargo of Coors. The movie was filmed in 1976 - a much simpler time when people were nicer & music was loads better. That America sadly no longer exists.
Bravo, Smokey & The Bandit!
I agree so much with what you are saying. There are so many things in my life and childhood that are no more....
Similar story to hear in Australia, but I do believe the spirit of those days does still exist in America (and Australia). Look at the classic muscle car culture as a prime example. Still going strong in the US (and here). The era of current day muscle cars from Chevy, Ford and Dodge are at their peak in terms of models and performance, you could say it is a golden era at the moment..but of course PC has infected most areas of our life as have modern devices. Life certainly is faster paced and more complicated. My kids are much more life savvy than I was at their age....
Gosh I miss those days. Things were so much better back then even with the good things happening since. I absolutely KNEW that the store on 75 near Helen was the shoot location but I heard different things. My sister (living near ATL) told me in '77 about the filming they did at the Old Hickory House. Sad to see so much change around the filming shoots. I would NOT go to some of these places at night.
You said it. I sense it too. Try watching all of those Illuminati programs and you'll see what I mean.
I am about the same age as the original poster. Yes I miss many simpler things from 30 years ago, but I disagree things are not as good. I think things are better today. Your idea is common, and has been common for thousands of years. Of course we miss the things from our youth, just like our great-grand parents did and our grand kids and their grand kids will. Change is not inherently bad, it is just the way it is.
God that makes me ache for those great times again. Especially with that music. Thanks for that trip down wonderful memory lane bud.
My family was at the flea market that Saturday on GA85 and 138 at mark 1:15 on the video where Snowman follows the Bandit. My cousin and brother got stuck in the medium when the cops closed off the intersection and the camera crew rolled in. Burt waved at all of us as he was going by and we were all hooping hollering and yelling. I remember seeing that beautiful Trans Am and That beautiful tractor trailer go by and was in awe. Thank you for the memories. I would later see the results of the Helen, Ga skid marks that lasted for years.
nolastrat that is awesome wow!!!
nolastrat my grandmother set up there every Saturday and Sunday. I always went skating Saturday night at Tara skating club . Lol
Back when Clayton Co. was much safer. I remember 1977 vs, say, 2007 more burglar bars on businesses.
Wow now thats wat i consider a GREAT MEMORY. thanks for sharing my friend.
Skid marks I would have to pay dwn by them and then tell my cousin "take a pic. w/my 📱 phone. He would say WTF, dude ur living in the future... And I reply "I meant my 📷 camera" then wink at the camera as he's taking my pic.next to the iconic SKID MARKS... funny they look like the SKID marks of a certain DeLoren I've seen somewhere... In the future? Perhaps ... Peace my friends see ya in the Gods paradise future.. Amen
Lakewood fairgrounds was such a big part of this legendary movie....you would think someone could save it just for that reason alone. Incredible how much things change in 30 years time.
A couple shots of Jerry Reed were bittersweet especially in the next pic it was like he just faded away..really good stuff
Seeing the Old Grandstand and and some of the old buildings 30 years later, hits home, that we are not that young anymore
I know all of these places. All within 15 mins of me! Pretty cool! They have a Smokey and the bandit get-together every year.
Does this still happen?
This was 14 years ago. They’ve changed a lot more right?
Lucky son bitch....
I loved in peachtree city and McDonough for 10 years and I never knew it was filmed there. Crazy. One of my favorite movies ever!
This is a great video if you turn the volume all the way down.
As an Englishman I look at America with love. What a beautiful country full of wonderful people. Love from England.
I lived outside of Atlanta for 10 years, I went to the old Lakewood area many times for concerts and I would see the old grandstands and the other structures and I knew I was standing on History. I used to travel those highways everyday for a job I had there and I traveled many back roads too, I didn't know every road but after watching this, I remember some of the buildings and landscapes.......Thank You so much for making this video, it brought a tear to my eyes, this is probably one of the greatest movies ever made in my opinion.
Jessica Hicks riverdale class78
I agree 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
If I had a dollar for every time I've been on/thru GA 85,, GA 400, Buford Dam Rd., McDonough, Forest Park, I-85,
Bravo miss hicks that is exactly wat uploads like this one are for the years are of joy and bittersweet sadness but more 😂 keep up them good memories of ur youth and God will let u relive them in paradise.. All it takes is a lil FAITH..everyday that is.. God bless be at peace AMEN..
What a beautiful part of the south, immortalized on film.Thank you thebanditrunphotos for this video,and rest in peace Jackie Gleason and Jerry Reed.............
Not only them, but the director Hal Needham passed away in 2013, and of course Burt Reynolds in 2018.
What a beautiful way to remember a movie more than thirty years later!! You guys did a great job! It's so sad to see how some places have went to nothing all because of "progress." :(
Again, I thank you for this video. I had tears in my eyes....:(
+Tony Trout Me too Tony Its rough to see
Tears here my friend...
Nostalgia seems to always paint prettier pictures of how great times used to be,......but the facts are, times were much simpler back then,...and the real joys and pleasures of life back then cost nothing.....this classic film captures the mood , the energy , and vibrancy of these great times in 1970s America.....
Enough youtube videos ! Now I want to put my Smokey and the bandit DVD in and spend the rest of this Saturday afternoon looking back .
so amazing that not only did you find the exact locations, but you had your camera angle at the exact same angles as in the movie. Amazing. Thank you!
Agreed, Mr. Gambardella!!
And I am so so sad that Burt is gone. One of my favorites. God Bless Burt.
its sad to see how much things have changed and this also makes me remember things in my own past that i wish were still here especialy the people. i have a hard time remembering my past sometimes until something like this jogs my memory and then i remember and it sometimes makes me very sad and then other times very happy so thanks for the memories, both of the movie and my personal ones it makes me want to be a kid all over again
+Kevin Peterson I am so with you I wish I could go back to those times and live in the safety of that period forever
+Dodge King exactly
+Kevin Peterson Amen to your 1st comment!!
vikeirishman thanks i really do wish i could go back to this time or maybe even further back in time when life was much simpler. i know for some people things are better now but for me life was better back in the 70's
Kevin Peterson the 70's - don't know if it was my teens - the music - the real cars with design and big front ends - the movies - Saturday night live - but I say it was the best decade to be alive
The scene right after Bandit knocks over the mail boxes there is a man standing on the other side of the road near an 18 Wheeler. His name was Bud Anderson a co-worker of my father. They were laying a pipeline through that area when the movie was being shot.
Cool video! Thanks for the reminder of years gone by! :-)
Fuckin great story/ memory my friend... Yeah!!!
i agree, i was young too and things wre better back then, but smokey and the bandit will forever be my favorite movie!
I was on the other side of the camera at the truck stop at I 85
and pleasant hill to help set up the cars on each other.I was a tow truck
driver back then.We picked up one car from the front and backed the
other car under it and set it down.It was so great to see jackie gleason
at work.
frog That’s AWSOME
still watching 14 years later
I still am.
I was 8 years old when this movie came out, and have been addicted every since. I own a '77 SE T/A, my wife says I'm insane over smokey and the bandit! Great video, well done!!
Sad that the restaurant with the "Happy Birthday America" sign is now some chi-chi coffee bar and the beer distributor is now some antique store. And the abandoned fairgrounds speaks most of all about an America that was once proud and fun and is now ashamed and meek.
paktype That was before social media, we had fairs and carnivals and people enjoyed getting out and interacting with other people.
+paktype Man you said a mouthful. It is a horrific shame what our nation has declined to. Makes me sick.
We better get our shit together and quickly if we are going to have any chance of saving it.
+Elbow How did that work out for the African American community? We have a communist moron for a pope now...
+Elbow Dumb comment winner. Hands down.
So true
The music , nostalgia, everything makes this video so emotional . I remember watching this movie with my dad , he was a truck driver . He passed away in 07 , I miss hearing his laugh , I miss him so much . Great movie , great cast .
Everytime I see a vid about remembering a show from the mid-70s I always get teary eyed knowing that that era is reaching the 40 year mark. Mostly those cool shows like this one and The Dukes (maybe more, but I've been rugged on research). The 70s though in genearl was the one of the best era's for America and now it's becoming harder and harder to say goodbye to an era gone by. Come on guys we all know that adventually we're going to have to hug our former self goodbye. The good ol' 50s, the beutiful 60s and the roaring 70s. All are fading. I'm going to miss them soo much I've only lived in the 21st century, but I've studied those era's like their my family. I mean my family lived in the last comple eras of the 20th century. My grandparents were born in the late 40s, my mom and dad early 70s, the brother and sister late 90s.
+Tab 13 I am so with you on this man Sometimes You wonder why time has to go forward
I'll go ahead and mention the prolific 80's that tops them all..
This has to be one of the most beautiful flashbacks of a childs history in film. Our first VHS cassette was Smokey And The Bandit , im 36 now, and while movies are great now, they just arent made the way they were.
Thank you for such a fantastic youtube vid.
great job! the music is great but makes you feel sad. May Jerry and Jackie rest in peace! God bless and thanks!
40 years since smokey and the bandit came out, til this day everything that you've seen in the movie has change. I have all three of the movies and proud to watch them.
they made us laugh for years and will make us laugh years to come.
I would like to say thank you to the people who filmed this in 1977, thank you Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jerry reed, and Jacky Gleason for 40 years of laughter.
The scenes near highway 141 and 400, was a transmission /salvage business in middle of nowhere on 141. Went there many times, they had several of the patrol cars from the movie there and the Police motorcycle that they crashed on 141 in the movie. Had I a thought back then I would have at least bought the motorcycle off them for cheap, would be cool to have it.
They ran this movie at the local drive-in movie in my little town all summer after it was released, it was a big party every night. We knew every line by heart. Those were really fun times. As many of you have said, I miss them too.
They should add an intro to the DVD explaining the context of the movie to the younger generations. Long story short, the government enacted a nationwide 55 mph speed limit on all highways, including interstates to save fuel, decrease our dependence on foreign oil. Everyone hated it. Can you imagine trudging across the Great Plains states at 55 mph? Neither could we. I was doing a lot of long road trips back then so I lived this.
All the state highway patrols were enforcing the speed limit rigidly, or trying to. So CB radios became a national craze, enabling communication between drivers on the road so we could warn each other of speed traps ahead. Although truckers had been doing this for years, young people took it a little further and it became kind of like social media in your car, everyone had their "handle" and yakked on the radio all the time. This movie sent that fad over the top for a while. Eventually they dropped the 55 MPH speed limit and that era ended as quickly as it began.
It was also a time when Coors beer couldn't be shipped to eastern states. This gave it sort of a trendy mystique, because it was something we couldn't have I guess. It was often smuggled and sold at high prices. Really. So that's the whole premise behind that.
great job to whoever did this. Fantastic tribute to an american classic movie and some of the best men/actors/singers ever to grace this world! Thanks!
man the memories, if there was a chance i would go back to Georgia to look at these locations
l do it all the time and it just brakes my heart, because the whole area has just gotten old and rundown.
Joshua Meeks: Try to indulge the idea. I lived/worked in metro-Atlanta for two years in the mid-2000s (had transferred with my job) and the good folks there filled me in with where to go and what to see as it pertained to Smokey and the Bandit and also The Dukes of Hazzard (Covington, Georgia) and I could never make myself make the time to go exploring.
For much of the first six months I was acclimating to my area (very beautiful and heavily wooded) and battling homesickness. I ought to have checked-out the area's attractions while I had the chance.
wow, it does make me homesick for a time when I was happier, now life is so complicated and the people then are about all gone, makes me feel so darn lonesome to watch things like this, but thank you for a very good video and informative to.
I agree. This video made me sad
My sentiments exactly.
I'm feeling the same way now friend.
I went to the movie theater & watched this movie with my Dad. This brought back alot of happy & sad emotions. Thank you for the trip down memory lane. :)
Talk about making you sad! All the nostalgia hit me right in the heart..and to think about Burt,Jerry and Jackie all being gone now..heartbreaking
ahhh.... the memories of all those locations. grew up around there and got to watch some of it being filmed.. used to ride the roller coaster at the fairgrounds ..
This is my favorite movie of all time. It's kinda bittersweet to see these locations now. Great video!!
Go Bandit Go
I enjoy this more and more every time I watch it. Amazing work here, showcasing some amazing stars. I was thankful to live in the Atlanta area for 20 years, and this brings back some great memories both of beautiful North Georgia growing up and of this forever classic film. Thank you for sharing this with us, very well done!💯
Great vid! Amazing, Smokey and the Bandit is one of those movies I can watch over and over again as if it was the first time. Timeless and unforgettable.
I know I am late in finding this but thanks for posting. I watched this growing up in New England when I was a kid. I live in Georgia now and have been to many of these places.
Breathtaking, seeing how much it all has changed. brought tears to my eyes of the good times gone by and now just left to memories.
Thanks For posting this!!!!! Im from Scotland and own a 1981 Turbo Transam and grew up watching this great movie!! You've just given m,e a Great idea for my 40 th Birthday next year!!! I was planning on Having 2 or 3 days in Florida(near Daytona)then heading to Boston for 2 nights then New York for 7,Im just gonna have to squeeze in a Smokey and the Bandit Tour en route now!!!!!
Ive watched this several times and every time I watch it, there are sections I just have my mouth wide open in aww.......This was very well done! I've never been to any of these locations, but this video just makes me wish I could be there.....it almost brings tears to my eyes~~especially the ones with Jackie Gleason.
Damn, time moves slow in Georgia, nothing is still built on Mundy Mill Rd. after 37 yrs. same with Lithonia
Damn miss this movie. Have it on DVD. R.I.P. BANDIT and SNOWMAN!! 🙏
And for ever will their spirits blow in the wind.... thanks for the memories and thanks for sharing this
Some of these locations haven't changed at all while others have been radically altered and some aren't there at all anymore. Time has sure flown since this movie was made. Some of the characters aren't with us anymore while others are old and gray. Burt is now in his 80's and doesn't look well and Jerry Reed is gone. It was great being young & healthy back then. Cherish your life because one day it'll be gone. Long live *Smokey & the Bandit* :)
Mike Hawk - I Agree -Then Judgement time .be ready.
It's sad burt Reynolds finally passed buford is probably kicking mr bandits ass around the moon by now rip snowman buford t justice and the bandit himself
Progress is something that we will never stop. It's amazing how some of the locations haven't changed at all. Seeing the fairgrounds which once attracted lot of people is sad reminder of what change can do.
Here in Kennesaw Georgia I just saw the 40th anniversary showing at the movies on the big screen!! Everyone was cheering it was so good.
I know progress is progress....but its sad to see locally famous spots dissappear....all over the country I'm sure it's like that....just like here in New Hampshire
speechless ...thank you so much.
one of my favorite movies from when i was a child..
the music made it even sadder.
Oh that was cool as hell ! Goodbye Burt and Jerry- Bandit and Snowman RIP.
I grew up in Fayetteville, and my grandmother lived in Jonesboro. Her house had a common boundary with Cletus', and we visited her to see her autographs. Granny's church was Canaan, which was just out of the shot at Mundy's Mill Rd. I think that kudzu covered barn appears in Mississippi and Georgia in the movie. I dated a girl in hs from J'boro, so I passed Fred's pond almost daily. I got a Camaro sideways there once. Shopped at Wayne's, too. We all talked about seeing helicopters and such during filming, though I was only 6 or 7. Cool stuff. I remember all the "proper" moms being offended by the language and lecturing us. The lone "F" gets drowned out by traffic noise, oh well. Thanks for the post!
Great job putting this together. It's bitter sweet to watch. Wish I could go back in time and see all the locations as they were. Keep on trucking
Wow I really didnt think this would have an effect on me but as I watched it and remembered those times, and the iconic actors we've lost, and how things have changed. I was really touched and moved by it all. Guess that movie had a bigger impact on me than I thought.
Love the Bandit movies even though I wasn't born until 79. So this video made me realize how old I am starting to get. Thanks.
Outstanding video, thank you! This movie is one of my all time favorites - it’s a classic fun and feel good movie that evokes so many great memories watching this with family (I was born in 1969). A classic!
Me, too! 😉
great video. Looking to see all the progress and build up after 30 years......nope. LOL. Actually kinda cool that nothing changed from a nostalgia point of view
Well done!! Thanks for the hard work involved in making this and for posting.
Wow...lifetime GA resident here..I had no idea the movie was primarily filmed in the metro Atlanta area...the Lakewood Fairgrounds area brought back memories of my temporary residence there while serving law enforcement duties for the 96 Olympics..the state put up a temporary trailer park there for us to live in that summer...right where the pic of Jerry Reed and Burt Reynolds is with the large building in the background. Great posting. Thanks!!!
This video is both happy and sad.
Happy to see back in time, and how things looked way back in 1977, but sad at the same time to see how some things, like my body, has fallen apart.
Love that movie. Just watched all three of them last week, but the first one will always be my favorite...didn't care too much for the third one, but I still enjoy watching it.
Great video work 👍, must have taking you forever to research and film those awesome locations... thank you.
This was the America that I remember , I don't even recognize that America now.
What an amazing video. I'm sure this took ALOT of time to research and put together. Think it makes us all long for a simpler (better) time.
That was a nice trip down memory lane for me. I remember seeing that movie as a kid when it first came out and the critics were ripping it to pieces. I'd never laughed so hard in my young life and not as hard since.
As a long haul trucker, I have visited many of the places that were film locations without even having known it, but I can still closely relate to the transitory nature of the life "Bandit" might have lived, although the highway hi-jinks are 99.999% fiction.
These days, the cops would use spike strips and probably a TOW missile to stop a truck they were after.
Thanks for the ride
One of my favorite movies all time. Kinda feels like it takes a piece of your heart how things have changed and are gone over 30yrs.
What a touching video. How its changed so much since the time of the great smokey and the bandit ruled those roads. Incredible differences. Life is life, always changing. I'm pleased to see some areas remained as is, and not timbered down. Great video.
I've watched many videos about Smokey and the Bandit filming locations, then and now. This one is still by far the best I've seen.
As a teen living in stockbridge / jonesboro area. This is great to see. I used to fish in the pond the police car slides into. caught a 10 pound based on the right hand point that ran out there. ..man what great times back then. our country was at peace for the most part.
An awesome look back at hands-down one of the funniest films of all time with the greatest cast-fascinating to see all those places, and some of them still looking a lot like they did nearly forty years ago. Thanks, gentlemen, for the tremendous trip through time.
Great video. Amazing to see how times have changed and life was more simple and better back then! Thanks for sharing!
Heartbroken. Like a lost happy place that has faded away. It's been almost 40 years now.
REST IN Peace Bandit!!!! The world wont be the same without you!!!!!!
My father and I watched this movie over and over . Thanks dad for spending time with me . I love you I'll see you soon when it comes
that was an awesome job. seeing the then pics sure brings back those good Ole memories. they don't make movies like that anymore. a true classic.
Very good! it's almost errie,and makes you think.I saw the movie in 1978 and it's been a part of me,being a trucker you know. We take this to heart.Thank you.By the way we have a pilot here in Titusville,Fl. named Craig German,who flys the parachute jumpers from here.lol
Never knew they filmed in Cummings and Helen Ga.Had fun watching,thanks!
Thank y’all for sharing. I got to see most of it filmed live .
The bridge they jumped, is right behind my great fathers house in Jonesboro.
awwww memories......sweetened thru the ages just like wine......great times back then i'll never forget .......excellent presentation.....thanks!
What a phenomenal montage of before and after photos.
Thank you for the memories! :-))
Very nice video! Brings back good times that were much simplier times! R.IP. Burt Reynolds 09/06/18
Awesome video. Amazing how some areas change throughout time and others remain the same.
Love that movie and hard to believe its been 36 years ago.
Great job and thanks for helping to keep Smokey & the Bandit alive.
Sad see things change . Day they made movie. Sad why let State Fair area looking bad. Nice to remember movie . Lots things change though years. Thank you so much video clip. Alway enjoy Smoky and The Bandit movie. Classic hit movie. I buying so many movie and wear out so quickly. Have two left. Always remember good ol days.
One of my favorite movies.
This takes me back.
Thank you.
..and this fantastic video is 8 years old now!! Other than the Fairgrounds, it's good to see that in most cases the locations look better 'now' (now being 2007 when this vid was done) than they did back then. The level of detail in terms of location spotting is just outstanding. I haven't seen this vid in a while but I always thoroughly enjoy it (as my username would suggest!) Might give my Smokey and the Bandit I , II & III DVD's another 'run' this weekend ;-)
Great job matching the scenes.
That was a complete labor of love, can't imagine how long that took to get together, really enjoyed it
Fantastic video. Thanks for posting this. Smokey and the Bandit is one of my all time favorite movies.
great job, i grew up watching the movie and now my kids and i watch it all the time..
The Old Hickory House made me kinda sad....one of the best scenes in the movie...."gimmie a Diablo sandwich and Dr. Pepper, I'm in a goddamn hurry!"
+Anonymous Poster
You want anything JR? "Hush Puppies daddy"
"We ain't got time for that shit!"
I was 5 when I saw the movie the first time and I am sure that Jerry Reed is the reason I drive today. Thank you for the video.
"Now thats an attention getter" Great job, top marks for a truely worthwhile effort. it's made my YEAR finding this!
Outstanding, thanks for putting this together. That was a terrific movie back when I was a high school senior. Very best, Toi
I've watched this so many times. Thanks Tyler
I wasn’t born until the late 90’s... but this brings me a certain kind of sadness... maybe it’s the music. One of my favorite movies. And one of my goals in life; to travel these roads..
nicely done thanks everything has to end and that sucks We get older and we fade just sucks,but the memories are stacked in celluloid!!t Thanks again!
This is so cool! Music goes with this video perfectly too! :)
What were the songs on this video
Brought a tear to my eye, but thanks for posting.
Now THAT'S the way any Then & Now vid should be shot. I especially liked the highway shots showing both the S&B's truck and a truck from present-day. Awesome job. And "Help Me Remember'' was a perfect choice. Thanks for posting.
Thank you. This was a great journey into my past.
wow. Thanks for this video. Its a great reminder of how the past was so simple and great.
I live not even 10 minutes away from some of those scenes 😜😜
Awesome 👍 your so lucky.