Coors beer was once illegal in some states because of a provision in the Liquor Control Act that states that only pasteurized malt beverages in brewery-sealed packages may be sold for consumption. Coors beer is cold filtered, not pasteurized. Oregon had a 50-year-old statute forbidding the sale of unpasteurized beer, which was officially considered unhealthy. In 1977, it was illegal to sell Coors east of the Mississippi River without a permit.
Moonshine was illegal because it could be used as an alternative fuel source for carbureted engines...had nothing to do with people drinking it, anything that threatens the value of oil get made illegal or patented and put down in the pentagon basement.
@@davidgallagher6096I always thought it had to do with the alcohol content..I know until recently in Oklahoma where I live... We could not sell 5pt beer cold or outside a liquor store. Cold beer was only low point abv 3.7 I think it was beer.. so it's nice to know the why.
@@TheNighthawke502beat me too it. I thought Gumball Ralley was the better movie. Although Burt Reynolds and Don Delouise is what made Canonball Run so funny
"Is this song made for this movie?" Ohhhhh, Cassie. Jerry Reed is a musical legend. (Jerry Reed played Snowman) The story goes that the director shared with him that they needed to put together some music for this film. Jerry said, "Just give me a minute." And over the weekend -- the weekend, mind you -- he wrote Eastbound And Down, The Bandit, and The Legend. And they're all in this movie, unchanged from the way they were written. Jerry Reed is a legend.
"Not letting her go" isn't an option if she wants to leave a controlling and emotionally abusing partner. She had history of being abused, so it's a good thing she left. She called him a "preformed rut in her road" in her book. Perfect match of flaws, so they fell into each other and it wasn't pretty.
@@esaedvik Another good book that exposes the controlling and toxic relationship in Hollywood is the Sondra Locke book about Clint Eastwood called, The Good The Bad and The Very Ugly.
Well known fact that Burt Reynolds and Sally Field lived together for many years, their chemistry is very apparent in this film. Also, Burt Reynolds was the literal definition of cool in 1977.
Burt & Sally would do the sequel 'Smokey & the Bandit II' together, as well as the movie 'Hooper' in 1978, the year after this movie came out. They also were in the movie 'The End', which also starred Dom Deluise.
I read they broke up soon after Burt wouldn't go with Sally to the Oscars the year she won Best Actress (Norma Rae). He was too jealous to be happy for her. No going back after that.
They where only together for 5 years and it was not a happy relationship, Burt Reynolds was a very jealous man & addicted to pain killers & alcohol due to injuries doing his own stunts which made it very hard for Sally to be with him. 🇦🇺🦘
I'm more concerned about the people that she supposedly hit 😮 that is not cool if she's not much of a menace on the road!! That's dangerous as hell she shouldn't even have a license.
@@tomloft2000I'm interested in why she still has a freaking license. People like that normally lose it for 5 years after a certain number in a certain time span.
Also, the ones with the Pontiac engines were some of the best muscle cars of the era. Very speedy. They essentially destroyed about three of them making the movie, and they weren't modified in any way.
Jackie Gleason was a comic legend. He had a TV Sitcom called "The Honeymooners" with Art Carney, Audrey Meadows, and Joyce Randolph. It was hilarious. "To the MOON, Alice!", "Address the ball".
The Honeymooners were just one small part (But the best remembered due to reruns of the sitcom version) of his legacy. I'm old enough to remember the last years of his comedy/variety show. He was a comic genius.
"Smokey and the Bandit" is really just a live-action version of one of the old Road-Runner/Coyote cartoons. It doesn't take itself too seriously, and that's precisely why it's fun!
Jerry Reed is a Georgia music Hall of Famer. A terrific guitar player, and also known for his humorous songs. Check out "Amos Moses", "She Got The Goldmine, I Got the Shaft", "Lord Mr. Ford".
My favorite part was when Cassie asked if the car was called a Pan Am. 😂 It may be long forgotten now, but back when this movie came out, it made every kid and guy on the face of the earth want a Trans Am.
I really wanted a Trans Am, and got caught up in the whole Firebird vs. Camaro debate. Even though I crusaded at the time for Pontiac, this many years later as my tastes have aged I gotta say I think the early pre-70's Camaro were the better looking vehicle with classic muscle car lines. Heck, Pontiac GTO (the Judge), Dodge Charger, Camaro, Firebird... I'd take any one of 'em nowadays!
Pontiac in 1977 sold a car called the Can Am it was a dolled up version on a Catalina with ground effects spoiler and typical 70's ralleye stripes. very few were ever built and are collector's items today
As a trucker now…this movie was the movie that made me want to do it. I’m only 26, I saw this movie when I was like 15 and it’s been my favorite movie ever since. I still watch it all of the time. 😂
Bandit, Convoy & BJ and the Bear all had me enamored wirh being a semi driver at age 11. Ma talked me out of it. Given she was a cop for a few years, I guess she was worried about my respect for the law 😅
Context is important: In 1974 the US federal government imposed a National Maximum Speed Limit of 55 MPH, supposedly to decrease fuel usage. This law was near universally hated by the driving public and it quickly created an anti law enforcement sentiment among otherwise law-abiding citizens. It was in that environment that this movie about a charismatic speedy driver making a fool out of a dim-witted self-important traffic cop became instantly popular.
CB Radio is coming up this time ❤ so many CB Radio friends install the old Radios another in cars and houses 🎉 Nostalgic yes but its working. This is a cult Film for that ❤ Digital speak is out welcome back analog 😅
You're not kidding. From Frb. '77 to late '78, there were CBs and Trans Ams from coast to coast. My Pops took me when I was 12. Man, I could watch this every night.
I was selling cars at a Pontiac dealership when this movie came out. I had a couple come in and test drive a special edition Trans-Am like Bandit drove. We sat down to negotiate the price when the husband excused himself to visit the restroom. While he was gone his wife said to me "He hasn't been the same since we saw THAT movie". It was the easiest sale of my life.
When Cleetus stopped in that bar/restaurant, he was getting the truck filled up. Since the truck holds like 300 gallons or so, it takes a while. Plenty of time to stop in for a bite. My old man was a trucker, and he absolutely loved this movie. This is the only movie he ever went to with us, and he laughed his ass off the entire time. Good times.
Shortly after I got my CDL I took my mom for a ride along. I'd never seen her eyes get as big as when she saw the fuel bill. 😂 I still like to do that at a smaller truck stop in our area where you still have to go inside to pay for diesel. Me: _"Fuel on 20."_ Cashier: _"Ok. That'll be $640."_ Entire line behind me: _"Oh my god!"_ 😂
@@NarwahlGaming Wow! I flip out seeing the diesel price on a tank for a truck just pulling a horse trailer for about a 3 hour trip one way. Your mom had a genuine response. 😅
6:20 you have no idea how much every truck driver I know loves it when they see kids pumping their arm to honk at them. It's a rare occasion anymore, but it still puts a smile on their faces.
Back in the late 70's, if you lived between Georgia & Texas, Smokey & The Bandit was mandatory viewing. If you bought a house or did your taxes early, you got a free copy of the movie. Also, Pan Am old 70's airline, Trans Am is the car Bandit drove😂😂.
I watched this being filmed when I was just a kid. Jerry Reeds house was my Mom's Aunt's house, and the girl that said "Hey Uncle Bandit" was my cousin. They had Three of the Trans Ams to film with...two for stunts, and one on a trailer with cameras mounted on it. The entire movie was shot in Georgia.
I was an extra in this movie, having recently moved from small-town New Jersey to Atlanta. Burt and I eyed each other 'cause we were dressed the same (blue shirt in the early part of the movie). Sorry I didn't get to see Sally Field or Jerry Reed, but it was a great experience.
@@ricknoe942 Yeah, didn't get to see Sally either, because her part hadn't come in yet. My mom's sister still has a pack of Bert's smokes she swiped. 😁
Jerry Reed, the Driver of the Truck, was a country singer, that Eastbound and Down song at the beginning, was written and sang by him. Also, Burt and Sally dated for 5 years, and he called her" The love of His Life" in his book.
"Som Bitch" came from Burt Reynolds dad. He was a sheriff in Florida and that's what he would always say. Burt told Jackie Gleason about it and thought it was perfect for the character.
This isn't a comedy, this is a documentary about truck drivers! My Dad and my grandpa we're both semi drivers when this movie was released, my dad's sister invited us to her home when HBO aired it, it was a family get together and lots of fun, I became a truck driver in 1990 once I was old enough to get my CDL and it's a popular movie with everyone in the profession!
This movie was filmed in Georgia, and the director is the famous former stuntman turned director, Hal Needham. Hal went on to direct roommate Burt again in Cannonball Run, and some of his other films are Rad and Megaforce. Either way, the decision was shown to premiere the film in Atlanta. Someone said about Smokey and the Bandit.. "In the South, this film's a Damn Documentary!!"
@@scottlyttle5586 don't forget, the inspiration for this movie came about because he was staying at a hotel in either Georgia or Alabama, don't remember which, and his Coors beer he brought to the hotel with him kept disappearing, come to find out his cleaning Lady kept swiping a beer from his cooler and that's how he learned that Coors beer couldn't be sold east of Texas so he thought "that would make a great storyline, some rich guy wants a truckload of beer for a shindig, so he hires Burt Reynolds to haul it to Atlanta, all while being chased by a Texas county sheriff" and from that inspiration one of the best movies of all time was born. If it hadn't been for some Flash Gordon rip off by George Lucas coming out the same year, it would have been the most popular movie of 1977, but don't worry, I know for a fact that every individual with a CDL has seen it, one of my best friends who drives semi has introduced his young son to the movie and last Christmas I gave his boy an authentic Bandit black diecast metal Trans-Am for Christmas last year. Dad was born almost a decade after the movie and was introduced to it by his step dad who is also a trucker
@@keithralston1133 True, but she didn't even know who the legendary Jackie Gleason was, let alone get a "The Honeymooners" reference. That's WAY before her time. I was pretty pleased to see country singer, song writer, and actor Jerry Reed again. I always did like him for some reason.
10:16 - Yes. Bo/Bandit was “running blocker” for the truck, basically he was the distraction for the cops to chase after while Cletus/Snowman avoided getting pulled over.
This was one of those movies I watched with my dad. Now being a dad myself, I watched it with my kids and they love it. I still watch this movie every six months or so.
Can't get better than Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jackie Gleason and Jerry Reed! Ok add in fast cars, trucker talk and great lines... "I'm gonna get that som bich"! 😁 Lastly the unforgettable song "Eastbound and Down!" Thanks for sharing Cassie... PiB 🍿
Miss Cassie, just so you know, Burt and Sally were a couple for about 4-6 yrs, Burt said afterwards “she was the one who got away”. There’s also a “ Bandit II” sequel. The car is a ‘77 Pontiac Firebird “Trans-Am”. Everybody wanted one after this movie….. SanJoséBob
Also helped fuel the CB craze in the 70s in cars and people talking and listening to truckers on the road warning about "Smokies". Coors beer was only a fad at the time because it was illegal. There was nothing special about it but college students went crazy over it because it was hard to get in certain states and went for a premium price if you bought it off someone who made a trip and brought back a case or two.
CB radios were very popular in the '70s. Many people had at least one in their car. My parents also had a base unit in the house. If someone went somewhere they could keep in touch with home. It was sort of the '70s version of social media. I used to chat with people for hours on the CB as a kid. Part of the reason they became popular was the '73 oil crisis, and the resulting national 55 mph speed limit, which led to CBs being used to find stations with gas and the best prices, and to avoid speed traps on the highway. Pop culture stuff like Smokey and the Bandit just made them even more popular. They were also good for avoiding bad traffic, and in case of emergency in the days before cell phones. The truckers always gave you a better weather ,traffic and police report than any app today. God bless the truckers.
Pretty sure the reason we have had the bad truck pile-ups in Texas and Colorado that we didn't have before is because everyone having CB's because they are faster than Google maps at updating truckers about wrecks up ahead.
Another Fun Fact! The Guy Singing The Songs East Bound And Down And They Call You The Bandit Is Snowman Because Jerry Reed Is Actually A Country Singer And This Is His Acting Debut! MIND BLOWN!!!
Movie legend: 10-4 means, understood Whats your 20? means where are you? Whats your handle? your CB nickname Honey-hush? This means wow! Pedal to the metal means push gas pedal to the floor Sum bitch means son of a bitch. Enjoy the film!
Evel Knievel = Cop on motorcycle Smokey Bear = Police cars Bear in the hardware = Police Military force Gear Jammers = Truckers 10-100 = loitering 10-200 = restroom Choke and puke = restaurant- truck stop F O = **** off
My grandfather was a trucker. I rode all over the Southeast with him during summers in the late 70s, not long after this movie came out. This movie brings back a lot of nostalgia.
Another fun fact: the actor who played Big Enos Burdette was Pat McCormick, who was also one of the lead writers on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and who also appeared on the show as a member of the Mighty Carson Arts Players,often showing up in costume (two of his appearances that I recall were as Cupid & as an disgruntled bunny who missed out on winning a Patsy Award (the award equivalent to the Oscar that is given to animal performers every year).
There is no way to describe when movies like this came out. We had 3 television channels. Not much on except for Saturday mornings or late night VHF stuff for teens. None of this bombardment of media. I'm afraid cultural events that unified everyone are long gone. Sad, really. I hope you enjoy the movie!
Yes, we ALL had a handle, CB owner or not, and we all cheered for the rebel truckers. It was one of those times when you could start to feel the restrictions bearing down on you. Since 9/11 it's off the chain and feels like a prison system to those of us who grew up in the 70's.
The kids now a days don't have a clue as to what 'TRUE' imagination is. You had to think and do things with your siblings or your close neighbor kids to have a lot of fun. Because there wasn't much on tv to really watch until later in the evening, and you still had to have your homework done and you still had to be ready for bed by a certain time. I don't know about you, but I lived around the Detroit area, so we only had like 6 channels to watch, and 3 of them were the same as the other 3.
We had 4 VHF channels including PBS and 2 UHF which were independent stations. Later we got one more UHF, and years later those UHF became FOX, UPN, and The WB (now CW).
@@kd5you1 I'm trying to remember... we had (of course) channels 4, 5, and 9 along with the VHF channels 41 and 19 (when we had a good reception day). It's slightly depressing to realize that most of the folks in this channel have NO idea what we are talking about.
@Cassie: Yes, in the 70's it was illegal to transport Coors beer east of the Mississippi River. The reason was because Coors was not pasteurized and it was shipped from the brewery in Golden, Colorado cold and had to reach its destination within 12 hours by law to prevent it from potentially spoiling. There were refrigeration semi trucks back then, but for some reason the Federal government still didn't allow Coors to be shipped beyond the 12 hour limit. So there were some kinds of bootlegging laws still in effect in the late 70's and this was one of them.
I grew up in Kansas & Coors was fairly big there. When I was 16, I moved to Michigan, right when they’d been allowed to bring Coors East of the Mississippi. I was all excited to get Molson & Labatts & all the people I was hanging out with wanted to get Coors all the time😞
Also, I don’t know if this applies too, but some counties across America are still to this day, dry counties, meaning no alcohol. Fun fact, the county where Jack Daniel’s is made, is a dry county. Weird…
I rode Amtrak’s San Francisco Zephyr (now the California Zephyr) from Chicago to Reno and back in 1978. They had Coors beer in the lounge car, but couldn’t serve any until the train crossed the Mississippi on the way out west, and had to stop serving it when the train crossed the Mississippi headed back east.
Fun fact: the motorcycle cop who pulled Jerry Reed over was played by Sonny Shroyer, who would later play Deputy Enos Strate in the TV series 'Dukes of Hazzard'.
And Ben Jones aka Cooter is at at the start where Big & Little Enos are looking for the Bandit. Also John Schneider aka Bo Duke is in the crowd at the end when the sheriff takes off to pursue the Bandit on his mission to get clam chowder.
I"ll always remember the first time I saw this movie. I was 13 years old in 1977 and was on a big trip across the country from Montana to NY to take part as best man in my brothers wedding. My mom and dad and I made it to NYC and watched Smokey and the Bandit at Radio City Music Hall. Great memories.
Citizen's Band (CB) radio was a big craze in the mid '70s. Re -watching these clips after god knows how many years, I kind of realize that it was an early form of social media...
In case no one has mentioned it, look up Jackie Gleason. He’s one of the greats. He was on TV when TV was broadcast live on a show called The Honeymooners.
I saw this movie in the theatres when it came out, I went with my 2 brothers and cousin. When the movie ended we slouched down in our seats as people filed out. As new people entered we sat up and moved to different seats and watched it again.
"Smokey and the Bandit" was the second highest grossing film in 1977 after "Star Wars." The film is filled with CB lingo, and gave Jackie Gleason a new lease on his comedic career. Billy Bob Thornton called "Smokey and the Bandit" a documentary where he came from.
I was in high school when this movie came out and almost every car in our parking lot were black Trans Ams. You have no idea how huge this was. Everyone was talking in CB Talk and quoting this movie. The director was Hal Needham, a stuntman. Burt Reynolds was really into stunts and actually made a movie a year later called Hooper. It was also directed by Needham and about an old washed-up stuntman still trying to stay relevant. It's a fun one! Sally Field was also in it, since they were an item for a while, they had great chemistry.
yeah, Reynolds was quite the thing! we all wanted to be like him. he was a "Playgirl Magazine" centerfold. in real life he treated all women like..... aaah..... actually.....#2, or as they said In this movie, "10-200". near the end of his life, he said Sally Field was the one true love of his life.
@popcorninbed Hi! Truck driver here (rolling gas station). I was 5 years old when this movie came out in 1977. It was a huge movie that did fantastic at the box office but a little movie named Star Wars barbequed it's a$$ in molasses. Jackie Gleason ad-libbed most of his lines.
You should watch "Jackie Gleeson crashes Burt Reynolds' party" - at a party for Reynolds on account of his acting career, Gleeson appeared in-character as Bufford T. Justice, made a speech about catching The Bandit, and left without acknowledging Burt, who damn near pissed himself laughing. It's absolutely hilarious...
"Snowman" = Jerry Reed, not only a good C&W singer (title song) but a killer guitarist with a distinct style who was session musician in Nashville previously, he is on some of Dylan's early electric albums.
I believe the name "Sheriff Buford T. Justice" was a spoof on Buford Pusser, a sheriff in Tennessee who waged a one-man war against local mobsters; there was a very popular film, "Walking Tall", based on his life.
The Rock( Dwyane Johnson) kinda played Buford in the remake of Walking Tall. (I wonder if thats why he says Sumbitch in fast and Furious movies).It just kinda stepped around Bufords life. My grandfather was first chief of police in 40s and 50s for city of Selmer. he died in 1968 around the time Buford became sheriff of McNairy county
There is an annual (and illegal) Bandit Run road race. The team that drives from Atlanta to Texarkana, buys Coors beer, and drives back to Atlanta in the fastest time wins. And yes, some of them drive black Tran Ams.
To this day I can remember as a kid going to the drive-thru (outside) theater and watching this, this is to me one of the best slap-stick comedies of my time..and the Trans Am car iconic!
Smokey and the Bandit was my mom and dad's favorite date movie. My dad worked as a truck driver, and mom loved Sally Field. She recently passed away, so my dad and I are going on a road trip together to spread her ashes and spend time with my brother and sister-in-law. Dad is giving us the call handle Bandit Junior and Bandit Senior, and I know how to speak trucker too.
"Little Enos" is played by actor/singer/song writer Paul Williams. He wrote some of the biggest hit songs in the 70's including the Carpenters' "We've Only Just Begun" and "Rainy Days and Mondays". He also wrote "Evergreen" sung by Barbra Streisand in the film A Star Is Born, for which he won a Grammy for Song of the Year and an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
I was living overseas in 1977... we came back stateside that summer and I went and saw StarWars and Smokey And The Bandit back to back one afternoon!!! Pretty righteous day for a 13 year old!!!
Here are some interesting tidbits about Burt Reynolds: He shares the record with Tom Hanks, Clint Eastwood, and Bing Crosby for being the Top Box Office draw for five years. Only Tom Cruise surpasses them with a record of seven years. Burt was also a proud alumnus of Florida State University, where he not only designed but also purchased new home and away football uniforms for the team. He played football at FSU during the 1950s, and in the 1970s and 1980s, he often attended games, even suggesting plays to the then-head coach, Bobby Bowden. Reynolds frequently stated in interviews that had he not pursued acting, he would have opted for a career in football coaching.
This brings back some memories of when I was a kid. I met my buddy at a movie theater when we were about 10 years old. Watched this and laughed our pint sized butts off. Paul Williams, Jackie Gleason, Burt Reynolds, Jerry Reed, Sally Field and so many others. Thank you for your reaction.
I was going to comment the same. CBs were a big deal in the late 70s and early 80s. My granddad was Kingfish because his last name was King and he liked to fish. My dad was Sugar Daddy. My mom was Sugar Mama. I was Sugar Baby. I have a pamphlet in my bookcase produced locally back then. It covers the lingo and regional handles of everybody.
Trivia: (1) Burt Reynolds and Sally Field met and fell in love on this movie and were together for many years, Burt's ego got huge when his career took off and he left her for another, and he regretted it until he died; (2) the black car was a Trans Am, and it became the hottest selling car in America for a couple years after this movie came out. I saw this in the theater as a kid, LOVED it, and was probably the most popular movie that year behind Star Wars. Also, the director asked Jerry Reed (a country artist and the guy who was cast to play the Snowman) if he could write a song for the movie while they were filming because he had no music at that point. Jerry asked him to show him the whole script so he knew the story, wrote the song that night, played it for the director the next day, and "East Bound and Down" became the theme song.
I remember when this was at the theatre in my home town. 'Smokey and the Bandit' in one theatre and 'Star Wars' across the street, they were both such huge hits, they were 'held over'' for 6 months.
Hi, Cass! The car in the film is a 1977 Pontiac Trans Am, which was a very popular muscle care in the 70's. If you remember the movie "Rocky II", which you also reacted to, Rocky drove that same kind of car in the film.
We don't have state border checkpoints, but a truck can be stopped and checked by a cop at will. You have to present your manifest when asked and allow the cargo to be checked. On top of that, there's weigh stations that are required to pass through, and cops can check you there.
yup, I lived just 2 miles from Snowmans house in Jonesboro the summer of '76 & seen a lot of the filming! Moved to Covington in '77 & got to be in the 1st episode of Dukes of Hazzard 1978 & an extra in Cannonball Run 1981
They even mentioned my hometown of Conyers. Selling any alcohol was illegal in a lot of Georgia counties. Mail order and online sales of wine was also prohibited in Georgia.
Others have commented on the specific issues regarding Coors Beer, but, another factor is that, in some states it is illegal to transport significant quantities of alcoholic beverage across state lines without the proper permits and various taxes having been paid. This was especially true at the time the movie is set.
Many of the outdoor scenes of Smokey and the Bandit were filmed in my hometown- Jonesboro,Ga. 25 miles south of Atlanta. I saw Jackie Gleason filming an outdoor scene. I will never forget it. I was 10 yrs old. Burt and Sally rented at a house on Lake Spivey. It was were all the rich people in our town lived. There may still be a youtube page devoted to it. Clayton and Henry county area of Georgia.
@@Windupchronic Oh so he admitted it. That's interesting. In the interview I saw of hers she made him sound really clueless and ignorant about how relationships should work.
@@ct6852I seems like he was pretty clueless and ignorant about how just about everything worked. Spend way too much money and apparently didn’t think that the money wouldn’t stop flowing in.
OMGosh...." What kind of car is Bandit driving a " Pan Am" did they say "....I fell out of my chair ...LOL...LOL...This is why I love watching to relive these movies with you ....Your Genuine reactions are priceless.... : )
Hi Cassie, although this movie is not of the type that you generally appreciate, thank you for reviewing it. If you see the comments (you seldom if ever reply) it is my hope that you will gain an appreciation for the extreme popularity of the movie and an understanding of the characters and actors perhaps previously unrealized. It was huge and is still among my favorites.
Smokey and the Bandit was an unexpected hit when it came out. I think it cost less than 5 million to make and ended up grossing 300 million worldwide. In North America it was second only to Star Wars as the highest grossing film in 1977.
Cassie, this is an old movie. This movie gives you some appreciation for the evolution of movies over the decades. I've noticed you haven't gone this far back much in your movie watching. If you ever have the time you should consider watching the movie "An Officer and a Gentleman." Its one of my favorite movies from this era of movies. I believe you'll enjoy it.
Fun fact, this came out one week before Star Wars, and did so well that Star Wars itself opened to only number two at the box office its first week. It still was the second best grossing movie of 1977 after Star Wars.
Nice reaction Cassie.The guy who played Cletus was Jerry Reed. He was an amazing guitarist and performer. That is him singing throughout the movie. Also the guy who played "Little Enos" was Paul Williams who had a fine career as an actor and also as an award winning songwriter. Sheriff Justice was Jackie Gleason who was a fine dramatic and comedic actor. He also was the star of a TV series that still runs in reruns today called The Honeymooners. He was in some great movies too. You should watch The Hustler. It stars Paul Newman as young pool hustler Fast Eddie Felson and Gleason plays the legendary (real life) Pool player and hustler Minnesota Fats. Great dramatic movie. Amazing acting. No special effects or CGI, just great acting. Then there is a movie from years later called The Color of Money. Newman reprises his role as Fast Eddie as an older guy, who has quit playing, but decides to manage a brash young player. The young hustler is played by Tom Cruise. Really good movie also. Oh and we wwere all introduced to Sally Field as the young star of 2 TV shows. The 1st was called Gidget. The 2nd was The Flying Nun. Stay well.
I had a friend who did this run in his truck way back when, just a pickup of course, and he was only hauling a 24 pack of Coors, but he did it all the same. He even had a convoy of truckers put him in the "Rocking Chair". He was talking with them on the radio. A cop overheard what was going on and threw in his support as long as he wasn't speeding.
Im 22 and grew up on this. Not gonna lie, this is 100% one of those fun movies that never gets old how many times I watch it. Fun fact: the dude who played the sheriff is Jackie Gleason. The dude who played Ralph on the Honeymooners in the 50s. The inspiration for characters like Fred Flintstone and the likes. Also, Cleetus' actor is Jerry Reed. He did all of the music for the movie
Coors beer was banned East of Colorado. When in 1975 I moved from N. Cal to Milwaukee, my sisters' boyfriend asked me to bring cases of Coors. He had a Rock Band and they appreciated the beer.
The "what's Bandit driving...a Pan Am?" made me spit out my drink! 😂 This is one of my favourite movies since when I was a kid...I know most of the lines by heart (In German and English!). In 2020 during the first big Covid lockdown this movie was shown in a special drive in set up outside the Berlin Olympic Stadium on the parking lot, so people could still watch movies while social distancing. Since I don't have a car, I rented one just for this occasion and went with my best mate who loves this movie as much as I do! Lots of people turned up with classic European and American cars, it was a great event on a nice summer evening. A guy called Mirco, who is also from Berlin originally, says this movie was one of the main influences for him to emigrate to Canada and drive trucks for a living, he now works for a haulage company near Winnipeg and drives to the US midwest regularly. He's also got his own channel here on RUclips showing his day to day trucking life, but it's only in German 🙂
Buford (shouting out the door): "You want somethin!?" Junior (from the car): "Hush puppies Daddy!" Buford: "WE GOT NO TIME FOR THAT CRAP! Damn sumbitch!"
The Bond films with a Southern sheriff are "Live And Let Die" and "The Man With A Golden Gun", that character's name is J.W. Pepper played by Clifton James. The sheriff in this one was played by Jackie Gleason who had his own variety show in the early days of TV and would go on to star in one of the greatest sitcoms of all time: The Honeymooners.
I saw this in the theater when it came out and had to promise not to repeat the language. I was old eight. this movie is such a classic. A lot of it was filmed around us in GA.
Coors beer was once illegal in some states because of a provision in the Liquor Control Act that states that only pasteurized malt beverages in brewery-sealed packages may be sold for consumption. Coors beer is cold filtered, not pasteurized. Oregon had a 50-year-old statute forbidding the sale of unpasteurized beer, which was officially considered unhealthy. In 1977, it was illegal to sell Coors east of the Mississippi River without a permit.
Moonshine was illegal because it could be used as an alternative fuel source for carbureted engines...had nothing to do with people drinking it, anything that threatens the value of oil get made illegal or patented and put down in the pentagon basement.
Coors also had to be transported in refrigerated trucks. Which made it a regional brand.
Beat me to it, yes, transporting beer wasnt illegal, just transporting Coors beer was.
Interesting, I always assumed it was a state tax dodge.
@@davidgallagher6096I always thought it had to do with the alcohol content..I know until recently in Oklahoma where I live... We could not sell 5pt beer cold or outside a liquor store. Cold beer was only low point abv 3.7 I think it was beer.. so it's nice to know the why.
"Cannonball Run" for more Burt Reynolds. "Convoy" for more truckers.
Oh please, any Burt Reynolds movie but Cannonball Run. Except for the sequel, of course.
Stroker Ace for good Burt :P
And "Gumball Rally" for more cross-country racing fun! 😉
@@TheNighthawke502beat me too it. I thought Gumball Ralley was the better movie. Although Burt Reynolds and Don Delouise is what made Canonball Run so funny
I loved Convoy
"Is this song made for this movie?"
Ohhhhh, Cassie. Jerry Reed is a musical legend. (Jerry Reed played Snowman) The story goes that the director shared with him that they needed to put together some music for this film. Jerry said, "Just give me a minute." And over the weekend -- the weekend, mind you -- he wrote Eastbound And Down, The Bandit, and The Legend. And they're all in this movie, unchanged from the way they were written. Jerry Reed is a legend.
And a fantastically under rated actor. Reed had real acting chops. He just wasn't that interested in it.
One of the great country guitar players of all times....Jerry is a legend....
I used to have a cassette tape of Dave Dudley (another country singer) music, and I remember his rendition of East Bound and Down.
@@patricksullivan2261 I did like it when he decided to play the bad coach in The Waterboy.
@@ronfehr7899 I didn't have one from this movie, but I did have a Charlie Daniels Band one with Devil Went Down to Georgia on it as a kid.
It always warms my heart when someone watches Smokey and the Bandit for the first time.
Same
In an interview before he passed away.. Burt Reynolds said that Sally Field was the love of his life and he never should have let her go..
"Not letting her go" isn't an option if she wants to leave a controlling and emotionally abusing partner. She had history of being abused, so it's a good thing she left. She called him a "preformed rut in her road" in her book. Perfect match of flaws, so they fell into each other and it wasn't pretty.
@@esaedvik Another good book that exposes the controlling and toxic relationship in Hollywood is the Sondra Locke book about Clint Eastwood called, The Good The Bad and The Very Ugly.
He was better off without her. She wouldn't have been faithful to him.
@@ItsMe-vg4vj Sondra Locke or Sally Field?
When he got gravely ill and passed Sally paid for everything
Well known fact that Burt Reynolds and Sally Field lived together for many years, their chemistry is very apparent in this film.
Also, Burt Reynolds was the literal definition of cool in 1977.
Burt Reynolds once said that breaking up with Sally Field was the biggest mistake of his life.
Burt and Sally fell in love while making this film
Burt & Sally would do the sequel 'Smokey & the Bandit II' together, as well as the movie 'Hooper' in 1978, the year after this movie came out. They also were in the movie 'The End', which also starred Dom Deluise.
I read they broke up soon after Burt wouldn't go with Sally to the Oscars the year she won Best Actress (Norma Rae). He was too jealous to be happy for her. No going back after that.
They where only together for 5 years and it was not a happy relationship, Burt Reynolds was a very jealous man & addicted to pain killers & alcohol due to injuries doing his own stunts which made it very hard for Sally to be with him.
🇦🇺🦘
16 car accidents ... but only 15 were your fault. That clarification made me laugh so much. 😊
I was really interested in the 1 that wasn't her fault.
Saying "Only" for the majority of them is funny.
I'm more concerned about the people that she supposedly hit 😮 that is not cool if she's not much of a menace on the road!! That's dangerous as hell she shouldn't even have a license.
@@m.hreels9822 Well, she did say most of them only involved inanimate objects... though I'm really divided as to whether that is better or worse. 😏😏
@@tomloft2000I'm interested in why she still has a freaking license. People like that normally lose it for 5 years after a certain number in a certain time span.
Bandit's car is a 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. Because of the massive popularity of this movie, GM sold over 730,000 Firebirds between 1977-1981.
Actually, its a Pontiac Fire Chicken.
@@onlylooksitalian Screaming Chicken
My favorite car. Too bad I wasn't even born until 79, and never got the chance to buy one, lol.
Also, the ones with the Pontiac engines were some of the best muscle cars of the era. Very speedy. They essentially destroyed about three of them making the movie, and they weren't modified in any way.
" A pan am " 😂😂
Jerry Reed was also a Country Singer and absolutely shredded as a Guitarist
MY BIRD!!!!!!
Jerry’s soundtrack is great. Beyond the songs, the instrumentals are tight. CB chatter tracks are fun.
Elvis recorded two of Jerry's songs: Guitar Man and US Male.
Jackie Gleason was a comic legend. He had a TV Sitcom called "The Honeymooners" with Art Carney, Audrey Meadows, and Joyce Randolph. It was hilarious. "To the MOON, Alice!", "Address the ball".
The Honeymooners were just one small part (But the best remembered due to reruns of the sitcom version) of his legacy. I'm old enough to remember the last years of his comedy/variety show. He was a comic genius.
"Smokey and the Bandit" is really just a live-action version of one of the old Road-Runner/Coyote cartoons. It doesn't take itself too seriously, and that's precisely why it's fun!
yeah, seen "Smokey and the Bandit" over 20 times and I NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT!! YOU ARE RIGHT!!!
yeah, seen "Smokey and the Bandit" over 20 times and I NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT!! YOU ARE RIGHT!!!
yeah, seen "Smokey and the Bandit" over 20 times and I NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT!! YOU ARE RIGHT!!!
The Villian was too.
Snowman is played by Jerry Reed the writer and the singer of most songs in the movie
Singer, writer, and master guitarman.
Jerry Reed is a Georgia music Hall of Famer. A terrific guitar player, and also known for his humorous songs. Check out "Amos Moses", "She Got The Goldmine, I Got the Shaft", "Lord Mr. Ford".
@@JPDillon She got the goldmine is not so funny to me after my divorce haha
Fun piece of movie trivia for everyone, can you name every movie that Jerry Reed and Burt Reynolds starred in together without Googling it
@@JPDillonAmos Moses was one of my favorite tracks from GTA San Andreas.. Jerry Reed is a legend..
My favorite part was when Cassie asked if the car was called a Pan Am. 😂 It may be long forgotten now, but back when this movie came out, it made every kid and guy on the face of the earth want a Trans Am.
There's a clear generation gap here, I guess. But the Trans Am was definitely a fancy car.
I really wanted a Trans Am, and got caught up in the whole Firebird vs. Camaro debate. Even though I crusaded at the time for Pontiac, this many years later as my tastes have aged I gotta say I think the early pre-70's Camaro were the better looking vehicle with classic muscle car lines. Heck, Pontiac GTO (the Judge), Dodge Charger, Camaro, Firebird... I'd take any one of 'em nowadays!
Pontiac in 1977 sold a car called the Can Am it was a dolled up version on a Catalina with ground effects spoiler and typical 70's ralleye stripes. very few were ever built and are collector's items today
Hilarious.
@@Chaddz3 The Can Am was based on the Lemans body. One year only car with just over a thousand produced.
I used to drive a 1975 Kenworth conventional. The interior scenes of this truck brings back many memories.
As a trucker now…this movie was the movie that made me want to do it. I’m only 26, I saw this movie when I was like 15 and it’s been my favorite movie ever since. I still watch it all of the time. 😂
Bandit, Convoy & BJ and the Bear all had me enamored wirh being a semi driver at age 11. Ma talked me out of it. Given she was a cop for a few years, I guess she was worried about my respect for the law 😅
Hope you got a CB for your truck
Context is important:
In 1974 the US federal government imposed a National Maximum Speed Limit of 55 MPH, supposedly to decrease fuel usage. This law was near universally hated by the driving public and it quickly created an anti law enforcement sentiment among otherwise law-abiding citizens.
It was in that environment that this movie about a charismatic speedy driver making a fool out of a dim-witted self-important traffic cop became instantly popular.
I would not characterize the law as near universally hated- especially among safety minded people.
@@oaktree1628I would
@@oaktree1628 Context. Take a pole on a long stretch of freeway in 1977
I had forgotten. CB radios were the cell phones of the day. EVERYONE had a CB radio. LOL
Popular still nowadays, different but still a thing. Lots of YT videos on the subject. What happens when the cell network goes down…
CB Radio is coming up this time ❤ so many CB Radio friends install the old Radios another in cars and houses 🎉 Nostalgic yes but its working. This is a cult Film for that ❤ Digital speak is out welcome back analog 😅
You're not kidding. From Frb. '77 to late '78, there were CBs and Trans Ams from coast to coast. My Pops took me when I was 12. Man, I could watch this every night.
I want a CB radio.
It was just perfect being 10 years old in 1977: Star Wars, Smokey, Close Encounters, Sat Night Fever, Spy Who Loved Me... what a year!
me too!
and me, too!
I was 6 and I still remember my parents taking me to all those movies at the cinema.
And Elvis passed away
I was 22 and in my final year at university. Loved all those great films!
I was selling cars at a Pontiac dealership when this movie came out. I had a couple come in and test drive a special edition Trans-Am like Bandit drove. We sat down to negotiate the price when the husband excused himself to visit the restroom. While he was gone his wife said to me "He hasn't been the same since we saw THAT movie". It was the easiest sale of my life.
"I've been in 16 car accidents, but only 15 were my fault." sounds like a line that belongs in the movie.
When Cleetus stopped in that bar/restaurant, he was getting the truck filled up. Since the truck holds like 300 gallons or so, it takes a while. Plenty of time to stop in for a bite. My old man was a trucker, and he absolutely loved this movie. This is the only movie he ever went to with us, and he laughed his ass off the entire time.
Good times.
Shortly after I got my CDL I took my mom for a ride along.
I'd never seen her eyes get as big as when she saw the fuel bill. 😂
I still like to do that at a smaller truck stop in our area where you still have to go inside to pay for diesel.
Me: _"Fuel on 20."_
Cashier: _"Ok. That'll be $640."_
Entire line behind me: _"Oh my god!"_
😂
What a wonderful memory! 😊
@@NarwahlGaming Nice.
@@NarwahlGaming Wow! I flip out seeing the diesel price on a tank for a truck just pulling a horse trailer for about a 3 hour trip one way. Your mom had a genuine response. 😅
6:20 you have no idea how much every truck driver I know loves it when they see kids pumping their arm to honk at them. It's a rare occasion anymore, but it still puts a smile on their faces.
Back in the late 70's, if you lived between Georgia & Texas, Smokey & The Bandit was mandatory viewing. If you bought a house or did your taxes early, you got a free copy of the movie.
Also, Pan Am old 70's airline, Trans Am is the car Bandit drove😂😂.
I watched this being filmed when I was just a kid. Jerry Reeds house was my Mom's Aunt's house, and the girl that said "Hey Uncle Bandit" was my cousin. They had Three of the Trans Ams to film with...two for stunts, and one on a trailer with cameras mounted on it. The entire movie was shot in Georgia.
I was an extra in this movie, having recently moved from small-town New Jersey to Atlanta. Burt and I eyed each other 'cause we were dressed the same (blue shirt in the early part of the movie). Sorry I didn't get to see Sally Field or Jerry Reed, but it was a great experience.
@@ricknoe942 Yeah, didn't get to see Sally either, because her part hadn't come in yet. My mom's sister still has a pack of Bert's smokes she swiped. 😁
Jerry Reed, the Driver of the Truck, was a country singer, that Eastbound and Down song at the beginning, was written and sang by him. Also, Burt and Sally dated for 5 years, and he called her" The love of His Life" in his book.
"Som Bitch" came from Burt Reynolds dad. He was a sheriff in Florida and that's what he would always say. Burt told Jackie Gleason about it and thought it was perfect for the character.
It's absolutely a Soutern thing too. I don't think I heard Son of a ... until I left the south. Hee.
This isn't a comedy, this is a documentary about truck drivers!
My Dad and my grandpa we're both semi drivers when this movie was released, my dad's sister invited us to her home when HBO aired it, it was a family get together and lots of fun, I became a truck driver in 1990 once I was old enough to get my CDL and it's a popular movie with everyone in the profession!
This movie was filmed in Georgia, and the director is the famous former stuntman turned director, Hal Needham. Hal went on to direct roommate Burt again in Cannonball Run, and some of his other films are Rad and Megaforce.
Either way, the decision was shown to premiere the film in Atlanta. Someone said about Smokey and the Bandit.. "In the South, this film's a Damn Documentary!!"
@@scottlyttle5586 don't forget, the inspiration for this movie came about because he was staying at a hotel in either Georgia or Alabama, don't remember which, and his Coors beer he brought to the hotel with him kept disappearing, come to find out his cleaning Lady kept swiping a beer from his cooler and that's how he learned that Coors beer couldn't be sold east of Texas so he thought "that would make a great storyline, some rich guy wants a truckload of beer for a shindig, so he hires Burt Reynolds to haul it to Atlanta, all while being chased by a Texas county sheriff" and from that inspiration one of the best movies of all time was born.
If it hadn't been for some Flash Gordon rip off by George Lucas coming out the same year, it would have been the most popular movie of 1977, but don't worry, I know for a fact that every individual with a CDL has seen it, one of my best friends who drives semi has introduced his young son to the movie and last Christmas I gave his boy an authentic Bandit black diecast metal Trans-Am for Christmas last year. Dad was born almost a decade after the movie and was introduced to it by his step dad who is also a trucker
I have to see this in one go now.
Jackie Gleason’s ICONIC role, as this movie would not be the same if anyone else played the role of Sheriff Buford T. Justice. 🥃🇺🇸🤘🏻🇺🇸🥃
Jackie Gleason's ICONIC role is Ralph Cramden.
Perhaps his iconic film role. His _most_ iconic role was Ralph Kramden.
@@keithralston1133 Hence his ad lib about "kicking Bandit's ass around the moon by now."
@@keithralston1133 True, but she didn't even know who the legendary Jackie Gleason was, let alone get a "The Honeymooners" reference. That's WAY before her time. I was pretty pleased to see country singer, song writer, and actor Jerry Reed again. I always did like him for some reason.
Also, I'm pretty sure that Fred was the reason I developed an affinity for owning Bassett Hounds. 😏
10:16 - Yes. Bo/Bandit was “running blocker” for the truck, basically he was the distraction for the cops to chase after while Cletus/Snowman avoided getting pulled over.
This was one of those movies I watched with my dad. Now being a dad myself, I watched it with my kids and they love it. I still watch this movie every six months or so.
Can't get better than Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jackie Gleason and Jerry Reed! Ok add in fast cars, trucker talk and great lines... "I'm gonna get that som bich"! 😁 Lastly the unforgettable song "Eastbound and Down!" Thanks for sharing Cassie... PiB 🍿
10-4!!
That's a great handle for her. PIB 😂
Miss Cassie, just so you know, Burt and Sally were a couple for about 4-6 yrs, Burt said afterwards “she was the one who got away”. There’s also a “ Bandit II” sequel. The car is a ‘77 Pontiac Firebird “Trans-Am”. Everybody wanted one after this movie….. SanJoséBob
My favorite line..."a legend and an outta work bum look an awful lot a like..."
This movie was one big reason, if not the reason, why the Pontiac "Firebird" Trans Am became such a popular car for years after the film released.
A black and gold T/A was THE car to have for blue collar folks in the late 70s - early 80s.
are you sure it's not called a 'pam am' - lol. Sometimes her flubs just hit my right in the heart.
Also helped fuel the CB craze in the 70s in cars and people talking and listening to truckers on the road warning about "Smokies". Coors beer was only a fad at the time because it was illegal. There was nothing special about it but college students went crazy over it because it was hard to get in certain states and went for a premium price if you bought it off someone who made a trip and brought back a case or two.
I see a rotting one in a parking lot daily on my way to work. Exact same paint job. Makes me sad.
Thats why my first car was a 2nd gen Trans am martinique blue loved that car
CB radios were very popular in the '70s. Many people had at least one in their car. My parents also had a base unit in the house. If someone went somewhere they could keep in touch with home.
It was sort of the '70s version of social media. I used to chat with people for hours on the CB as a kid.
Part of the reason they became popular was the '73 oil crisis, and the resulting national 55 mph speed limit, which led to CBs being used to find stations with gas and the best prices, and to avoid speed traps on the highway. Pop culture stuff like Smokey and the Bandit just made them even more popular.
They were also good for avoiding bad traffic, and in case of emergency in the days before cell phones.
The truckers always gave you a better weather ,traffic and police report than any app today. God bless the truckers.
Pretty sure the reason we have had the bad truck pile-ups in Texas and Colorado that we didn't have before is because everyone having CB's because they are faster than Google maps at updating truckers about wrecks up ahead.
This is the only film of 1977 that did not get crushed by Star Wars at the Box Office.
Another Fun Fact! The Guy Singing The Songs East Bound And Down And They Call You The Bandit Is Snowman Because Jerry Reed Is Actually A Country Singer And This Is His Acting Debut! MIND BLOWN!!!
Multi-talented ❤
Actually he was in "Gator" with Burt before this.
Movie legend:
10-4 means, understood
Whats your 20? means where are you?
Whats your handle? your CB nickname
Honey-hush? This means wow!
Pedal to the metal means push gas pedal to the floor
Sum bitch means son of a bitch.
Enjoy the film!
Bear in the air = Police helicopter.
@@TroyConvers5000 10-100 taking a leak.
Evel Knievel = Cop on motorcycle
Smokey Bear = Police cars
Bear in the hardware = Police Military force
Gear Jammers = Truckers
10-100 = loitering
10-200 = restroom
Choke and puke = restaurant- truck stop
F O = **** off
Choke and puke = road side restaurant
Chicken coop -- weigh station
Swindle sheet -- log book
"Junior, remind me when we get home to slap yo mama!"
These lines cracked me up back in the day, plus The Honeymooners dialogue was chef's kiss 💋
“One of these days Alice, one of these days… POW! Right in the kisser.”
The line that always gets me. "Daddy my hat blew off" "I hope your head was in it"
Movie was the second-biggest box-office hit of that year, behind Star Wars.
My grandfather was a trucker. I rode all over the Southeast with him during summers in the late 70s, not long after this movie came out. This movie brings back a lot of nostalgia.
Another fun fact: the actor who played Big Enos Burdette was Pat McCormick, who was also one of the lead writers on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and who also appeared on the show as a member of the Mighty Carson Arts Players,often showing up in costume (two of his appearances that I recall were as Cupid & as an disgruntled bunny who missed out on winning a Patsy Award (the award equivalent to the Oscar that is given to animal performers every year).
There is no way to describe when movies like this came out.
We had 3 television channels. Not much on except for Saturday mornings or late night VHF stuff for teens. None of this bombardment of media.
I'm afraid cultural events that unified everyone are long gone.
Sad, really.
I hope you enjoy the movie!
Yes, we ALL had a handle, CB owner or not, and we all cheered for the rebel truckers. It was one of those times when you could start to feel the restrictions bearing down on you. Since 9/11 it's off the chain and feels like a prison system to those of us who grew up in the 70's.
The kids now a days don't have a clue as to what 'TRUE' imagination is. You had to think and do things with your siblings or your close neighbor kids to have a lot of fun. Because there wasn't much on tv to really watch until later in the evening, and you still had to have your homework done and you still had to be ready for bed by a certain time. I don't know about you, but I lived around the Detroit area, so we only had like 6 channels to watch, and 3 of them were the same as the other 3.
We had 4 VHF channels including PBS and 2 UHF which were independent stations. Later we got one more UHF, and years later those UHF became FOX, UPN, and The WB (now CW).
@@kd5you1 I'm trying to remember... we had (of course) channels 4, 5, and 9 along with the VHF channels 41 and 19 (when we had a good reception day). It's slightly depressing to realize that most of the folks in this channel have NO idea what we are talking about.
@@Ranger1PresentsVirtualRealms19 & 41 would be UHF channels. The lower numbers (& sepepate dia) would be VHF.
@Cassie: Yes, in the 70's it was illegal to transport Coors beer east of the Mississippi River. The reason was because Coors was not pasteurized and it was shipped from the brewery in Golden, Colorado cold and had to reach its destination within 12 hours by law to prevent it from potentially spoiling. There were refrigeration semi trucks back then, but for some reason the Federal government still didn't allow Coors to be shipped beyond the 12 hour limit. So there were some kinds of bootlegging laws still in effect in the late 70's and this was one of them.
Thanks for that info.
Coors didn't want to deal with the licensing out of their region. Regional brand always kept cold.
I grew up in Kansas & Coors was fairly big there. When I was 16, I moved to Michigan, right when they’d been allowed to bring Coors East of the Mississippi. I was all excited to get Molson & Labatts & all the people I was hanging out with wanted to get Coors all the time😞
Also, I don’t know if this applies too, but some counties across America are still to this day, dry counties, meaning no alcohol. Fun fact, the county where Jack Daniel’s is made, is a dry county. Weird…
I rode Amtrak’s San Francisco Zephyr (now the California Zephyr) from Chicago to Reno and back in 1978. They had Coors beer in the lounge car, but couldn’t serve any until the train crossed the Mississippi on the way out west, and had to stop serving it when the train crossed the Mississippi headed back east.
Fun fact: the motorcycle cop who pulled Jerry Reed over was played by Sonny Shroyer, who would later play Deputy Enos Strate in the TV series 'Dukes of Hazzard'.
Ben Jones, who played Cooter, is also in this movie and I think John Schneider (Bo Duke) was at some point too.
And Ben Jones aka Cooter is at at the start where Big & Little Enos are looking for the Bandit. Also John Schneider aka Bo Duke is in the crowd at the end when the sheriff takes off to pursue the Bandit on his mission to get clam chowder.
So that was why he seemed familiar
Also played a small part in Forrest Gump.
Cooter and Bo from DOH were also in this movie. But you got to catch them .. very brief appearances.
I"ll always remember the first time I saw this movie. I was 13 years old in 1977 and was on a big trip across the country from Montana to NY to take part as best man in my brothers wedding. My mom and dad and I made it to NYC and watched Smokey and the Bandit at Radio City Music Hall. Great memories.
Citizen's Band (CB) radio was a big craze in the mid '70s. Re -watching these clips after god knows how many years, I kind of realize that it was an early form of social media...
In case no one has mentioned it, look up Jackie Gleason. He’s one of the greats. He was on TV when TV was broadcast live on a show called The Honeymooners.
Always felt he was overrated.
The Toy
@@pvanukoff you watch your mouth Jr.
😂
He did so many great movies, including some dramas like “The Hustler” where he played Minnesota Fats, and “Requiem for a Heavyweight.”
I saw this movie in the theatres when it came out, I went with my 2 brothers and cousin. When the movie ended we slouched down in our seats as people filed out. As new people entered we sat up and moved to different seats and watched it again.
"Smokey and the Bandit" was the second highest grossing film in 1977 after "Star Wars." The film is filled with CB lingo, and gave Jackie Gleason a new lease on his comedic career. Billy Bob Thornton called "Smokey and the Bandit" a documentary where he came from.
smokey was nominated for an Oscar in editing, but Star Wars took it
Every boy in East Texas either bought a Trans Am, or wanted to, after this movie. And oh my gosh, all the cb radios after this. I swear. I was fun.
I was in high school when this movie came out and almost every car in our parking lot were black Trans Ams. You have no idea how huge this was. Everyone was talking in CB Talk and quoting this movie. The director was Hal Needham, a stuntman. Burt Reynolds was really into stunts and actually made a movie a year later called Hooper. It was also directed by Needham and about an old washed-up stuntman still trying to stay relevant. It's a fun one! Sally Field was also in it, since they were an item for a while, they had great chemistry.
RIP Bandit and Snowman. Together again making that big run in the sky.
😂😂😂Pan Am was an airline in its day. The car Bandit is driving is a Trans-Am
I've been in both of them lol
Speaking of Pan Am Cassie needs to watch Aviator.
I think a lot of people have forgotten that Burt Reynolds and Sally Field were an 'item' (Real couple) in the 70's!
I remember the 70's
This movie revived her career too. She went onto to win an Oscar for Norma Rae after this.
@@tim2024-df5fu I watched her as The Flying Nun
yeah, Reynolds was quite the thing! we all wanted to be like him. he was a "Playgirl Magazine" centerfold. in real life he treated all women like..... aaah..... actually.....#2, or as they said In this movie, "10-200". near the end of his life, he said Sally Field was the one true love of his life.
My mind was blown when I leaned that little Enos wrote Rainbow Connection. Yes that song!
he wrote a lot of TV music, including The Partridge Family and Muppets...
Wait, what? Way interesting.
@popcorninbed Hi! Truck driver here (rolling gas station). I was 5 years old when this movie came out in 1977. It was a huge movie that did fantastic at the box office but a little movie named Star Wars barbequed it's a$$ in molasses. Jackie Gleason ad-libbed most of his lines.
Forrest Gump: "Mama never spoke much about Pa other than saying he was on vacation. She did talk about going on many fun rides with him."
😂😂😂
.... whoa.... mind=🤯
I was today years old when I made this connection...whoa
Is that a real quote? I'll be a sum-bich!
@@rebo2610 "Mama said life is like an eighteen-wheeler haul... you never know what you gonna get."
😂😂😂
🤯
Sometimes I don't believe you're that innocent, then I see you genuinely trying to compute why a 10-100 is better than a 10-200.. so funny
You should watch "Jackie Gleeson crashes Burt Reynolds' party" - at a party for Reynolds on account of his acting career, Gleeson appeared in-character as Bufford T. Justice, made a speech about catching The Bandit, and left without acknowledging Burt, who damn near pissed himself laughing. It's absolutely hilarious...
"Snowman" = Jerry Reed, not only a good C&W singer (title song) but a killer guitarist with a distinct style who was session musician in Nashville previously, he is on some of Dylan's early electric albums.
I believe the name "Sheriff Buford T. Justice" was a spoof on Buford Pusser, a sheriff in Tennessee who waged a one-man war against local mobsters; there was a very popular film, "Walking Tall", based on his life.
The Rock( Dwyane Johnson) kinda played Buford in the remake of Walking Tall. (I wonder if thats why he says Sumbitch in fast and Furious movies).It just kinda stepped around Bufords life. My grandfather was first chief of police in 40s and 50s for city of Selmer. he died in 1968 around the time Buford became sheriff of McNairy county
Jerry Reed, the Showman, wrote all music for the movie. Story is that he did it practically overnight. He was a big name in country music at the time.
Snowman not showman
What you mean at the time still is
@@Dman0001 I know. Just my fat fingers.
@@rickstanford2180 i figured it might be his accent that caused confusion
Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, and Jackie Gleason were amazing in this movie. Jackie Gleason was amazing in iconic show "Honeymooners."
There is an annual (and illegal) Bandit Run road race. The team that drives from Atlanta to Texarkana, buys Coors beer, and drives back to Atlanta in the fastest time wins.
And yes, some of them drive black Tran Ams.
To this day I can remember as a kid going to the drive-thru (outside) theater and watching this, this is to me one of the best slap-stick comedies of my time..and the Trans Am car iconic!
Smokey and the Bandit was my mom and dad's favorite date movie. My dad worked as a truck driver, and mom loved Sally Field. She recently passed away, so my dad and I are going on a road trip together to spread her ashes and spend time with my brother and sister-in-law. Dad is giving us the call handle Bandit Junior and Bandit Senior, and I know how to speak trucker too.
"Little Enos" is played by actor/singer/song writer Paul Williams. He wrote some of the biggest hit songs in the 70's including the Carpenters' "We've Only Just Begun" and "Rainy Days and Mondays". He also wrote "Evergreen" sung by Barbra Streisand in the film A Star Is Born, for which he won a Grammy for Song of the Year and an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Williams also wrote "Just An Old Fashioned Love Song" for Three Dog Night. His acting resume is fun.
My God, after all the years of watching this I didn't know !! Thanks for the info great songs !!
I believe he also wrote all the songs for the Muppet Christmas Carol.
BECAUSE HE'S THIRSTY, DUMMY!
I think he also wrote the theme for "The Love Boat" but I might be misremembering
Cassie’s handle: Chapstick
Carly’s: Fetch
Cassie should be Bed Bug
Chapstick and Fetch is a great movie title!
Cassie should also be "frog", for the same reasons
I was living overseas in 1977... we came back stateside that summer and I went and saw StarWars and Smokey And The Bandit back to back one afternoon!!! Pretty righteous day for a 13 year old!!!
That’s one hard-to-top day at the movies.
Here are some interesting tidbits about Burt Reynolds: He shares the record with Tom Hanks, Clint Eastwood, and Bing Crosby for being the Top Box Office draw for five years. Only Tom Cruise surpasses them with a record of seven years. Burt was also a proud alumnus of Florida State University, where he not only designed but also purchased new home and away football uniforms for the team. He played football at FSU during the 1950s, and in the 1970s and 1980s, he often attended games, even suggesting plays to the then-head coach, Bobby Bowden. Reynolds frequently stated in interviews that had he not pursued acting, he would have opted for a career in football coaching.
This brings back some memories of when I was a kid. I met my buddy at a movie theater when we were about 10 years old. Watched this and laughed our pint sized butts off. Paul Williams, Jackie Gleason, Burt Reynolds, Jerry Reed, Sally Field and so many others. Thank you for your reaction.
We all got CBs during this time, got our own handles and actually used them traveling around Texas. Good memories
I was going to comment the same. CBs were a big deal in the late 70s and early 80s.
My granddad was Kingfish because his last name was King and he liked to fish. My dad was Sugar Daddy. My mom was Sugar Mama. I was Sugar Baby.
I have a pamphlet in my bookcase produced locally back then. It covers the lingo and regional handles of everybody.
Junior, played by Mike Henry, had played professional football and was Tarzan in several 60’s movie versions.
Trivia: (1) Burt Reynolds and Sally Field met and fell in love on this movie and were together for many years, Burt's ego got huge when his career took off and he left her for another, and he regretted it until he died; (2) the black car was a Trans Am, and it became the hottest selling car in America for a couple years after this movie came out. I saw this in the theater as a kid, LOVED it, and was probably the most popular movie that year behind Star Wars. Also, the director asked Jerry Reed (a country artist and the guy who was cast to play the Snowman) if he could write a song for the movie while they were filming because he had no music at that point. Jerry asked him to show him the whole script so he knew the story, wrote the song that night, played it for the director the next day, and "East Bound and Down" became the theme song.
I remember when this was at the theatre in my home town.
'Smokey and the Bandit' in one theatre and 'Star Wars' across the street, they were both such huge hits, they were 'held over'' for 6 months.
27:36 Funny how Snowman's truck suddenly has a massive ram bumper *just* when he hits the cars, and it vanishes again instantly.
Hi, Cass! The car in the film is a 1977 Pontiac Trans Am, which was a very popular muscle care in the 70's. If you remember the movie "Rocky II", which you also reacted to, Rocky drove that same kind of car in the film.
We don't have state border checkpoints, but a truck can be stopped and checked by a cop at will. You have to present your manifest when asked and allow the cargo to be checked. On top of that, there's weigh stations that are required to pass through, and cops can check you there.
This movie was filmed in State of Georgia. My home state! Coors beer was illegal in Georgia and other border line. This was real life in 1970s.
yup, I lived just 2 miles from Snowmans house in Jonesboro the summer of '76 & seen a lot of the filming! Moved to Covington in '77 & got to be in the 1st episode of Dukes of Hazzard 1978 & an extra in Cannonball Run 1981
They even mentioned my hometown of Conyers. Selling any alcohol was illegal in a lot of Georgia counties. Mail order and online sales of wine was also prohibited in Georgia.
I lived in Coweta county where they filmed some of the driving scenes
A few scenes were filmed in McDonough. I live no more than a few blocks from the square and also Highway 42.
Others have commented on the specific issues regarding Coors Beer, but, another factor is that, in some states it is illegal to transport significant quantities of alcoholic beverage across state lines without the proper permits and various taxes having been paid. This was especially true at the time the movie is set.
Many of the outdoor scenes of Smokey and the Bandit were filmed in my hometown- Jonesboro,Ga. 25 miles south of Atlanta. I saw Jackie Gleason filming an outdoor scene. I will never forget it. I was 10 yrs old. Burt and Sally rented at a house on Lake Spivey. It was were all the rich people in our town lived. There may still be a youtube page devoted to it. Clayton and Henry county area of Georgia.
After this movie Sally and Burt had a up and down relationship for many years and almost got married more than once
She later became Forest's mom
She seemed kinda pissed at him after he died. Wrote about him in her book.
@@ct6852 Well, from his own admission, he f--ed it up.
@@Windupchronic Oh so he admitted it. That's interesting. In the interview I saw of hers she made him sound really clueless and ignorant about how relationships should work.
@@ct6852I seems like he was pretty clueless and ignorant about how just about everything worked. Spend way too much money and apparently didn’t think that the money wouldn’t stop flowing in.
OMGosh...." What kind of car is Bandit driving a " Pan Am" did they say "....I fell out of my chair ...LOL...LOL...This is why I love watching to relive these movies with you ....Your Genuine reactions are priceless.... : )
If I had to give you a Handle, I feel like you’d be… Pop Mama. You just have very kind mom-vibes and you seem to really love popcorn.
Pop Mama :D Good one :)
Hi Cassie, although this movie is not of the type that you generally appreciate, thank you for reviewing it. If you see the comments (you seldom if ever reply) it is my hope that you will gain an appreciation for the extreme popularity of the movie and an understanding of the characters and actors perhaps previously unrealized.
It was huge and is still among my favorites.
Smokey and the Bandit was an unexpected hit when it came out. I think it cost less than 5 million to make and ended up grossing 300 million worldwide. In North America it was second only to Star Wars as the highest grossing film in 1977.
Cassie, this is an old movie. This movie gives you some appreciation for the evolution of movies over the decades. I've noticed you haven't gone this far back much in your movie watching. If you ever have the time you should consider watching the movie "An Officer and a Gentleman." Its one of my favorite movies from this era of movies. I believe you'll enjoy it.
Fun fact, this came out one week before Star Wars, and did so well that Star Wars itself opened to only number two at the box office its first week. It still was the second best grossing movie of 1977 after Star Wars.
Actually...it came out the same weekend as SW
@@donaldpaluga Not in Chicago. one week gap. i was there. lol
Nice reaction Cassie.The guy who played Cletus was Jerry Reed. He was an amazing guitarist and performer. That is him singing throughout the movie. Also the guy who played "Little Enos" was Paul Williams who had a fine career as an actor and also as an award winning songwriter. Sheriff Justice was Jackie Gleason who was a fine dramatic and comedic actor. He also was the star of a TV series that still runs in reruns today called The Honeymooners. He was in some great movies too. You should watch The Hustler. It stars Paul Newman as young pool hustler Fast Eddie Felson and Gleason plays the legendary (real life) Pool player and hustler Minnesota Fats. Great dramatic movie. Amazing acting. No special effects or CGI, just great acting. Then there is a movie from years later called The Color of Money. Newman reprises his role as Fast Eddie as an older guy, who has quit playing, but decides to manage a brash young player. The young hustler is played by Tom Cruise. Really good movie also. Oh and we wwere all introduced to Sally Field as the young star of 2 TV shows. The 1st was called Gidget. The 2nd was The Flying Nun. Stay well.
IM SO GLAD YOU DOING SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT. Not enough channels have done this movie.
I had a friend who did this run in his truck way back when, just a pickup of course, and he was only hauling a 24 pack of Coors, but he did it all the same. He even had a convoy of truckers put him in the "Rocking Chair". He was talking with them on the radio. A cop overheard what was going on and threw in his support as long as he wasn't speeding.
This is just light-hearted, simple minded fun -- and sometimes that's just what you need.
Jerry Reed was driving the truck and wrote and performed the theme song.
Im 22 and grew up on this. Not gonna lie, this is 100% one of those fun movies that never gets old how many times I watch it. Fun fact: the dude who played the sheriff is Jackie Gleason. The dude who played Ralph on the Honeymooners in the 50s. The inspiration for characters like Fred Flintstone and the likes. Also, Cleetus' actor is Jerry Reed. He did all of the music for the movie
Coors beer was banned East of Colorado. When in 1975 I moved from N. Cal to Milwaukee, my sisters' boyfriend asked me to bring cases of Coors. He had a Rock Band and they appreciated the beer.
The "what's Bandit driving...a Pan Am?" made me spit out my drink! 😂 This is one of my favourite movies since when I was a kid...I know most of the lines by heart (In German and English!). In 2020 during the first big Covid lockdown this movie was shown in a special drive in set up outside the Berlin Olympic Stadium on the parking lot, so people could still watch movies while social distancing. Since I don't have a car, I rented one just for this occasion and went with my best mate who loves this movie as much as I do! Lots of people turned up with classic European and American cars, it was a great event on a nice summer evening. A guy called Mirco, who is also from Berlin originally, says this movie was one of the main influences for him to emigrate to Canada and drive trucks for a living, he now works for a haulage company near Winnipeg and drives to the US midwest regularly. He's also got his own channel here on RUclips showing his day to day trucking life, but it's only in German 🙂
"Lemme have a Diablo Sandwich and a Dr. Pepper, and make it fast, im in a goddamn hurry!"
Oh and Richard Petty is "The King"
"You want something?"
"Hush puppies Daddy!"
"We got no time for that crap! Dumb sumbitch!"
Buford (shouting out the door): "You want somethin!?"
Junior (from the car): "Hush puppies Daddy!"
Buford: "WE GOT NO TIME FOR THAT CRAP! Damn sumbitch!"
@@michaellynch3502dollar and a half
As a truck driver, I'm so glad you reacted to this movie. It's a classic!
The Bond films with a Southern sheriff are "Live And Let Die" and "The Man With A Golden Gun", that character's name is J.W. Pepper played by Clifton James. The sheriff in this one was played by Jackie Gleason who had his own variety show in the early days of TV and would go on to star in one of the greatest sitcoms of all time: The Honeymooners.
The boat chase in Live and Let Die will always be one of my favorite chase scenes, with the song cranked up of course.
LOVE both the movies and the TV show, but, “The Honeymooners” was aired live in the 1950’s‼️Quite BEFORE him staring in this picture‼️😎
I saw this in the theater when it came out and had to promise not to repeat the language. I was old eight. this movie is such a classic. A lot of it was filmed around us in GA.
So the small guy in the matching suits is Paul Williams. A famous singer song writer. He wrote Just My Imagination and My Girl among others.
and Rainbow Connection for Kermit
He was having trouble with a song about rainbows and a friend said he just hadn't made the rainbow connection...
A legend and an out-of-work bum look an awful lot alike, Daddy