Smokey and the Bandit
Short description
Smokey and the Bandit follows a fast-driving bootlegger known as Bandit who takes on a bet to haul a truckload of illegal beer from Texas to Georgia within a set time limit. He drives a black sports car as a decoy, drawing police attention away from his partner's truck, but the plan is complicated when he picks up a young woman who has just walked out on her wedding. Her abandoned groom happens to be the son of a determined Texas sheriff, who sets off across the South in pursuit of the man who drove away with his future daughter-in-law.
The film was directed by Hal Needham and released in 1977. It was the first feature he directed, followed by Hooper, The Villain, a sequel, and later films including The Cannonball Run and Rad. Burt Reynolds plays Bandit, with Sally Field as Carrie, Jerry Reed as Cledus, Mike Henry as Junior, and Pat McCormick and Paul Williams as the wealthy men behind the wager. The screenplay was written by Alan Mandell, James Lee Barrett and Charles Shyer.
Made for about 4 million dollars, the film earned roughly 127 million worldwide, a return that made it one of the most commercially successful releases of its year. On IMDb it holds a rating of 7 out of 10 from 834 votes, while its film critics' rating stands at 6.4 out of 10 from 36 reviews, showing that general audiences rated it more warmly than critics did.
What's left behind the scenes
- The idea for "Smokey and the Bandit" originated in 1976 during the filming of "Gator" (1976), which was directed by Burt Reynolds himself. The film was shot in Reynolds' home state of Georgia, and during filming, Coors beer was constantly disappearing from the set, which they had brought with them. It was being stolen by "locals" who worked on the set. It turned out that this beer wasn't delivered to them, and transporting large quantities of the alcoholic beverage was considered smuggling. This fact formed the basis of the story about the "Bandit," his friend the "Snowman," the charming girl the "Frog," and Sheriff Buford T. Justice. Hal Needham believed that a film with chases and interstate smuggling could be successful.
- In the film industry, Hal Needham was known primarily as a stuntman, so it was not easy for him to interest producers in this project. He attracted the attention of one studio only when his friend Burt Reynolds (1936-2018) agreed to star in the film.
- A near-accident occurred during the filming of the scene with the football players when the field was watered right before the shoot, unbeknownst to anyone, and the car lost control, began to skid, and almost hit the extras.
- Fred, the Basset Hound of the Snowman, was personally chosen by Burt Reynolds, mainly because the dog categorically refused to obey any commands.
- The nickname "Smoky" is commonly used in reference to state police officers and the US Forest Service.
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