Smokey and the Bandit (1977) Movie Review
By: Karl Stern (@dragonkingkarl, @wiwcool, karl@whenitwascool.com)
Smokey and the Bandit (1977)
This movie was a load of fun. This is exactly what a action comedy should be, especially if the year is 1977. There isn't any super complex plot but instead is constant fun, laughs, and fast driving cars. The whole movie is a car chase, yes, the entire movie. The plot is very simple- The Bandit (Burt Reynolds) accepts a bet from Big Enos Burdette and his son Little Enos that he can't go to Texarkana, Texas and back to Atlanta, GA in a big rig with 400 cases of Coors beer in 28 hours.
According to Google, that round trip should take me about 19 hours but I'm assuming that's in a car and not a truck so, I guess it's do-able but barely.
The Bandit accepts and enlists his truck driving friend The Snowman (Jerry Reed) into the scheme. Snowman will drive the truck and the Bandit will run blocker in his sweet 1977 Pontiac Trans-Am. The duo get to Texarkana, Texas and steal 400 cases of Coors beer (illegal in Georgia at the time... no kidding) and head back but Bandit comes upon Frog (Sally Field) who is fleeing from a wedding with Junior, the son of Texas Sheriff Buford T. Justice. This sets up a car chase across Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and finally Georgia.
Forrest Gump's Mom and Burt Reynolds go for a ride.
Along the way this has every comedy and car chase trope you can imagine including the famous (and often used) "the bridge is out so let's jump the creek" scene which would, obviously, have destroyed a mere mortal car but somehow the Bandit's Trans-Am escapes without a scratch.
Burt Reynolds is amazing in this movie. He has great timing and chemistry with fellow cast members Sally Field and Jerry Reed but it is Jerry Reed who doesn't often get enough credit as the comical hard driving trucker the Snowman (along with his dog Fred).
Jerry Reed and Burt Reynolds are exceptional as the Snowman & Bandit duo.
The icing on the cake is Sheriff Buford T. Justice (Jackie Gleason), a no-nonsense, hard nosed, and hilarious Texas Sheriff accompanied by his dim-wit son Junior on the chase. Along the way, Sheriff Justice provides many of the biggest laughs and his belittling of Junior provides some all time classic movie lines.
This is also a pop culture snapshot into 1977 with plenty of CB radio culture mixed in, lots of big trucks, and Jerry Reed provides the often sappy and silly sound track. Sappy and silly except for the movie theme, of course, the classic Smokey and the Bandit theme- East Bound and Down which, like a lot of 1970s television, literally tells you the entire plot of the movie in the lyrics.
Junior and Sheriff Buford T. Justice.
Smokey and the Bandit was a hit at the box office. With an original budget of $4.3 million the film grossed $126,737,428 in North America and worldwide gross is estimated at over $300 million.
Burt Reynolds has said that the film is the one he most enjoyed and had the most fun making in his career.
Two iconic vehicles from the 1970s- Snowman's truck and Bandit's Trans-Am.
The lyrics to East Bound and Down by Jerry Reed and, essentially, the entire plot of the movie:
East bound and down, loaded up and truckin',
We're gonna do what they say can't be done.
We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there.
I'm east bound, just watch ol' "Bandit" run.
Keep your foot hard on the pedal. Son, never mind them brakes.
Let it all hang out 'cause we got a run to make.
The boys are thirsty in Atlanta and there's beer in Texarcana.
And we'll bring it back no matter what it takes.
East bound and down, loaded up and truckin',
We're gonna do what they say can't be done.
We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there.
I'm east bound, just watch ol' "Bandit" run.
East bound and down, loaded up and truckin',
We're gonna do what they say can't be done.
We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there.
I'm east bound, just watch ol' "Bandit" run.
Ol' Smokey's got them ears on and he's hot on your trail.
He aint gonna rest 'til you're in jail.
So you got to dodge 'im and you got to duck 'im,
You got to keep that diesel truckin'.
Just put that hammer down and give it hell.
East bound and down, loaded up and truckin',
We're gonna do what they say can't be done.
We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there.
I'm east bound, just watch ol' "Bandit" run.
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