Cyclops: The Story of America's Nuclear-Powered Luxury Bus [USA Bus History]

[@tonyalbers199]

My grandfather was picked by Paramount to disassemble the Big Bus. Paramount made him sign a contract and provide photos to the studio showing he took the bus apart. On the back of the photos he wrote "Its so sad" and "What's left of it". The only thing he kept from the bus was the fiberglass spare tire. This fiberglass tire was used during the tire change scene. My brother and I kept the front eye of the bus in our room as a souvenir.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Oh wow, that's incredible to hear....you actually had, or still have that eye?? Thanks for watching!!

[@georgegarvey7338]

It's so sad it doesn't exist anymore.

[@tonyalbers199]

@@JeffreyOrnstein we moved around a lot when I was young and the eye got lost in one of the moves. All I have now is my grandfathers photos of the Big Bus getting taken apart. I remember my grandfather getting upset when the studio called a couple years later asking if he still had the bus. He said they wanted to make "The Big Bus 2". This was around the same time the other studio was going to come out with Super Train.

[@TwesomE]

Wow this is REALLY interesting! 😱 Too bad you don't have it anymore i can't imagine maybe someone kept it or something perhaps! 😉

[@McCucumber]

So guess you got the tire and the eye thing too.

[@AnthonyHandcock]

"Look out!. He's got a broken milk carton!" I love that film.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

LOL, what a great line that was!! Thanks very much for watching!

[@ONEFATE9]

"Look out! He's got a broken candle! "

[@AnthonyHandcock]

@@ONEFATE9 I re-watched it again last night with the aid of a 'big cigarette'. "Where is your god now old woman?" "Jeez... Sorry I asked!" 😀

[@xray86delta]

😂 one of my favorite scenes!

[@neohabilis7412]

"Raise flags of all nations!" Thank you for covering this old favorite.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Glad you liked the video!!! LOL, those flags.... Thanks very much for watching!!

[@johnwilliams3075]

I loved this one as a kid - thanks for remind me about it!

[@michaeloconnor7849]

Thanks for this, as soon as I saw the thumbnail my brain said "shoulders".

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Hello! Really glad you liked the video! Thank you very much for watching!!

[@MattMcIrvin]

"The Big Bus" rolled so "Airplane!" could fly.

[@lincbond442]

Airplane was also heavily influenced by Zero Hour! starring Dana Andrews and Sterling Hayden.

[@chrismayer3919]

I remember the tag-line; ‘THE FIRST DISASTER FILM WHERE EVERYBODY DIES… LAUGHING!’

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

LOL, I think that sums it up!! Thanks very much for watching!!

[@NuncNuncNuncNunc]

Even for a flop, can't believe I never heard of this. Love the cast

[@richardryley3660]

Definitely watch it. It is a cult classic.

[@HT-ww3zg]

"I boiled the floor mats just like they told us!" Loved that movie.

[@MarkMcCluney]

The Big Bus is one of my all-time favourites. "Ya eat one lousy foot..."

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

LOL, what a great line! Thanks very much for watching again!!

[@MarkMcCluney]

Jeffery, I just wanted to say thank you for your extraordinary channel - I had no idea I was so interested in buses! Incidentally, you might be interested in the story of the late and very remarkable Werner Heubeck and how he started Ulsterbus here in Northern Ireland in the nineteen sixties. He was an extraordinary character and a bit of a celebrity during the period of sectarian violence here. I understand we also make the buses for TfL here in NI too. Thanks again mate. Oh, and happy Christmas to you!

[@Colorado_Native]

They should have made a sequel. They kind of left us hanging.

[@michaelparks6120]

Really such a funny and underrated movie

[@LiveDonkeyDeadLion]

Look out, he’s got a broken milk carton! Look out, he’s got a broken candle!

[@gavinelster3168]

It was part of the Bicentennial parade in Los Angeles. I saw it in person and was lucky enough to have caught a miniature of the bus that the actors tossed from the bus. Boy I wish I had that little bus now.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Awesome! Yes, I did read that it participated in that parade...should have mentioned it. Thanks for watching!

[@RockwellAIM65]

Yes. Mocking the "Freedom Train!" The Freedom Train had all those Egyptian King Tut artifacts in it which would have been nice but... After paying THEY WHISKED US THROUGH THE SHOW IN TRUE BIG BUS STYLE! Too funny.

[@marstondavis]

I saw it when it first came out. Paramount had a huge advertising blitz for this movie, and they showed commercials for it every 15 minutes on every TV station in LA. I remember laughing so hard that I'd miss half of the dialogue. Thanks. I hadn't thought of that movie in years.

[@RockwellAIM65]

I sawr it at the Villa Theater in the city of orangutans for 99 cents... for two movies! I can't remember what the other movie was... maybe "Airport."

[@Suprahampton]

They're breaking wind at 90!

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

LOL, a memorable scene from the movie! Thanks very much for watching again!!

[@davesloggett6884]

One of the funniest lines of the movie

[@Bill-mj8hf]

"Well. There you have it"

[@SPotter1973]

@@Bill-mj8hf those simple line are grrreat.

[@draggonsgate]

I was 13 when this came out... I was OBSESSED with it. I drew up plans for my own big bus... and my schoolboy crush on Stockard Channing :-) You gotta love and totally appreciate the skill and artisan craft of the team to create Cyclops from zero plans! Why Denver? Like in Airport '75... Why Salt Lake? LOL

[@sct913]

The intended destination of the flight in Airport '75 was LA. Severe fog along the California coast caused them to divert to Salt Lake. Similar weather conditions in Bosie caused the private pilot to divert to Salt Lake as well.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

I read while doing research that when asked "Why Denver?" the answer was..."Why not?" LOL.

[@Good-Dog70]

Did you know that Stockard Channing was 34 when she made Grease?

[@darkage5]

That scene with Stockard Channing in the flooded kitchen with the donuts is literally the only scene i remember watching when that movie made it to TV.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

LOL, yes, that's one memorable scene! Thanks very much for watching!!

[@kjell-jorvikyvind5205]

Hi Jeff, thanks for your email :-) this is an amazing video, I really enjoyed this very much!!! regards from the UK as always

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Hello! I'm very glad you found the video interesting!! Thanks very much for watching again!!

[@legomangamesnetwork1151]

The 70s were full of Zany movies what a time to be alive!

[@geoffbuck6890]

A truly hilarious film with many many brilliant concepts. I loved the retarder system “raise flags of all nations” 🤣 As a member of the Leyland Product Planning Dept at the time, I remember going to the local cinema with the Bus Product Planners to see Big Bus. No it wasn’t to get ideas, but as self confessed ‘bus w⚓s’ we saw so many screamingly funny concepts. A truly excellent vid Jeffery 👍

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Really glad you enjoyed the video! Yes, the Big Bus was a truly unique film! Thanks very much for watching again!!

[@indridcold8433]

Now we need Damnation Alley! My great grandfather loved that movie. The Landmaster was really amazing.

[@slomorico8711]

It still exists

[@michaelturner4457]

The Landmaster was definitely a real vehicle.

[@packard5682]

I remember this movie and I loved it! I would tell people about it years later, but no one believed that such a movie really existed! But I never forgot!

[@kevinking5406]

It was the kind of movie you had to see. Otherwise, you just wouldn't get it. I showed my kids the "AIRPORT" movies 1st. Then this. They got it. Oh..."it's a spoof like Scary Movie". 😆

[@xray86delta]

😂 the classic fight in The Milk Bar!

[@fraserjamieson8343]

Bahahahahaha!!! Amazing. I had totally forgotten about that movie. Thanks so much for this.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

I'm glad you got a chuckle out of it! I just had to do a video about this crazy bus! Thanks very much for watching again!!

[@alman54]

i saw this on TV when I was around 13. I loved the concept of the gigantic nuclear-powered bus with a bowling alley and swimming pool. And there was so much wackiness! "Shoulders," Russell Johnson inside the parking lot, the truck crash into the side, and I haven't seen it since. Nice video!

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Oh yes, the whole movie was a great, creative idea! Plus the actors and characters were awesome as well! Thanks very much for watching!!

[@jackesioto]

A space cruise ship would have been better.

[@271chrissy]

Love this video. This was a great film......I loved the style of the Big bus. Love the design ...double wheels...and that front wind screen. Such a shame that it was scrapped.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Really glad you liked the video! Yes, it's unfortunate Cyclops is no longer with us! Thanks very much for watching again!!

[@nairbvel]

Let's not forget, "He can't be moved!" I don't really understand why the movie didn't do well -- we saw it in an almost completely full theater, and the laughter was nonstop. (I've also been on those Cityrama buses, and you've got a good point!)

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Oh yes, it's just one of those things that this movie bombed, even though it was great. Glad you liked the videos! Thanks very much for watching!!

[@jeffreyskoritowski4114]

They could've used a 75-foot auto transporter as the starting point for "Cyclops." Maybe Trailways provided drivers and allowed the producers to use their facilities.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

That's possible!

[@jamesfrench7299]

Saw it on late night television as a kid in the early 80s. Remember it fondly. It gave the feeling of going on an epic trip. Amazing what the big movie studios could pull off and this was in 1976! Most definitely deserved more recognition.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Oh yes, it's amazing that it did so poorly when released. Thanks very much for watching again!!

[@Neville60001]

@@JeffreyOrnstein, the reason it did so was because it was ahead of its time (and the humor was also like that; nobody got it at the time.)

[@gregduck7455]

Hi Jeffrey. Love your review of this sadly forgotten comedy. I remember in the spring of 1976 my high school buddy Glen passing me along a copy of I think " Motor Trend " magazine which had an article as if the Coyote Lines Big Bus would have been debuted soon, as a swipe at Amtrak passenger rail, or Greyhound & Trailways bus lines. That magazine article was an ' April Fools ' joke. When the movie " The Big Bus " came to cinemas, I remembered that spoof from the auto magazine. I took my brother to see the flick, I loved it, but my bro' scratched his head as to why I loved the movie. My pal Glen & his chum Nick saw " The Big Bus ", on my recommedation, and loved it. For years we sorta forgot about this flop flick. I saw it played late one night on local tv about 10 years back, and really enjoyed it. Thanks for your review of this fab oddball movie. I wold love to see this movie again!

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Hello! Thanks so much for your memories of this movie - very interesting to read!! Thanks very much for watching!!

[@newdefsys]

John Beck, Stockard Channing & Ned Beatty ! Holy crap, how did I miss this movie

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

LOL, it was awesome!! Thanks very much for watching!!

[@richardneilan2392]

And Ruth Gordon!!!

[@lincbond442]

And Joseph Bologna, Harold Gould, Richard Mulligan, Sally Kellerman, and many others.

[@lmf8503]

Thanks, would never had heard of this movie otherwise, looks like a blast. What I am reminded of is Supertrain, a very short lived TV show. Not a comedy, but it featured a similar "luxury" vehicle.

[@stevenlitvintchouk3131]

And Supertrain was, in turn, inspired by the Love Boat.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Yes, Supertrain was great, I may do a video on that in the not-so-distant future! Thanks for watching!!

[@daviestewart2510]

Wow!! I'll have to look for that movie, I don't know where you find these crazy looking buses but please, keep them coming!

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Really glad you liked the video and hope you get to see the movie! Thanks very much for watching!!

[@TreyMcDonaldAnimator]

... So it was like Supertrain but... a bus. Huh... what was it with the 70s and these big ass nuclear powered behemoth public transports? LOL

[@butterbagboy]

Great video, thanks

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Very glad you liked the video! Thanks for watching!!

[@LupoAndy]

Watched this movie on german tv around 35 years ago. Should put it on my watch list again. Thanks for your very niche channel.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Hello! Very glad you like my videos! Thanks very much for watching!!

[@edboughton8792]

When I was working on the design of the MCI Renasant (at BMW Designworks), I told everyone about this movie. Here in Ventura we used to have a double decker articulating bus called Enterprise II which Had private staterooms, a lounge, observation deck, crew quarters and gally. I cant find any photos of it. But did find the Neoplan Jumbocruiser - which looked similar. Enterprise II was much cooler and I had heard it jacked knifed. If you can find photos

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Hello! I will look up the Enterprise II bus! Not familiar with it but sounds interesting! Thanks for watching!

[@Infernal_Elf]

The German Neopan jumbocruiser is the Closest the World has gotten so far it was launched 1 year before the movie. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoplan_Jumbocruiser and it did Long haul Routes in Europe. Like Belgium to Spain with 80 passengers and extra luxury.

[@MrChief101]

Your account seems to be unique. This was such a fun movie even back in the day-- terrific cast doing their utterly serious best (No one gets $.15 and $.50!-- I may have the numbers off a bit). And, yes, like so many remarkable "props" the bus was a starring cast member.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Glad you liked the video and thanks very much for watching!!

[@daveinthewildOG]

Still a preteen at the time this movie came out, and I love disaster movies and that was the era. The Big Bus seemed like tongue and cheek, not being serious about being an actual good movie, and it wasn't. The best thing about it, Even as an 11-year-old, or maybe especially as an 11-year-old, was this big bus. Thanks for bringing it up.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Glad you liked the video!! And thanks very much for watching!!

[@j.martinez8282]

Wow, that was great. Was always curious how they built that thing. One of my all-time favorite flicks. Hilarious movie. Kind of like "Airplane" before "Airplane". Frankly, I prefer it to "Airplane", as its plot is more character-based rather than just gags. Great video. Thanks.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Very glad you liked the video!!! Thanks very much for watching!!

[@richardryley3660]

"The Big Bus" is more situational comedy and corporate satire, while "Airplane" is more surreal and wacky. But "The Big Bus" definitely has its wacky moments. Most of the best gags are based on the bus's extravagance. It honestly wouldn't work on an airplane. There's nods to "The Poseidon Adventure" as well as "Airport" and it's sequels.

[@j.martinez8282]

@@richardryley3660 Yes, I agree. Love the radiation suits.

[@videolabguy]

My favorite movie of all time. Seen it no less than 100 times. I bootlegged my own copy from a 16mm film to my black and white reel to reel video recorder in 1978. Two reels of tape! No cassettes for me. No sir! The Coyote bus station in (allegedly) New York City is actually the Trailways station in Los Angeles. Ironically, I passed through that station on a trip to almost New York in 1973. The biggest gag in the film that everyone misses: It was a nuclear powered bus that only had a range of half way across the nation! An aircraft carrier with the same power planet, as alluded to in this video, can circle the globe several times without refueling! The other gag that should have been mentioned was that the Coyote logo was painted running the wrong way on the side of the bus! Such a fun film. Thank you for covering this gem.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Hello! Really glad you liked the video! Thanks very much for watching!!

[@Neville60001]

'We're breaking wind at ninety!' The movie was a great piece of satire, but the bus itself and the conception of the bus shows how the United States doesn't want to deal with building HSR (High Speed Rail), IMHO.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

LOL, the HSR aspect, or lack thereof, could have been part of the satire...

[@autumnmatthews3179]

What a fascinating video, thank you so much for sharing. I love buses, those old disaster movies, and comedies like Airplane. What's not to love about that!

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Hello! Really happy you found the video interesting!! Thanks very much for watching again!!

[@YELLTELL]

WHAT A GREAT NARRARATING VOICE.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Hello! Thank you, I appreciate your nice words! Thanks very much for watching!!

[@krislangley6226]

"🎵Welcome to the Oriental Lounge!🎶"

[@superpaul79]

I saw the thumbnail and thought, "This must have inspired that movie I saw that one time." I feel kind of dumb. 😂

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

LOL! Thanks very much for watching!

[@fu4616]

I was twelve when this movie came out. I thought it was great!

[@19chucki74]

I remember watching The Big Bus when I was younger, and I laughed so hard. It was funny, I loved it, wouldn't mind seeing it again after all these years. Younger me admired the Cyclops's design, and nuclear powered engine, though younger me had no idea what it was.😁

[@JF-lt5zc]

OMG! This movie. The "automatic tire changer" was dangerous as hell! Looks like they used explosive bolts on the tire and just flat out blew it up to get it off of the axle.

[@thesnowman9474]

Thanks for the movie memories, Jeffrey!

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Glad you liked the video!!

[@denisiwaszczuk1176]

Bloody hell remember going to see this in cinema twice when it come out with my big brother. RIP Pete .

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thank you very much for watching!!

[@RealBLAlley]

The one downside of CG is that they will never build stuff like this again. Sadly, Cyclops was hauling passengers to catch their Airplane when it stalled on some tracks and was destroyed by Supertrain.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

LOL, yes, that's what happened!

[@lincbond442]

Then Andy Griffith used to wreckage to build Salvage 1.

[@chas4life]

As a teenager of those times, this was one of many great "Vehicle As Hero" movies of the time! I would love it if you covered the "Damnation Alley" Landmaster. Thanks for this video!

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Hello! I'll look up the Damnation Alley Landmaster...Thanks for watching!!!

[@stevedoubleu99B]

Mega interesting!! The Big Bus was a great 'fun movie' with lots of very funny scenes. Maybe if it had been more lucky at the box office, the actual bus might have been saved. Again, very interesting video, thank you.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Hello! Thank you for the very nice words - I appreciate it very much, and I'm very glad you liked the video!!

[@69Phuket]

Remember watching the movie thinking. 'What were they on'?

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

LOL, it surely was a "different" kind of movie!! Thanks very much for watching again!!

[@DanielLCarrier]

A bus!

[@samuelgoodman2825]

Me too.

[@gorillaau]

I don't know, man. I don't, know. Where do I get some though? But seriously, this movie was certainly something else.

[@davidwesley2525]

@69Phuket What was the Guy Smoking 🚬 Who came Up with the Idea 💡 of a Big Ass Bus ? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@greggbestgen780]

Shoulders O'Brien best character name ever! If I had the money I'd build a big bus. Screw the private jet.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

LOL, yes, it would be great to have one of these.... Thanks very much for watching!!

[@davecardboard9567]

I watched a similar vintage (though not style) movie recently featuring the same actor - Rollerball (1970's version,) John Beck. Violent dystopian thriller to goofy comedy. I guess we could say he had some range.

[@CNCmachiningisfun]

It is hard to believe that this fine movie was a flop, when it came out :( . Everyone I know who has seen it, loved it :) .

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Oh yes, it is hard to understand why it bombed at the box office! Thanks very much for watching!!

[@CNCmachiningisfun]

@@JeffreyOrnstein You're welcome. Keep up the good work.

[@samuelgoodman2825]

I watched this on TV back then.Havent seen anyone else cover it.Cool

[@fayefaye001]

Great Job on covering a Great design!

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Very glad you liked the video and thanks very much for watching!!

[@jeffnickel7416]

I think I remember one driver being called "Shoulders". Not because of his build but due to him passing out and driving on the shoulder of the road.

[@xray86delta]

😂 I haven't thought of this movie in years! It was the "ground" version of "Airplane"!

[@daruekeller]

well, The Big Bus came first IIRC, it was satire of the Airport movies, or Poseidon Adventure type of of transport-disaster movie craze, with a bit of "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" thrown in for good measure. Well written, good jokes, and lots of memorable lines. I still remember "we've done it! We're breaking wind at 90!" after seeing it once on a rented VCR tape in the later 90s. 🙂 Also the plot kinda anticipates the plot of Starflight: The Plane That Couldn't Land (1983) (( I bet you thought I was gonna say Speed ;-) ))

[@hueyiroquois3839]

Great. Now I have to add 1 more to my collection of downloaded movies that I'll never get around to watching.

[@rupertgethin-u5p]

Thank you, clear and to the point. Well spoken too. Sad not a little more realistic and survived. What a concept.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thanks for the nice words, and glad you liked the video! Thanks very much for watching!!

[@timelordford]

Lol! I saw this on network TV!

[@nlpnt]

Fridge brilliance - why Denver as a destination instead of going all the way to LA? Because going west of Denver would mean either going through the Eisenhower Tunnel or over Loveland Pass, which would limit the size as well as propulsion options (no hazmat allowed through the Ike, doubtful they'd permit a nuke).

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

That's interesting. I did see a commercial for the movie, and it was asked why was the destination Denver? The answer was...WHY NOT? LOL. Thanks very much for watching!

[@sct913]

I suspect they chose Denver instead of LA for comedic effect. Also note that the routing in the film did not include any Interstate highways. Had they gone beyond Denver to LA, I suspect Loveland Pass wouldn't pose any more issues than the road over "Mount Diablo" did - witness the final scene where the bus splits in half.

[@adamlee3772]

An unusual but interesting video. Thanks for sharing.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Really glad you found the video interesting! Thanks very much for watching!!

[@PacoOtis]

We loved this movie and watched it many times over the years and laughed and laughed! Best of luck to you!

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Hello! Great to hear you liked the "Big Bus!" Thanks for your nice comment, and thanks very much for watching!!

[@Pygoman12]

This is my favorite bus of all. I feel like I waited forever for this bus to be mass produced. I was hoping Greyhound would get a few, possibly Trailways. I'm fifty-five now, and I am finally giving up hope. Damn shame.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

LOL, I think Trailways had plans to buy over 1,000 of these Cyclops buses, but the deal fell through at the last moment. Oh well. Thanks for watching!!

[@lincbond442]

As a fellow fifty-five year old, I though this bus was the coolest thing on the road back then. I watched the TV premiere back in 1978. At the very least, it'd be nice if some die-cast or model company would release a scale version of it someday.

[@roberthuron9160]

I had the honor,to be a contributing photographer/ photojournalist to Bus World,and much kudos to Ed Stuass,one of the world best editors! Miss those guys,sorely, as they got me into many places,as Press,I couldn't normally go! Thank you,Jeffrey,for the information,and the article,as I have no access to my library! Thank you 😇 😊!

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Hello! Wow, this is great, to have someone comment that was part of Bus World Magazine! I miss that great publication! I remember the first issue I ever got in I think 1978, with a story on the first Grumman Flx 870s that went into service in Orange County. Plus lots of other great articles. Thanks very much for watching!!

[@AtheistOrphan]

I haven’t seen this film for years. Definitely going to track down the DVD now.

[@markmartin5248]

One of my favoriate movies. Ned Beaty uses a handercheif to guide the nuclear into the casing .

[@crabbymilton390]

I knew you were going to talk about this at some point. People say I’m nuts because I like buses and fire apparatus. I’m proud of that Jeffery so don’t be afraid to admit it.😅

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

LOL, it was required of me to do a video of Cyclops!!! Thanks very much for watching again!!

[@scottstallings5029]

Just discovered your channel. FANTASTIC 😊

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Hello! Thank you for the very nice comment!! And I'm glad my videos somehow found you! Thanks very much for watching!!!

[@a.person7825]

Thank you. I remember seeing this on cable as a kid.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Glad you liked the video, and thanks very much for watching!!

[@olaff4223]

I saw that movie one time, and I only remember that I watched it. Nothing more. But it honestly lives rent free in my head that it exists.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

LOL, it's definitely a good movie! Thanks very much for watching!!

[@jaysonpida5379]

great vid.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thank you, glad you liked it!! Thanks very much for watching!

[@sct913]

The Big Bus remains one of my all-time favorite films, and definitely an underrated one. Because the end credits are usually compressed or cut when the movie airs on TV, it wasn't until I bought the DVD that I realized Trailways (yes, the bus company) provided technical assistance in the making of the movie.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Definitely a great movie, and it would be nice to know what 'assistance' Trailways gave Paramount! Thanks very much for watching!!

[@richardryley3660]

I'm guessing they gave advice on what kind of look the bus would need and how the Coyote company would plot out their routes. They might also have offered advice on what roads would be able to carry the weight of the Cyclops. I imagine they provided insight for the jokes about Coyote more than helping build the bus itself. It's like that joke about the logo being printed backwards. The Coyote logo always struck me as a joke on Greyhound, but maybe Trailways had a similar story of that happening to Greyhound or another company with a similar logo. 😂

[@markIburgess]

I have seen this film and if I remember correctly saw it at the cinema when it was out here in the UK. Thanks for covering it Jeffrey, gonna have to see if I can get on DVD or download. I remember the line when the driver asked Shoulders how often he fainted he said, ' It's all right, I only have them when I'm driving ' Happy Christmas!

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Hello! Thanks for your memories of watching this movie, and glad you liked my video! Thank you very much for watching!!

[@jeffreyskoritowski4114]

If you hadn't told me, I'd swear that this movie was an "Airplane" knock-off. I never heard of it. They had to really believe in this project to spend 500k on just the bus. Movies were being produced for that amount at the time.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Oh yes, and a real bus cost only $100,000 at the time! Thanks for watching!

[@alphawoolf5981]

A predecessor (sorta) to the The Big Bus was the Mammoth Car from the cartoon Speed Racer. The late 60s/70s were a great time to be alive!

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Awesome...I need to check that out!! Thanks very much for watching!!

[@glenjones6980]

Plot Twist. The bus still exists and Jeffrey owns it, it's currently in an underground bunker 10 feet below him when he films each new upload 😄

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

LOL, how did you ever know that????? Thanks very much for watching again!!

[@jamesfrench7299]

Admit nothing.

[@CloudHindlen]

Thankyou for giving me yet another movie prop to obsess over. 🤣😂🤣😂🤣

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

LOL, glad you found it interesting! Thanks very much for watching!!

[@karloftinker2832]

Wow Jeff great work, it is a fascinating story I think, like your style, Dan Monroe would be jealous. Good luck with the channel, going great after just 1 year. I bet the folk at Bus World Magazine used to have crazy Christmas office parties no doubt.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Hello! Very glad you liked the video, and thanks for the very nice words! Thanks very much for watching!!

[@dweebert]

Both The Big Bus and Airplane are from Paramount; Airport, Airport 1975 and Earthquake from Universal; Poseidon Adventure and Towering Inferno from 20th Century Fox (the latter co-op with Warner Bros)

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thanks for the info and thanks very much for watching!

[@EugeneMurray-z1b]

But disaster movie ever? THE TOWERING INFERNO!

[@1208bug]

Well.....that was fun Jeffrey!😊❤👍

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Yes, it certainly was, glad you liked it! Thanks very much for watching again!!

[@chmarr]

i remember that movie about the nuclear powered bus :D

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Yes, it's very memorable! Thanks very much for watching again!!

[@luisreyes1963]

If the producers borrowed the Mammoth Car's horn from Speed Racer & used it for the Cyclops 180, it would have made the movie "The Big Bus" more memorable. 🚌

[@charlesballard5251]

This movie got by me on it's release and I always wondered how. Now I think I've figured it out. You said it was released in late June of '76. I would have been in the middle of the a 3 week vacation traveling across country. The big movie at that time was "The Omen", which I saw in California with my mother and cousin. By the time we got home to Saint Louis, "The Big Bus" had probably come and gone closing after only a week or two. I first heard of it when it was on television a few years later, but for some reason I missed it. Never seen it available on VHS, DVD, or Blu-Ray. I may have to look it up. Thanks.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Yes, it's a great movie to have on DVD! But there's no extras or "Director's Cut" version, sadly. Thanks for watching!!

[@TheRiverPirate13]

I remember as an 8-year-old seeing that movie! I don't recall if I understood any of the humor in the movie however I thought the bus was really neat! Thanks for some of the movie backstory!

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thanks, glad you liked the video!

[@MrJestyler]

Ah the nutty and zany 70’s gotta love it

[@3dsmaxrocks699]

Anybody remember the TV show ARK II? LOVED that vehicle so much and it reminded me of my GI Joe Mobile Support Vehicle. The GI Joe Adventure Team stuff was so epic.

[@richardryley3660]

Oh, I remember Ark II! I had to comment on a video about it. It was a while back, maybe a year ago. Loved that vehicle. It was smaller than The Big Bus, only six wheels instead of sixteen. And not articulated in the middle. But they had a little rover inside it. 😂 And there was enough room for living quarters.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

I watched ARK II as a kid! I may do a video on that vehicle, even though it's not a bus!

[@lincbond442]

ARK II was a nineteen-seventies gas-guzzling RV, and it was awesome!

[@LadyDeirdre]

The actual vehicle barely worked. It was really just a trailer hitched to an extremely unreliable modified, I think, pickup. They’d film as much driving footage as they could whenever they got the thing moving at all.

[@colormedubious4747]

I suspect that this movie was primarily spoofing the original "Airport" movie. I believe it partially inspired the short-lived TV series "Supertrain," which had its funny moments but wasn't really a spoof. "The Big Bus" also inspired many a teenaged boy's crush on Stockard Channing (that might have just been me). "Airplane!" was certainly influenced by this film but was (iirc) more directly inspired by the "Airport" movies and was a shot-for-shot parody of 1957's "Zero Hour!" Fun fact: one of Zero Hour's writers would later write the novel "Airport" that was adapted into the movie.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thanks for that extra info and thanks for watching!!

[@mbgrafix]

_Now we know where they got the idea for _*_SNOWPIERCER!_*

[@mootpointjones8488]

It looks like something from Thunderbirds 😮

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Yes, it sure does!!! FAB! Thanks very much for watching again!!

[@mattw8332]

I remember watching The Big Bus for the first time on British TV around the mid 1980s when I was around 7 or 8 years old. I thought it was cool.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Yes, it's definitely a cool movie!!! Thanks very much for watching!!

[@dvone4124]

The huge headlight, pictured at 6:39, has a subtle design that echos the iconic shark poster from "Jaws." Now, does anyone remember "The Long, Long Trailer"?

[@brianfretwell3886]

If only they hadn't let "Shoulders" drive it!!!!

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

LOL, that's right! Thanks very much for watching again!!

[@markfitzurka9995]

Love when you count. #1. #2. #3. Great job on your script

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thanks!!!

[@jimcat68]

I had never heard of this movie before! I would have been seven or eight years old when it came out, and I'm surprised I never saw a TV commercial or poster advertising it. I'd be willing to suspend my disbelief for everything except the nuclear engine. There's no way that they could shield the passengers from the radiation and have it be light enough for highway operation at reasonable speed. In reality, they could have used a diesel or diesel-electric motor, similar to those on a railroad locomotive.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Glad you liked the video! Thanks very much for watching!!

[@richardryley3660]

I'm so glad you mentioned that "The Big Bus" proceeded "Airplane". I consider it to be a first attempt at a parody of airplane disaster movies. It's not nearly as funny as "Airplane", but that's because "Airplane" is a work of genius. Just the concept of a spoof of disaster movies os funny enough, and "The Big Bus" has its moments of surrealism and satire. Just for starters, the Coyote itself is obviously a parody of airplanes, not bus travel. Its dual seating and airplane cockpit is hilarious. And of course there is the lounge positioned prominently over the cockpit, where its massive window allows a view of the road. Although based on a double decker bus, it's just so outlandishly over the top. And of course there is the nuclear power plant. I jad no idea it was based on an actual naval nuclear engine, I thought it was just a conceptual mock up. I think I also thought it produced thrust, I was ten at the time. 😂 I think the poster shows it with flames shooting out like a rocket, but maybe those "exhaust ports" are actually nuclear fuel rods. I'm also wondering, if the Coyote was actually two trucks, how they were able to hang it over the cliff. I'm guessing when they were joined, the connection was made strong enough to hold them together. It's fascinating that they has a resr steering section for the back truck. Great video, and there are some videos on the movie itself, so go check those out. I'm glad you made your vidro about the bus itself.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Hello! Thanks for the additional analysis and thoughts, very interesting and glad you liked the video!!

[@simon5005]

I saw this hilarious movie in the theater when I was 21, and it's still one of my favorite comedies ever!!!

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Hello! Yes, it was a great, creative movie! Thank you very much for watching!!

[@Castielj]

Don't forget President Biden's recent proposal for a nuclear-powered, high-speed trans-continental train. I think it's going to be called Super Train and will even have a 70s Disco on board !

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

LOL, I heard him mumbling about that yesterday!

[@markfitzurka9995]

Your channel is off and on I mean great and not great. Your long form documentaries are great and you definitely are getting better over the last couple years. I don’t care about your 5o below finds but you do great on the random transposition videos. I don’t normally follow a channel with reviews because it messes with my Al G Rhythm but today you got me to subscribe and wanted to let you know I am enjoying your content for the most part. Keep up the good work. I hope you are having a good time putting them together because this one was fun to watch.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Hello! Thanks for your feedback on my channel! I don't intend on doing anymore five below stuff on here, just bus type documentaries. It's definitely a lot of work to do these videos!! Thanks very much for watching!!

[@jeffclark2725]

Well,this way no one can say it hasn't been done, movie,or not,just like the bus that was in the movie Speed,for what that bus did,thebus didn't get much recognition,thumbs up great video thumbs up great video

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Oh yes, it's finally done! A video on Cyclops, LOL! Like you say, these buses need more recognition! Thanks very much for watching again!!