Smokey & the Bandit * FIRST TIME WATCHING * reaction & commentary

Another Millennial Movie Member Pick - so a big THANK YOU to Chris ( @1000thGhost ) for supporting the me, beans, and the channel. As a MMMember, you get to pick one movie a month that I react too - it can be any year, any genre, anything!
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[@jacobcarr5647]

Don't care what anyone else thinks but Jerry Reed is the one who makes this movie totally complete.

[@Siansonea]

You're not wrong.

[@just_another_villain]

100%... This movie isn't close to as loved without Jerry Reed as Snowman or his music.

[@thereturningshadow]

I am a firm believer that this movie would NOT have been as popular as it was without Jackie Gleason.

[@jacobcarr5647]

@@thereturningshadow agree on that point as well. He plays the douchey lawman perfectly.

[@Siansonea]

@@thereturningshadow to be fair, Jackie Gleason was always acknowledged to be a big part of the draw of the movie. Burt Reynolds was a sex symbol at the time, but hardly a comedic legend like Jackie Gleason. And Sally Field was pretty much 'the girl from the Gidget and Flying Nun TV shows' in 1977. So Jackie Gleason was always recognized as one of the strongest elements of the formula, and was quite meme-able even then. Boss Hogg and Roscoe P. Coltrane from The Dukes Of Hazzard are an obvious homage to Buford T. Justice.

[@AFMountaineer2000]

"I may not have been the best actor but I was the best Burt Reynolds" Burt Reynolds R.I.P.

[@megadev9099]

Scanlan Shorthalt might disagree. (Most people here probably won't get this, but that's their problem.)

[@utility63]

@@megadev9099 Do you mean Burt Reynolds, Esquire? Attorney at Law?

[@megadev9099]

@@utility63 The one and only. Also known in some circles of course as... the Meat Man.

[@stuartmcquade3407]

Burt always regretted turning down Terms of Endearment which won Jack Nicholson an Oscar instead he went on to do second rate Bandit rip offs like Stoker Ace...however Hooper was nearly as good as Smokey.

[@Doug19752533]

Jackie Gleason adlibed most of his lines and acting in the movie... NOBODY knew what the hell he was gonna say or do next, which is what makes his acting in this SO brilliant! especially how he interacts with Mike Henry (Junior). originally Gleason was going to be alone but he told production "i have to have someone in the car with me to play off of" the result was genius

[@jasonmartin7711]

I think Jackie Gleason makes the movie hilarious with His son.. the whole cast is funny

[@biguy617]

He is from the Honeymooners

[@yoncheramie7271]

Sherrif Justice completed the movie

[@michaelhungate7506]

Jackie was an absolute powerhouse of a performer. No one else could have played Buford T Justice.

[@44excalibur]

It might interest you to know, Ashleigh, that actor Billy Bob Thornton once told Burt Reynolds that in the south in the 1970s, Smokey & the Bandit was considered a documentary. lol 😆

[@markcarpenter6020]

As Someone who had wild cat truckers in my family I can say he wasn't wrong

[@SargNickFury]

Truer words have never been spoken.

[@Lieutenant_Dude]

Thornton was right

[@tristramcoffin926]

I bagged Sally Field's groceries once. She was in town filming Lincoln. I didn't know it at the time. As she is placing her stuff on the belt I ask her 'Has anyone ever told you that you look like Sally Field? She doesn't respond, keeps her head down. So, I say 'Im sorry but there are worst people to resemble than America's Sweetheart.' She say's, 'Youre so sweet'. So, by the time she is paying she is closer and I ask, 'Forgive me, but are you actually Sally Field?' She says 'yes' and brings her finger to her mouth motioning 'Shshsh'. She was hoping to get through the store without being spotted. I get the hint and she shuttles out undetected. Ever since tho like when I am dating someone if a girl calls me an asshole or tells me I am a jerk because of some circumstance where I probably was one I will say, 'Well, Sally Field is America's sweetheart and she told me I am sweet. Who the hell are you?" Haha.

[@Smokie_666]

Hell yeah! That's awesome!

[@BeeWhistler]

That's adorable. I hope you try to be nice but it's still adorable. Shoot, now I picture someone like Starlord saying that to some girl after doing something foolish... I remember when she and the film crew of Steel Magnolias rolled through Shreveport on their way to Natchitoches to film. It was an especially hot August and they just has to drag them in for a press conference. I watched it on TV, all these rich town hillbillies grinning up at her while she asked if it was going to get any cooler and they all snorted and said, "Naw..." in adoring voices. And they had to shoot a Christmas scene in that weather...

[@jackjones5314]

When I first saw you comment, I had a another window covering it and it read, "I bagged Sally Field" so I was disappointed, but it still was a nice story.

[@davidleeroth784]

@@jackjones5314 😅😅🤦‍♂️😅😅

[@tristramcoffin926]

@@jackjones5314 That was funny.

[@jpotter2086]

"Thought '70s movies were supposed to be wholesome ..." Oh, Ashleigh, how precious LOL We have such sights to show you ....

[@davidmc1489]

Behind the green door came out in the 70s

[@themoviedealers]

Maybe 50s yes, but 70s definitely not. (You could probably make the case for smut in the 50s with certain selections.)

[@kevls5536]

Vanishing Point, 1971

[@isaackellogg3493]

Zardoz

[@ckroustalis8244]

Those were the days when people had fun and did not get insulted by a few jokes on each other. Woke ain't fun, just blah pretension...

[@armorer94]

In regards to the saucy dialogue, double entendres and general randy nature of this movie I can offer only one timid excuse: It Was The Seventies!

[@wallyman292]

I thought it was cute that she thought the 70's was some kind of non-prurient, wholesome period of history!

[@armorer94]

@@wallyman292 Ohhh, no it wasn't. Not by a long shot.

[@susanarnol9573]

And it was fucking great 🤟

[@Madallen2002]

I mean to be fair With the internet their is damn sure even more horny people talking now then back in the day .

[@Muck006]

A lot of it was also IMPROVISED ...

[@TarossBlackburn]

Sheriff Buford T Justice aged exactly how the filmmakers expected him to age I think.

[@zaphod2505]

"I feel like for 1977 movies were still supposed to be wholesome" Now I think she should watch the 1976 Bad News Bears. Its a kids movie so you know it will be wholesome. :)

[@EricaGamet]

I started playing baseball (on a boys' team, cuz there weren't any for girls) in 1978 because of Bad News Bears... we saw it at the drive-in. I hadn't seen it in years and I watched it maybe 10 years ago and was like, "Oh my... times have certainly changed!" haha

[@darastarscream]

Two words-- Animal House.

[@Lamia7609]

That was my first thought lol

[@BenAHulse]

The 70s and early 80s ... when we didnt mince words to spare feelings or worry about offending

[@ItsVincentAgain]

She's not ready for Tanner Boyle! 🤣

[@DBShouse69]

The "whoever they are" to Fred and Ginger or Lester and Earl made me cry inside. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers were a famous movie dance couple, they did 10 movies together, and Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs are a famous bluegrass duo, they did Foggy Mountain Breakdown and the theme to the Beverly Hillbillies.

[@d112cons]

Directed by Hal Needham, who prior to this was the most legendary stuntman ever. He believed in fun. Big, dumb, fun movies.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

Reynolds: After his divorce, Hal lived in my pool house for eight years Needham: More like twelve

[@bpora01]

Cannonball run is a good movie if you're into car chase type movies.

[@wearelegion6520]

I was thinking Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Another Burt movie with Dolly

[@kennethfharkin]

@@wearelegion6520 Being a Dolly fan she needs to see that one.

[@LtFrankDrebbin]

I second that notion 👍😁

[@garrettflores1730]

I came here to suggest Cannonball Run too.

[@Leonix13]

Cannonball Run and it's insane cast for it's time

[@brianoconnell6459]

It's actually the other way around, Dukes of Hazzard was inspired by Smokey and the Bandit.

[@HALberdier17]

Partially, Dukes of Hazzard was based on the 1975 movie Moonrunners. They toned it down and changed some of the characters for the Dukes of Hazzard show.

[@SGlitz]

Only probably by the studio. ;) Guy Waltrip did a movie called Moon Runners about Moonshine. This follows on from that. By Guy himself.

[@michaellailer9818]

And John Schneider,( Bo Duke) and Sonny Shroyer, ( Enos), we're both in this movie!

[@CaptainFrost32]

@@michaellailer9818 She should watch John Schneider's movie "Stand On It!"

[@michaellailer9818]

@@CaptainFrost32 that is a good tribute movie! i was there when he filmed flying in, and landing on the General Lee, with the helicopter. i took my sisters kids up in that helicopter and we flew around, later that day! and last year, i was at his place and watched them film the car jumping across the Tickfaw river! it was a fun day!

[@chippewaman1975]

It’s nice to see a millennial appreciate the classics that many of us Gen Xers grew up with. So many do not. You are funny, witty and charming. I’m already hooked on your channel. Been binge watching lol. Keep up the great work Ashleigh!

[@ZiddersRooFurry]

Plenty do. I mean unless you know every single millennial you're just making an unfair negative assumption.

[@thedeaconofmetalshow7657]

Same. I found this channel while I've been in the hospital since last December. On my down time, I've been binge watching. At first, not knowing some iconic lines or scenes in some of these movies was kind of off-putting, but the more I watch, the more I find the reviews to be hopeful for newer generations to appreciate much of the entertainment industry that I grew up on. It's refreshing! Thanks Awkward Ashleigh!👍😬

[@fireheart6267]

Lol I'm gen z and I grew up watching this on VHS with my grandparents

[@jescis0]

I appreciate her appreciating a movie that came out in the same year as I did… 1977! 😉😉

[@ToEuropa]

One of my favorite moments in "The Walking Dead" was when a couple of characters were hiding, they hid behind an old rusty abandoned semi trailer. When the camera pulled back for a longer shot, we could see that it was Bandit's trailer from this movie. Someone on "The Walking Dead" was a "Smokey and the Bandit" fan. For anyone who is interested, it's episode 10 of season 7.

[@Talk-Nerdy-To-Me]

In the episode prior to the trailer scene, in one of the shots, sitting in the background on the highway was a black Bandit Trans Am...great fan service...

[@TeriWilde]

sorry to disappoint you but the trailer in The Walking Dead isn't one of the trailers that were used in the movie... The movies trailers have horizontal ribs and the one in TWD is visibly completely different.

[@orangeandblackattack]

@@TeriWilde also, the Walking Dead trailer had side aero runners seen on all trailers today..the one in 1977 did not have those-they weren't invented or at least not in the US..We truckers can spot bs a mile away and they think we are stupid.

[@motodork]

Just so you know, this was made at a time when COORS wasn’t allowed to be sold in the eastern half of the United States.

[@peterhineinlegen4672]

Yeah, there are weigh stations and inspections that might've caught the beer, so they took backroads. And the truck had to speed to keep under the time limit of the bet.

[@patrickmassonne1919]

Had a neighbor who used to run from Missouri to Indiana, he made some good money till people tasted it...

[@Chicklo11]

As a non American can I ask why?

[@JozeeWalz]

@@patrickmassonne1919 🤣🤣🤣 piss water!!

[@motodork]

COORS Banquet beer was unpasteurized. And they had no distributors or breweries east of the Mississippi. This means the beer could only be stored and delivered for a short time. Also, there were (and are) laws regarding the transport of certain things (alcohol included) over state lines.

[@hippychikforever]

Ashley: "Oh, that's...inappropriate," followed by multiple "Oh, my Gods" and "I feel like 1977. Movies were still supposed to be wholesome." Me: "Oh, you Sweet Summer Child. The 70's was insane! It was the last decade before AIDS and the modern movie system.

[@juliodavila424]

Not to mention that people "partying" was just building to the full swing of the 80's.

[@charlesrense5199]

Even Bill Cosby was making risque sex comedies in the 70s! Okay, let me explain: for most of his career Bill Cosby was known for being a wholesome, family friendly comedian. That was before we knew about his extracurricular activities.

[@Travelinmatt1976]

@@charlesrense5199 lol, maybe we should have her watch "Mother, Jugs, and Speed"

[@rcwilson6106]

Before AIDS but after The Pill. What a perfect time to be a 20-something.

[@RobertSmith-kb3jl]

The 70's were pretty much a 10 year hangover from the 60's. If you say you remember the 60's you obviously weren't there.

[@joelamont8585]

Throwback to pre-PC days comment wins the Internet: "You couldn't even reach his ass." 🤣🤣🤣

[@jackhaskell694]

The Eastbound and Down song was written and performed by Jerry Reed, who played the driver of bandit 2. Jerry Reed was an extraordinary musician and performer. His guitar playing was legendary. If you get a chance, do a KZbin search on him.

[@paulzammataro7185]

He wrote it in one hour.

[@JaviSancho93]

And they play two different versions. West bound and down, and at the end its East bound and down

[@TheAbstruseOne]

"This is like Country GTA." I have never seen a film summed up so succinctly since the review of Alien "Nobody listened to the smart woman and they all died except the smart woman and her cat, five stars".

[@SargNickFury]

GTA is just Country inserted into LA.

[@charlesrense5199]

They should make a GTA: Bandit!

[@DivineFalcon]

Blaine County is an amalgamation of all 70's and 80's car chase movies.

[@thomasharris4942]

The actor playing the "smokey" is Jackie Gleason, one of the GOAT comic actors.

[@rmhartman]

He was, iirc, called "The Great One"

[@terrelgeer7298]

Jackie Gleason is a goddamn legend.

[@scottlyttle5586]

Yeah, you can never forget him in the Honeymooners and "To the moon, Alice!! To the Moon!!!" phrase..

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

@@scottlyttle5586 Fred Flintstone!

[@stuartmcquade3407]

@@RideAcrossTheRiver yep although he wasn't the voice of Fred Flintstone..Ralph and Alice Kramden were definately the inspiration for Fred and Wilma.

[@stantheman9072]

The thing about Coors beer is that, at this time, you could not get that brand east of the Mississippi. Seems odd now, but it was not legally available in the east until a few years after this movie was a monster hit, which may have had something to do with changing things (not sure about that). That’s why Big Enos hired the Bandit and Snowman to haul a bootleg load to him. He wanted that brand of beer.

[@orangeandblackattack]

right now, you cant get Alaskan Brewery beers in Indiana..every state around us you can..but not Indiana lol

[@stantheman9072]

@@orangeandblackattack sounds like a tax issue

[@autumnatic]

"Why is everyone so passive aggressive and mean?" Bless your heart... because the South.

[@mattslupek7988]

Umm…she’s from Tennessee.

[@toxicginger9936]

Fun Fact: Smokey is slang for State Troopers. The slang term comes from the hat that state troopers typically wore, which is the same style hat that Smokey Bear wears. "Remember, Only YOU can prevent forest fires." 🐻💦🔥

[@dunhill1]

LOL. I get it because I"m old enough to remember those commercials which aired befoe Ashleigh was born.

[@panowa8319]

Smokey is also a term describing marine drill instructors because of the hat.

[@dunhill1]

@@panowa8319 yes, and that's why we hear that term in Full Metal Jacket describing ole Gunny! :-)

[@jamesfischer2427]

Bandit even correctly refers to Justice as a "County Mounty" in the film. FYI, City police were referred to as "City Kittys"

[@seannovack3834]

@@jamesfischer2427, Yep! My father was a Minneapolis City Kitty for 30 years but was big into the CB scene. His registered handle was "Nightstick".

[@JonPaulMaki]

Can't help but laugh at the notion of the 1970s being "wholesome."

[@MrTomLanders]

So true

[@themoviedealers]

Clearly she is thinking of the 1950s.

[@glenwoodreid5910]

The Brady Bunch aired in the 70s😆

[@jamesallen5591]

Same here!

[@darastarscream]

🤭😀😂

[@UltimateThanos]

“There ain’t a mystery left in them jeans.” 😂 Yup, that’s Burt!

[@AdamRock]

Love this movie! I grew up watching it, my parents weren't afraid to show it to us lol. And fun fact, the only movie that was bigger than this at the box office in 1977 was Star Wars

[@jescis0]

I'd say that "Star Wars" number 1, "Smokey And The Bandit" number 2, "Pete's Dragon" number 3 and "The Rescuers" number 4… at the least! 🤔🤔

[@gumbomudderx7503]

“This film has a lot of cussing for the 70’s” *Laughs in Slapshot* PS, watch Slapshot!

[@pressman1788]

This comment needs more likes 👍 Slapshot is hilarious!

[@robertkramer2271]

YES! SLAP SHOT!!!

[@aaronlane8405]

Yes!

[@jwrockets]

So many quotable lines in Slap Shot I don't even know where to begin.

[@SimianJack]

Slap Shot FTW.

[@44excalibur]

The song “Eastbound and Down's" lyrics change depending on which direction they're traveling, Ashleigh. When they're going to Texarkana it's “westbound and down, eighteen wheels a-rollin'," but after they get the beer and they're headed back to Atlanta it's “eastbound and down, loaded up and truckin'." They're not loaded up yet at the start of the movie.

[@rebeccam7239]

Wow, I never picked up on that. Have watched this movie countless times, singing along. Thank you!

[@44excalibur]

@@rebeccam7239 You're welcome!

[@Believer1980]

Yeah I loved little things like that, also Ashleigh saying it was a mistake telling Old Justice to look over his shoulder , it was Bo's way of telling him, "you did f up son, at the rest stop you could have caught me."

[@davesteller6301]

Actually they are considered two different songs. West Bound & Down and East Bound and Down, though the actual music is identical.

[@44excalibur]

@@davesteller6301 The only song listed in the credits is Eastbound and Down.

[@thecausalgamer7916]

my favorite line of the whole movie "hold my hat!" "my hat blew off daddy" "i hope your god damn head was in it!"

[@DavidPola1961]

Nothing was inappropriate in 1977 because nobody was uptight like they are today.

[@sassmacfru]

The little guy in the blue suit is Paul Williams actor, singer and songwriter. He wrote it is not easy being green for Kermit the frog among others.

[@EdSigma]

He was also one of the stars of and minds behind one of my all-time favourite movies, and one that would be great to see Ashleigh react to, Phantom of the Paradise.

[@silentjay01]

As well as "Old Fashioned Love Song" popularized by Three Dog Night and "We've only just begun" made famous by The Carpenters. Dude was a prolific songwriter in the 1970s and was on so many celebrity focused shows/game shows at the time.

[@philbell5564]

He also wrote The Love Boat theme. Whether that's good or bad, I'll let you decide.

[@LeChaunce]

"It's Not Easy Being Green" was written by Joe Raposo. Paul Williams wrote "The Rainbow Connection", the OTHER song connected to Kermit thanks to The Muppet Movie.

[@jackjones5314]

@@philbell5564 I like it.

[@jakubfabisiak9810]

Also - they don't play Convoy in this one. That's for Convoy, with Kris Krostofferson as Rubber Duck.

[@djC653]

Came here to say this, that they saved that song for it's own movie. And this, Convoy, should be on your list. Then Cannonball Run. Burt & Dom DeLuise = classic comedic duo

[@cacklebarnacle15]

That's what I was going to say. Ashley is not far off though, with Convoy being a year younger than Smokey & the Bandit.

[@dunhill1]

Yep. and C.W. McCall wrote and sang the theme song. I still like that cheesy song as a guilty pleasure.

[@shampoovta]

Convoy is a really good movie too.

[@mohammedashian8094]

Fun fact: according to the director 85% to 90% of Jackie Gleason’s lines were ad lipped or improvised they didn’t know what he was gonna say from one scene to the next but the result was always hysterically funny

[@thomasvlaskampiii6850]

As someone that used to drive a semi, a roadside inspection is a reason the can be pulled over. You could be driving the speed limit, use your turn signal, not tailgate, and have your seatbelt on, and still get pulled over for an inspection. With a roadside inspection, they're looking for lights that are out (every light on a semi needs to be functional at all times) or the wrong color (white or amber in the front and sides, red on the back except for the Antilock Brake System light on the back left on the trailer), brakes that are out of adjustment (this means they won't touch the brake drum when they need to), too little tire tread (4/32" on the steer tires. 2/32" everywhere else), incorrect tires (brand new virgin steer tires. Retreads can be used everywhere else), or hours of service violations (you can be on duty for up to 14 hours. Within that 14 hours, you can drive for up to 11 hours. Within that 11 yours, you have to have a 30 minute break within the first 8 hours of driving. You have to have a minimum of 10 hours off duty or in the sleeper every day. You can have a maximum of 80 hours on duty every 9 days with a 34 hour off duty or sleeper off to reset all the clocks). They are also looking for overweight trucks (absolute maximum without permits is 12,000 pounds on the steer axle, 34,000 pounds on the drive axles and 34,000 pounds on the trailer axles for a total maximum weight of 80,000 pounds.) A roadside inspection can take an hour or two and does count against your 11 hour drive time clock

[@jackjones5314]

Did you realize the singer of East Bound and Down, The Bandit, and a few others in the movie is Jerry Reed. Jerry also plays Snowman, the driver of the semi with Fred?

[@knightwalkr]

The bandit was burt Reynolds.

[@markpartin2000]

@@knightwalkr The character Bandit was Reynolds. Jack was referring to the song "The Bandit", which was written and sung by Jerry Reed. Jerry also sang "East Bound and Down" as well as playing the character Snowman.

[@Officer1774]

Buford T. Justice will remain the best character ever created.

[@Officer1774]

@Jared Falk the first time I saw this film, I couldn't stop laughing at everything he said. Even in the sequel, he made me cry.

[@kristennorth3268]

I always get confused and call him Buford T. Coltraine.

[@joeday4293]

And his patrol car is one of the funniest non-human characters to ever appear in a movie. It's the only thing in the movie he treated worse than Junior.

[@Officer1774]

@@joeday4293 that patrol car has been through more hell than anyone else that has ever existed.

[@billmoser2707]

The fact that you are a sheriff is not germane to the situation. The @#!$*** Germans got nothing to do with it!!!

[@belvagurr403]

This movie brought Burt and Sally together. Their relationship lasted many years and quite a few movies together.

[@pmvonhoffer1]

I wonder if he ever had his hat off many times with her.

[@Redneck2393]

Fun fact: There are brief cameos from four of the Dukes of Hazzard cast members. When Little Enos asks where he might find the Bandit, the man with the moustache that replies "I ain't seen him" is played by Ben Jones who also plays Cooter Davenport on Dukes. The motorcycle cop that pulls over Snowman is played by Sonny Shroyer who also plays deputy Enos Strate on Dukes. John Schneider (Bo Duke) and Catherine Bach (Daisy Duke) have brief walk-on cameos, but I haven't been able to spot them yet.

[@HotrodDan]

This movie was a smash hit in '77; Overnight turning Burt Reynolds from a well known actor into a bona fide bankable movie star. Studios at the time were making gritty, deep, sometimes depressing films quite a bit. This movie was the ultimate escape. Fun fact: Up until his death, Alfred Hitchcock himself called this movie his favorite guilty pleasure.

[@codyt821]

Woah really? I had no idea Hitchcock even would be remotely interested in this movie, thats awesome!

[@TheLeprechaunjm]

Burt Reynolds had a metal chair stunt gone wrong while filming "City Heat" in 1984 and got a broken jaw that he got that majorly impacted his career... but he was a MAJOR movie star in my lifetime that was resurrected in 1997's "Boogie Nights" (a movie that I suggest that you DON'T include in a future edition of your channel about porn movies)

[@strangeworldsunlimited712]

Second highest money making film of 1977, second only to Star Wars (A New Hope). Those two movies gave audiences a sense of fun and adventure that they obviously needed at that time.

[@robertkramer2271]

Yea, Burt said in a interview that he net Hitchcock's daughter and her dad loved this film. Apparently, she said, the reason he liked it so much was because everyone looked like they were having fun.

[@missmartylynn]

Burt Reynolds held the top box office records for years starting with this movie.

[@cheesyrider6914]

You're going to love "Cannonball Run" staring Burt Reynolds and evrybody else.

[@johnfriday5169]

And everybody else... you made me laugh.

[@raff1966]

Literally, everyone else

[@TxSonofLiberty]

@@raff1966 (Not Quite) Everyone Else: Dom Deluise (Also in Smokey and the Bandit II) Sammy Davis Jr Dean Martin Jackie Chan Jamie Farr Jack Elam Farrah Fawcett Adrienne Barbeau Roger Moore Peter Fonda Terry Bradshaw Mel Tillis Burt Convy ...

[@jsharp3165]

Cannonball Run is just Mad Mad Mad World with 70s people Ashleigh won’t know instead of 60s people Ashleigh won’t know.

[@crawfb]

@@jsharp3165 Haha, so true!

[@MGTOWPaladin]

Hal Needham, the actor/stunt man/ director of this movie was doing a movie in the east and brought Coor's beer with him for his motel room refrigerator. For some reason, his beer stash kept shrinking. When he found out the hotel staff was swiping it, he asked them why they just didn’t buy their own? He was informed that Coor's, at that time, couldn’t not be purchased east of the Mississippi under the brewing laws, and so was considered "bootlegging" (illegal transporting of alcohol for profit). Hal figured the premise would make a great movie and Smokey and the Bandit was born! Jerry Reed, a country singer/ songwriter was asked to write the music by Hal Needham. The next morning, Jerry performed EAST BOUND AND DOWN for Needham in his room. After playing the sound, Jerry said, "If you don't like it. I can change it!" Hal told him, "If you change it, I'll kill you!"

[@DrumDTLTE2]

This is the first time that truck driver, Snowman played by Jerry Reed, ever acted. He was a country music singer/songwriter that was friends with Burt Reynolds. He wrote the East Bound and Down song in one hour and that's him singing and playing guitar.

[@jankypop-a-matic58]

Jerry was an absolute natural! Some people just transition into acting so easily. I think the movie was really polished off by his character! : )

[@kennethfharkin]

Jackie Gleason in this was absolute GOLD. He INVENTED that character as he went. "Sumbitch" was used by him after Reynolds told him about an old time southern sheriff who used the word and it was forever cemented into southern lexicon. This line is absolutely brilliant and I cannot count the times I have looked at one of my kids an thought this in my head. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZ-cXqGEgd-Wjac

[@thediscostu4127]

the old time southern sheriff was Burt's dad.

[@truckerbrony2571]

Jackie Gleason is Hollywood royalty

[@hippychikforever]

Jackie modeled Justice after Burt's dad who was a chief of police in (old) South Florida. Think swamp, not Miami Beach.

[@Mike19737]

I was ROLLING at the comment of: "Country GTA." 😂😂💯💯💯👏👏

[@SargNickFury]

@@hippychikforever Would give anything to have met Burt's dad.

[@downesy68]

The chemistry between Burt and Sally lifts this movie to another level. They look like they’re having the time of their lives all the way through.

[@RobertSmith-kb3jl]

They were an item for a while. Burt claimed Sally was, "The love of [his] life." Sally remembered it differently.

[@gutz1981]

Interesting fact. When aired for TV back in the 80s, they decided to tone down the language and overdubbed the "SUM BITCH" line with "SCUM BUM" and ironically, it became a new insult and a lot of us kids would say it a lot.

[@Doug19752533]

3:35 "there aint a mystery left in them jeans!" BWAHAHAHA!!!! THAT WAS CLASSIC!

[@reactionwatcher7652]

The absolute best line in ALL OF movie history - Branford: "The fact that you are a Texas Sheriff is not germaine to this conversation." Justice: "GAWDAMN GERMANS GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS."

[@synaesthesia2010]

Justice had some brilliant lines in this

[@bluorangefyre]

Junior: But Daddy... Buford: SHUT UP!!! One s--- at a time!

[@jacobjones5269]

Oh… You, ah… Sounded taller in the radio..

[@BenAHulse]

And here i thought it was .. "nice ass"

[@migcap7356]

Gleason best line for me other then smacking his son's momma was... "I'm going to barbecue your ass in molasses!!!!!"

[@nicholascross3557]

I always felt that Burt's little 4th wall breaks were him saying "I'm getting _paid_ to do this!"

[@dannytse8767]

Also reminds of Tom Selleck's 4th wall breaks on "Magnum P.I."

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

@@dannytse8767 Farmer Ted in _Sixteen Candles_

[@PhenomProductions23]

Where do you think Tom learned it.

[@Smittytomcat5128]

Motorcycle cop is the actor that played Enos straight in the dukes of hazzard

[@pleasehelp2446]

I saw this movie multiple times as a kid then I saw it again in theaters for the 40th anniversary. When I saw it in theater I snuck a few Coors in and shared them with the gentlemen next to me. It was a great time with everyone singing along

[@phil8821]

Another hilarious Burt Reynolds movie is "The Cannonball Run", featuring an all star cast, and the best bloopers in cinema history. It is as you'd say.... very witty.

[@itdano]

Yes. This. Cannon Ball Run has a lot of the same kind of vibe as Smokey And The Bandit

[@dr.burtgummerfan439]

When they did their review of the movie, Siskel and Ebert said the outtakes made it look like making the movie was more fun than watching it.

[@markfreckmann2366]

I also was going to suggest you watch The Cannonball Run. I loved Smokey and the Bandit. Jackie Gleason made this movie great. However I enjoyed The Cannonball Run even more.

[@ronwells8186]

CANNONBALL RUN !!!!! Co-signed!!!!

[@scottlyttle5586]

Cannonball Run is done by the same director as Smokey and the Bandit. (plus the commentary on Smokey and the Bandit is one of the best ones I've ever seen..) All east coast scenes from Cannonball Run were filmed in Atlanta-mentioned in the commentary.. Not sure, but Cannonball Run was the first, or one of the first, to show bloopers at the end of the film.

[@donniewebster7041]

This movie was the inspiration for “Dukes of Hazard” as well as “BJ and the Bear”.

[@dougjohnson435]

and convoy

[@oaf-77]

And the CB McHaul and US 1 toys and the subsequent US 1 marvel comic

[@donniewebster7041]

@@dougjohnson435 Wow…your right, I always thought Convoy came out first, but Smokey & the Bandit came out a year before. Somehow I got them mixed up.

[@brianmedlen3645]

no Moonrunners was the inspiration for Dukes

[@frozenpiper2]

Loved both of those shows.

[@anthonyhaylock6655]

Great reaction Ash, loved it :)

[@bongodave13]

It was "Westbound and down,18 wheels a-rollin'" going to Texarkana, then "Eastbound and down, loaded up and truckin'" on the way back.

[@knightni73]

The actor playing the truck driver was the singer of Eastbound and Down - Jerry Reed.

[@kristennorth3268]

Aka the singer of The Bird.

[@amythehuntress]

Singer and songwriter. He wrote it all in an hour.

[@centuryrox]

@@kristennorth3268 also "Amos Moses" and "She Got the Gold Mine (I Got the Shaft)"

[@JPDillon]

Jerry Reed is a world class guitar player. He is also in the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.

[@dngillikin]

@@centuryrox "When You're Hot, You're Hot! (When You're Not, You're Not!)"

[@stilettoheelslover]

As the old saying goes: "Trousers so tight, you can tell what religion he is."

[@ronweber1402]

Ah, the 70s. I get a laugh out of how girls are hassled for bra straps showing or spaghetti straps. These people would have had a stroke when I went to high school. Any given day looked like an episode of Charlie's Angels, wall to wall nipples, cameltoes and mooseknuckles.

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

@@ronweber1402 Oof...... i was raised in the wrong time :( There's nothing more beautiful and pure than 70s women.

[@onebadmonkee2540]

That's a really dumb one, especially for the US.

[@dunhill1]

@@ronweber1402 Exactly. I remember those days. and the boys didn't all turn into sexual predator deviants because of it. My Mom during the summer didn't wear bras either. It was no big deal, but I rather enjoyed it as a youngster.

[@stephenolan5539]

@@ronweber1402 Buffy made showing bra straps generally accepted.

[@Redbikemaster]

I loved this movie for as long as I can remember. It inspired me. I now own my own trucking company and still can't ignore the call of the open highway. Also, a "bear" is State Police or Highway Patrol. A "smokey" or "county mountie" is a Sheriff. "Bear cub" is a local cop. "Kojak with a Kodak" is a cop with a radar gun. "Evil Knievel" is a motorcycle cop. "Seat cover" is a female passenger. "What's your 20?" = "Where are you?" I think that's most of the slang used in this film. And while I haven't quite hit 96 mph in a truck, I will say my truck isn't speed limited. 😎

[@jonathanwillis1143]

An absolute classic! Not a bad moment in this film. Incredibly they made this film on a budget of roughly $5 million and I believe it was cut to $4 million right before production began. The film was shot in under 30 days. Having Jackie Gleason as the Sherriff was a killer good move. He was already a legend from his TV show "The Honeymooners." Burt Reynolds was a stud, great actor, and a very funny guy back in his heyday. The guy driving the truck wrote the main song from the movie and sang it. The short dude who played Little Enis was Paul Williams. A noted song writer who had penned hits for many big names including Barbara Streisand, film scores, and even the Muppets. the guy playing Big Enis was played by Jack McCormick who for many years was one of the writers for the Johnny Carson Tonight Show. Up until this movie came out many people in the country did not know that taking Coors Beer east of the Mississippi River was a crime called boot-legging. I believe this was because the beer had no preservatives in it which meant transporting long distances without appropriate cooling was bad for the beer. If you need to smile and enjoy a good film this is a good one to watch.

[@tonyclements1147]

Any time you haul a load of alcoholic beverages, you are required to have alcohol transport permits for the load. In the modern era most states will issue alcohol permits to a truck, and when you’ve got one you can haul any kind of booze you want. But back then, alcohol permits were issued on a load-by-load basis. (New Jersey still does this, which makes life REAL interesting because all the European beer sold in the United States comes through the container ports in New Jersey.) Because Coors is a very light beer and it wasn’t pasteurized in the 1970s, it was as perishable as milk is. To protect the good name of their company, they lobbied all the transport officials east of the Mississippi to not issue alcohol permits to loads of Coors. If you go back and watch Smokey and the Bandit again, the trucker who was arrested at the movie’s beginning was nailed for “transporting alcoholic beverages across state lines without the proper permits.”

[@bendyparanormal]

“East Bound and Down” was written and sung by Jerry Reed, (“Snowman” in this film.) Also, Burt Reynolds’ hair was “perfect” because he was wearing a hairpiece. Even at this point in his career, his hair was starting to thin. He started wearing hair pieces pretty young and he’s got one on in this film. But I’ll give him credit: To my knowledge, he never denied wearing a hair piece or a wig and in fact, was comfortable with it; and the ones he wore were top quality and weren’t ever cheap, obvious, cheesy ones.

[@JW666]

That's good for him =) Burt's so cool that he doesn't even deny it; "Yeah, I'm wearing a hairpiece. It is what it is."

[@pete_lind]

Funny when they have Paul Williams in the cast , who has 190 soundtrack credits , from Telly ...who loves ya baby ? , to several Muppets appearances .

[@fad23]

@@pete_lind PAUL WILLIAMS!!!

[@Logan_Baron]

In some of his earlier movies he didn't wear the hairpiece so he couldn't deny it was a hairpiece.

[@migcap7356]

@@Logan_Baron In Deliverance Burt gave up the ghost about it then... My mom didn't care one bit...

[@memcrk3]

Sheriff Justice's comment about Sheriff Branford aged exactly like it was supposed to. If Buford wasn't immoral he'd be the good guy in this story about bootleggers.

[@DouggieDinosaur]

Exactly. The movie needed to show Bufort T. Justice in a bad light so you wouldn't like him too much.

[@arkikali5632]

I was just coming to make this same comment. That line aged perfectly--it was meant to paint him as a racist douche then, and it does the same job today.

[@captin3149]

@@arkikali5632 And see, I must not have been smart enough, because I missed any racism altogether. I thought he was referring to the apparent incompetence of a sheriff being in the crashed car in the creek (Despite the fact that he's the reason they tipped over in the first place)

[@arkikali5632]

@@captin3149 If you haven't seen the movie in a while, it's easy to forget the racist comments he makes. And the quote in question starts with him saying, "Hey, boy. Where's Sheriff Branford?" And then he kind of backtracks and says he thought he sounded taller on the radio. So no, it's not like he dropped a slur or anything, but I thought it was definitely racist. But the fact that you didn't interpret it that way is a good thing. Too many people reading racism into everything these days, IMO.

[@ESUSAMEX]

Back in the 1970s, some beers were not sold in the Eastern US. Coors--- the beer in the truck--- is brewed in Colorado and it was illegal to possess this beer on the East coast. That was a crime.

[@kevinstewart449]

Enjoyed this. And nice seeing all the cab overs.

[@Caroline_Tyler]

"can't believe they haven't play the song Convoy yet!" - that would be in the film "Convoy" :D

[@davesteller6301]

Yes that started another Country and West Star, Kris Kristofferson. But Kris didn't actually sing the song Convoy.

[@AlanCanon2222]

by C. W. McCall, aka Chip Davis, aka Mannheim Steamroller.

[@wgj4everlong426]

@@AlanCanon2222 No C.W McCall's real name is Bill Freis,used to be mayor of Ouray,Colorado,a small town about 80 miles from me.Check out his song Crispy Critters about Ouray

[@jameszwahlen4299]

The ‘dwarf’ is Paul Williams, one the the most prolific song writers of 70s and 80s. Songs by The Carpenters, Three Dog Night and others. Look up his catalog!

[@GregasaurausRex]

He played the Orangutan on the Battle of the planet of the apes which ended the movie series with charleston Heston.

[@kemmdog4444]

Of course Muppet Show,too.

[@Urugami45]

Don't forget "Short People"

[@firstenforemost]

@@Urugami45 Short People was written and performed by Randy Newman, not Paul Williams.

[@bamacapt115]

Bugsy Malone was a great movie score of his.

[@MrSinnerBOFH]

I’m so glad you liked this movie. It’s a lot of fun, and your reaction was golden! All those one-liners, lol

[@chrisb9577]

People you didn't know that were mentioned in the movie: Hank Snow was a popular country singer in the 1950s. Broderick Crawford was an actor who played the character "Dan Williams" in the show Highway Patrol, a 1950s police drama involving the California Highway Patrol.

[@qatar824]

"Westbound And Down" and "Eastbound And Down" were actually separate songs. The latter had the "loaded up and truckin'" lyric, while the former had "18 wheels a rollin'", since they weren't actually "loaded up" yet. But it was otherwise the same basic song.

[@stantheman9072]

That’s how you can compose one song and get two royalty payments from it, an old music business trick. It’s a loophole in copyright and music publication law.

[@richiehimes7990]

Yep, I was yelling at the TV, “You've got the words right!” 🤣

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

@@stantheman9072 Well, you know, ten bucks is ten bucks.

[@gutz1981]

No, the truck was speeding to make the time. Bandit was just making sure he was the target and it let Snowman drive fast without getting stopped first.

[@davesteller6301]

Also hauling beer without proper authorization is illegal and called bootlegging. Plus I believe Coors at that time was not sold in the east (I could be wrong) so just hauling Coors could be illegal. But yeah doing 96 will definitely put you on the cops radar even without the rest of those charges.

[@charlesrense5199]

@@davesteller6301 then they finally got the Coors and said "well that certainly wasn't worth it!"

[@rmar67]

@@davesteller6301 They actually say in the movie that transporting Coors east of Texas was bootlegging.

[@TonyJH1982]

Your reaction to this movie was hilarious! Also, the answer to all of the questions, you have about this movie is, "it was the 1970's!"😂

[@JosephCowen-fz8vj]

Sally and Burt have the best ever on screen chemistry I've ever seen , it's like they know what to say without saying it ! You can see Burt is totally into Sally and vice versa !

[@allenterry6324]

Dukes of Hazzard Note: The State Trooper in the movie that pulled over Snowman and the semi is the same actor, Sonny Shoroyer, who played Enos Strate in Dukes of Hazzard.

[@jwrockets]

Most interesting, thanks.

[@Falcun21]

Another Dukes note, at the end at the Smokey Red-22, there's a blonde guy in a green striped shirt driving a topless truck. That's John Schneider who played Bo Duke.

[@ianobrien3248]

And starred in the strangely green-lit spin-off "Enos" that did not last very long and was not very good from what I remember.

[@chrismcelligott5462]

Well possum on a gum bush!

[@Travelinmatt1976]

How did I miss that all these years?

[@Unisol542]

The semi isn't obeying the law. They have such a short time windows, that the semi has to "hammer down" (i.e. keep his foot on the gas) and make very few stops. Bandit 1 is running "blocker" to make sure that all the attention is on him, rather than a Semi that is doing 20-30+ mph over the speed limit. Also, the "Smokeys" know that is a route for bootleggers, because they all know Big Ennis has been trying to get truckers to make that run. So they are watching for them.

[@Unisol542]

@Tyler Buckley but we also don't want to over complicate with industry terms so someone can understand us. We should also for grammatical accuracy.

[@bobbyclarkston8836]

Not to mention, in my experience at least, Smokey, or DoT, doesn’t need much reason to pull your over. Being a commercial vehicle, “safety” is their primary concern. Not filling their piggy banks ;-b

[@Redbikemaster]

@@bobbyclarkston8836 as a commercial vehicle, they don't need any reason at all sadly

[@SvenTviking]

Why didn’t they just sort out the booze laws? F#cking weird country.

[@theoneandonlygrod]

Also, since they are hauling an illegal load across state lines, we can go ahead and assume that he ain't hitting any weigh stations.

[@martenw757]

Field & Reynolds were more than colleagues during the film & a lot of dialogue was improvised ... oh fond memories ; )

[@Vince1266]

Re the Brodrick Crawford reference. He was an academy award-winner, Best Actor, for All the Kings Men. Fantastic movie. But he was best known for playing a Cop in the 1950s TV show called Highway Patrol. Big hero for all cops back then.

[@jackjones5314]

You asked why the truck needed the blocker: The truck is hauling illegal Coors across the Mississippi and going way over the speed limit to make the run on time. There are random inspections to catch such a thing too.

[@iKvetch558]

I was just gonna say the same thing. 💯😁

[@kevinramsey417]

And you can get Coors at the 7-11 now, but it wasn't sold east of the Mississippi in 1977. That's where the bootlegging subplot comes from.

[@stealthimaster8583]

Coors is not a pasteurized beer so that was why it was illegal to ship it to some areas just like how unpasteurized milk is.

[@RichardX1]

I don't know if refrigeration technology reached a crucial point in the early 80s, or if that's just when it became affordable, but Coors didn't consider the eastern seaboard profitable enough to extend their distribution license that far until then.

[@markhamstra1083]

@@RichardX1 Coors was one of the innovators of refrigerated trucking, so they certainly had the technical means to expand their distribution area. They did decide to expand nationwide wide in the 1970s and 80s, hence the need to buy a big product placement/advertisement in this movie.

[@robertgaskell6663]

“Why is everyone so passive aggressive?” It was the 70’s Ashleigh. Convoy was another movie from the 70’s.

[@richieb7692]

Convoy is a great movie. I know all the song lyrics as the film plays.

[@gawainethefirst]

@@richieb7692 I prefer the original song, but the movie is a good watch.

[@randomchaos5139]

Did you know John Schneider, Ben Jones and Sonny Shroder *Deputy Enos* from the Duke's of Hazard were in the movie? Very short scenes though. Enos was the motorcycle cop who pull Snowman over and when Sally Field flipped him off he went to chase them. And Cooter was talking to "Big Enos Burdett* just before they walked up to the bandit sleeping in the Hammock. And John Schneider was at the very end of the movie when Buford T Justice drove off to chase the bandit headed to Boston for Clam Chowder and you got to look closely as the tire falls off Bufords car it rolls towards some people and "Taps" John Schneider in the leg along with a couple other people. There is a video about the movie who said all this

[@hellsbunniestv584]

The interesting thing about the "Breaker breaker, Rubber Duckie. If you know what song I'm talking about." There's another movie for you, right there. The song Convoy inspired a fantastic movie, of the same name, staring Kris Kristofferson. Also thank you for the earworm, that's not going to leave me today. :P EDIT: The reason they don't play Convoy is as above (19.10). C.W. McCall's Convoy was the inspiration for the Convoy movie, which Smokey and the Bandit was sort of a cash in on.

[@mongolordofdarkness]

If you like seeing Burt and Sally in this movie, watch "Hooper".

[@crawfb]

Definitely. A lot better than any of the Smokey sequels.

[@shampoovta]

Hooper is my favorite movie he did.

[@kevinmaynard5070]

I know Burt Reynolds and Sally Fields dated for a while. I don’t know if they got married.

[@Acme1970]

Hooper is a fantastic underrated movie

[@testfire3000]

@@kevinmaynard5070 Burt and Sally dated for a few years, made four movies together but never got married. Burt eventually married Loni Anderson. Sally got married a couple times, once before she met Burt and again many years later.

[@jakubfabisiak9810]

There are two versions of the song. Westbound and Down is when they're going to TX to get the beer, and Eastbound and Down is when they're heading back. Also - sheriff Justice steals the show for me - his lines are hillarious, and yes - there was quite a lot of cussin' - Gleason warned Reynolds when filming the diner scene, that he's going to swear a lot. The film was also responsible for a huge uptic in sales of the Pontiac Trans-Am.

[@Crumbs807]

I remember when I was a kid, this was on TV and my dad let me stay up late to watch it as it was one of his favourite movies

[@davidfrederick6003]

11:29 the Television edit of this scene is FAR MORE FUNNIER! "Hold it one jerk at a time!"

[@arellajardin8188]

Trucks used to be routinely pulled over for inspection. You didn’t need to break the law to get pulled over. Nowadays, it’s more streamlined with weigh stations.

[@BezmenovYuri]

Nah. I still get more roadside inspections at random than weigh stations by at least 10 to 1. Roadsides aren't as thorough, but far more frequent.

[@danhelphrey6260]

Glass bottles full of liquid are very heavy, so that truck would have been WAY over weight - even a mediocre highway patrolman would have noticed how low it was riding.

[@chrismaverick9828]

There was also the fact he was speeding most of the way.

[@michaelplowman8674]

@@danhelphrey6260 But it was only 400 cases of beer. The liquid would be about 600 pounds presuming 24 bottles per case. Being cruel, the entire load wouldn't be more that 2,000 pounds. An entire trailer of beer in bottle would be maybe 35,000 lbs

[@Zero-Fox-Garage]

the big reason he needed a "blocker" was there was no way to make the delivery on time without averaging way north of the posted limit. That was the challenge, illegal load and the need to run 80+ mph average to make it. Might as well paint a bullseye on the trailer instead of a cowboy mural.

[@1514max]

Question: Who's the star of Smokey and the Bandit? Answer: The Trans Am.

[@procrastinator547]

I’ve always loved that car such an iconic look

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

definitely the most gorgeous cars Pontiac has ever built.

[@richieb7692]

Hey... Fred is the Real Star.

[@snakeplissken6649]

I was always in a quandry. Which was better? The black Trans-Am or the General Lee.

[@dr.burtgummerfan439]

@@snakeplissken6649 In real life, the General Lee would eat the Trans Am for lunch.

[@ernestitoe]

Not long before he died, Burt Reynolds said Sally Field had been the love of his life, and he hadn't treated her right and lost her, and he regretted it. Fred and Ginger are Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, who were dancing partners in several movies starting in 1933 with Flying Down to Rio, which they were not the stars of but they stole the show. Lester and Earl are Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, a.k.a. the Foggy Mountain Boys, very famous for bluegrass music. The reference is to partners who are perfectly matched and accomplish great things, which is why the Bandit likens himself and the Snowman to them. Trivia: Little Enos is played by Paul Williams, a very accomplished songwriter, as is Jerry Reed (Snowman). "Beaver" refers to a place where women used to let hair mind its own business where it was and not be shaved and waxed off, thereby making grown women look like 10-year-old girls.

[@markant9534]

Burt and Sally fell in love in real life and years later I saw Burt on a Brit TV show saying Sally was still the love of his life and that he regreted not being ready for marriage while they were in a relationaship.

[@conureron3792]

The Longest Yard with Burt was a fun movie.

[@Hobbes1025]

Not the Adam Sandler remake.

[@DreadPirateRobrt]

North Dallas 40 is a great football movie.

[@conureron3792]

@@Hobbes1025 - yeah, stay away from the re-make! (The re-make just indicates how good the original is/was.)

[@johnfriday5169]

@@conureron3792 i didn't mind the remake. The original is a classic. The remake was just dumb fun. It knew what it was and didn't attempt to replace the original.

[@markbell4982]

Honey, you would be surprised by what didn't offend us in the seventies. Everything and everyone was fair game when it came to humor. People didn't run screaming to their mommy's basement crying about being offended by every joke, and yes we had curse words and nudity even way back then.😁

[@russevans3586]

...and women didn't get offended when you called them "Honey." That was always a term of affection where I'm from.

[@delphi-moochymaker62]

Being male was allowed back then, and the women didn't complain about it at all. Yes, if they did, they were listened to. No cancelling required.

[@toodlescae]

In most cases that's true. However, I remember a few radio stations refusing to play the song 'I want To Kiss You All Over (And Over Again)' because it was too suggestive. I told my parents that they were just saying I want to kiss you again and again if you really listened to the lyrics. I didn't tell them that if you listened to the lyrics in context that it also was suggesting something more sexual....lol.

[@markbell4982]

@@toodlescae I had a local radio station refuse to play a Cher song because the PD thought it was a guy and it was suggesting man/man relations. I don't remember what song it was, I'm not a Cher fan, but that was in the nineties. That same station had no trouble playing Walk on The Wild Side in the seventies. I'm in rural Tennessee and I don't recall any censorship at all here, then. I was a teen though, so there could have been some instances I didn't know about.

[@anarchodolly]

Was this the same 1970s that spawned Moral Majority in the US and Mary Whitehouse in the UK, and saw widespread bans of Monty Python's Life Of Brian and of Sex Pistols gigs?

[@Doug19752533]

Little Enis is played by Paul Williams, who was a songwriter/composer for The Muppet Show and The Muppet Movie. other song credits are "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" (covered by Tiny Tim), "Just an Old Fashoned Love Song" (covered by Three Dog Night) and "Weve Only Just Begun" (covered by The Carpenters)

[@professionalvampire1]

I grew up about half an hour from the road where they filmed the lake jump scene - according to local legend, anyway.

[@michaellieb5922]

i watch this movie religiously on Christmas Eve. This movie is the second highest grossing film of 1977, fell short of number 1 by a little movie called Star Wars. Glad you liked this one Ashleigh!!!

[@TheLeprechaunjm]

Star War IV - the original

[@t0dd000]

Yeah, second place cuz ... There was a first place movie. That's kinda how it works. :)

[@peterrenevitz3059]

Saw this in the theater. Target audience was definitely teens. Jackie Gleason who played Bufford was an old time TV star.

[@dreamweaver1603]

@@t0dd000 I was a girl in 3rd grade and I can tell you I preferred Smoky And The Bandit over Star Wars. I actually wasn’t that into Star Wars.

[@cixelsyd40]

The Fred and Ginger he mentions are Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers who starred in a lot of RKO musical films

[@missmartylynn]

The greatest dance duo of the '40s.

[@Aeroldoth3]

"Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers dance on air"

[@dadoctah]

And Lester and Earl were Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, famous bluegrass musicians. They used to turn up on TV on the Beverly Hillbillies as themselves.

[@Parker-930]

@@missmartylynn - Really it was the 30s. They only made one film together in the 40s (1949) The Barkley’s of Broadway.

[@scottski51]

​@@dadoctah ..."Nowww, Listen to mah story bout a man named Jed..." One of THE most wonderful and famous TV theme songs EVER !!!

[@gerardfonz]

Great movie. It was the 2nd highest grossing film of 77 with Star Wars being highest. 300 million worldwide in 77 is like 2 billion today. Gleason was well loved in this as Smokey.

[@rkgr2]

The final chase is full of hilarious antics. The Rollercoaster collapse was real footage. Lakewood Amphitheater used to be fairgrounds and that was demolishing the coaster for removal.

[@ntertanedangel]

my mom has 2 cats, one black, one gray. The gray one is Smokey and the black one is Bandit.

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

Bless your mom.

[@cherylhaynes3960]

That’s adorable!

[@UltimateGamerCC]

makes sense to me.

[@cbuchner6862]

Love!

[@williambanks2223]

You played only a part of my favorite lines in the movie. Buford : "Junior, there is no way, no way, that you could come from my loins! When we get home, I'm gonna punch yo momma in her mouth." Not socially correct but still funny. Oh, and "Beaver" did mean what you thought it meant in this movie.

[@janetstorm7881]

I was in the Army stationed at Ft. Clayton, Panama and we didn't have cable in the company day room and only got the armed forces channel and they showed this movies like 10 times over the space of a few days and the soldiers absolutely loved it. I must have seen this movie 4 or 5 times and boy did I also love it and laughed my butt off. Plus people my age loved Sally Field from Gidget and the Flying Nun and we all loved Burt Reynolds who was a big movie star back then. :) . Oh my army enlistment was completed, I went through college ROTC received a degree and Officer's commission and when I finally came back in the army as an officer, a new 2LT and my first car was a brand new that year Trans AM. I guess this movie made an impression on a young soldier!

[@redhatpat9387]

Broderick Crawford starred as Chief Dan Crawford in a (1955) TV show called "Highway Patrol." Tag line from the TV series: "Powerful patrol cars, fast motorcycles, and superheterodyne two-way radios combine to fight crime on the rural highways of America's wide open spaces."