December 26, 2018/Smokey and the Bandit

Good evening and welcome to TCM, I’m Ben Mankiewicz. Tonight, we are paying tribute to a huge star and an underrated actor who was often better than the material he chose. Burt Reynolds died September 6 in Jupiter, Florida, where he lived, he was 82. At the time, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Reynolds was just weeks away from shooting his first scenes in director Quentin Tarantino’s next picture, *Once Upon a Time in Hollywood*. By the way, we waited as long as we have to salute Reynolds, not because we didn’t think he was worthy, but because we wanted to make sure we had the right movies. And tonight we’ll have *Deliverance*, *The Longest Yard*, *Hooper* and the picture we have coming up next. From 1977, *Smokey and the Bandit*. Reynolds worked consistently throughout his six-decade career, often in roles showcasing his infectious humor and Florida charm. But make no mistake, Burt Reynolds was a fine actor who could convey the humanity of complex characters when given the opportunity as he did in his breakout role in *Deliverance* from 1972. But here in *Smokey and the Bandit*, Reynolds’ charm and likability are front and center. Reynolds stars as Bandit, a wisecracking country boy trucker on a mission to win $80,000 for hauling a shipment of Coors beer from Texarkana, Texas to Atlanta in just 28 hours. His buddy, Cletus, played by Jerry Reed, drives the truck with the beer while Bandit rides ahead scouting for police or Smokey in a black T-top Trans Am. Hot on their trail throughout the movie is Sheriff Buford T. Justice, played memorably by Jackie Gleason. And rounding out the cast is Sally Field as a runaway bride Reynolds picks up along the way. The movie is essentially one long, action-packed, laugh-out-loud car chase that also introduced the world to 1970s truck driving culture with Reynolds and Reed using all the lingo on their CB radios. Reed also sang and wrote several songs on the soundtrack. The plot seems insane now, you can just buy Coors in Atlanta today, but the plot does not make the picture. The dynamic chemistry between Reynolds and Field make *Smokey and the Bandit* a comedy, a road picture, a farce, an adventure and a romance. Reynolds’ close friend, Hal Needham, made his directorial debut with Smokey, and Reynolds’ star power paid off for both of them. The only movie that had better box office returns in 1977 was *Star Wars*, and this movie is better. From 1977, shot on location in Atlanta and Florida, this is Burt Reynolds in *Smokey and the Bandit*.

**Outro**

*Smokey and the Bandit* marked the directorial debut of Hal Needham, a job he got because his friend Burt Reynolds went to bat for him with Universal. Both Reynolds and Needham started out as stuntmen. By 1977, Reynolds was a top Hollywood star. Reynolds said that all his advisors and friends begged him not to make *Smokey and the Bandit*. Sally Field said the script was the worst thing she had ever read and she shared that opinion when Reynolds called to ask her to join the cast. Reynolds agreed with her saying, “Yeah, it’s awful, but trust me, we’ll have a great time.” Reynolds was right and the fun they had onscreen translated to the audience, making it among the most successful pictures of the year. It’s the first movie I ever saw more than once. Reynolds and Field had an immediate rapport from that first conversation. Soon, they fell in love, they dated for several years. There were two sequels to Smokey, the first, directed by Needham, with Reynolds, Field, Jerry Reed and Jackie Glason reprising their roles. Only Gleason and Reed returned for the final and least successful sequel. Up next, Burt Reynolds, Jon Voight, Ned Beatty and Ronnie Cox leave the big city for the uncivilized dangers of the North Georgia wilderness.