Matt Connarton Unleashed: Erich Pilcher reviews Smokey and the Bandit (1977).

See son. Old legends never die, They just lose weight like a legend

and an outward bum of a lotter like Daddy bend it. He and my

son are here. Oh, I love your suits. They must be at

Nasai sixty eight extra fat and a twelve dwarf. I came to make a

deal once he get if he wins this truck rodale thing. Yeah, five

thousand dollars, daddy chicken money. This is what the hell you want to

know him? You to get out of this dumb ass rodeo and accept a

real challenge. I'll get in the Texas canna and back in twenty eight hours.

That's no problem. It ain't never been done before. HI want your

language of the lady. The problem is said Coors beer. You take that

east to Texas and that's that's food legging. I believe you're just a little

bit scared. That's great psychology. Why don't you just say something bad about

my mother? You? Mamma is so Look, you make this run for

me now. These Peterbilts here are worth eighty thousand dollars. That comes to

about three grand an hour if you make it twenty eight hours. How bout

that for a challenge. You were dead. I don't believe that. That's

and li Wait a minute, Wait a minute, why do you want that

beer so bad? Because he's thirsty? Dummy? See, I got a

boy running tomorrow in the Southern Classic, and when he wins, I want

to celebrate and style. I'm my style. Well, I got a few

friends and me four hundred cases. Well, well, let me see your

cash. Big Enus's word is gold, all right, showing the cash.

Go ahead, Well let's see this, four hundred cases of fear. I

need to cast for that, No problem. Go ahead, boy, new

car. I gotta have a new car to block for the truck, you

know? Okay? Go ahead? Boy? Like to kick kids? Mask?

Just what speedy car? Speedier than that? Go ahead. Stump Men

have long been the unsung heroes of action films. They do the risky moves

in dangerous jumps your favorite actor or actresses might not be keen to do well.

There are some exceptions. They often perform in anonymity. One of those

exceptions is legendary stuntman Hal Need Them And this week is this famed stuntman's first

foray into directing, released in nineteen seventy seven, Smokey in the Bandit introduces

us to bow Bandit Darvel played by Burt Reynolds. Bandit is hired by well

to do Texans big Enus in his son Little Nus to transport illegally four hundred

cases of Coor's beer. This was our introductory clip from Texarkana, Texas to

Atlanta, Georgia with his partner Cleatus Snowman Snow played by Jerry Reid, who

also performed the theme song to this film. Along the way, they encounter

runaway bride Carrie played by Sally Field, who is running away from marrying the

son of Sheriff Buford t Justice, who chases Bandit in company on their journey.

It is quite remarkable that this film became so beloved despite being done by

a first time director. In our next clip, how Needam explains how he

decided to direct this film, and then Burt Reynolds tells us about the scariest

moment he performed. Most of his own stunts in this film he encountered while

making this movie. First of all, I directed a lot of second unit,

so I knew camera angles and things. See the good thing about a

stuntman being a second unit director, you know what angles make things look quicker,

faster, and so on and so forth. Up hime makes it look

slow down low, running right by his fast and so on and so forth.

So I knew the angles, I knew the cameras and so on and

so forth. I had a good camera and so really there was nothing to

be scared of. I mean what I told everybody, and when I started

got the job, I said, I'm not going to throw away my stunt

bag where you carry your pads and things I say in cases don't work,

I'll go back doing stunts. But I had no qualms about going down there.

As a matter of fact, when I did the second Union, not

a little big man, I had a scene where a customed cavalry is going

across the canyon floor and they're playing the Garry Owen's song, whatever of the

cavalry song, and Dustin Hoffman is on this rock about ready to commit suicide,

and he, the director sent Dusty itper. So the first second unit

I ever did, I got one of the highest speed actors in the world

up there telling him how to active. This is kind of ridiculous. So

I wasn't worried about smoky. The only thing and I really wasn't this worried

about it. But the only thing I wanted to make sure of was that

I had all the coverage that I needed because I'm not I wasn't accustomed going

and getting a two shot or a close up or the eyes or something.

So I had to think about that a little bit, but I I had

no combs about going to Nurn. Say an action next up, Burt Reynolds.

I'll never forget. There was a scene where the girl that doubles Sally.

She was the sweetheart of one of the stunt guys and she was very

capable of you know, you could throw her off a building and to fight

stuff with her, and she was very handy, but hand on the cars

that's a whole other thing. And she got in the car and if you

watch the movie, it's petrified when you think about it. And then we

go over the wall and we land in a little league baseball game and every

kid's mother was there, of course some of them's fathers, and the old

grandstand was full of people. She's driving and she just panicked. I never

seen it. I never seen this happen before. We've stunt people but see't

happen with acts. So you're in the I'm riding with her, so we

could get a camera up close on the on the right side, so you

wouldn't know it wasn't Sally. Sally was watching and and she just ramped it.

I mean, we were full out flying right, and I saw kids

in front of the car disappear, and I was waiting for that, and

then went we went right over'em and it were just falling, and mother's

two mothers fainted and I don't blame'em. And then we went through it

all. We got out the other side, and we went through a h

up like a half wall at the head of it. And the girl was,

you know, she was. I didn't need to yell at her anything.

She was. She was beating herself up pretty good when they got got

her out of the car and I got out of the car, and then

I ran back and I spent the afternoon with mothers, you know, apologizing,

and we all went to dinner. And you know, again, that's

that's those Georgia people. They just said, well, it all came out

all right, and the kids said, can we do that again? You

know, kids are kids just loved it, and we ducked down the car

went right over. I mean, if you think about it, that would

have been the in the Black career for sure. I mean hurt. It

was. You can't you can't do things like that, I mean, and

we should have had some kind of control. But we were just supposed to

jump over. Kids have the game. Here, we go around the game

and go through the wall. We went right through the middle of the game.

And it wasn't supposed to be that way. What makes band It such

a beloved character in my estimation, is the fact that Burt Reynolds didn't even

have to try for this performance. He is naturally one of those epitome of

cool performers. There are very few actors that are just naturally cool. Steve

McQueen, James Dean, and of course Marlon Brandell come to mind. While

the acting ability can ultimately be argued, what cannot is the qualities Reynolds carries

into this film. He is charming, smooth, and calm in any situation.

Our next two clips are examples of this. First, Bandit has to

use his charm and wit to get Snowman to join him on this job.

And then when bandit It first encounters Carrie in a wedding gown on the side

of the road. His charm goes up another level while remaining cool under pressure.

Chris, No, I know in the past I may have done you

wrong, right right, However, I mean in the future greatest, I

will never ever do you wrong again? Right right? We have a big

chance, a big chance to make a run for some big bucks, eighty

thousand of them. Oh really, what are we gonna do, kidnapter Pope

with something? How'd you guess? No, We're just gonna run over to

Texas Canna and pick up four hundred cases, of course, and bring it

back in twenty eight hours. Ooh, I got plans for you. That's

called bootlegging, and that's against the law. Who gives a turkey when the

Snowman and the Bandit are run in the booze, no otan can stop it?

How old it? Right there? They ain't gonna be no more Snowman

and Bandit. You stay and ain't Why? Well it goes. I've got

to go in the morning to Knys. I pick up a minor to ask

your question, ask me what the hell we wanted to go to Texas?

Far and hall beer back here? What is that? For the good old

American life? For the money, for the glory, and for the fun.

Mostly for the money. Now, you know what we're gonna do when

we get the money, Well, we're gonna buy a new rig. You're

crazy, you know that? Yeah? You know that? Yes? How

much? Mon? Does you say? It was? Eighty? Followed them

dollars? Eighty thousand dollars? And now bandit meets Carrie? Where are we

going? No, don't tell me. Let me guess we are a bride

in search of a wedding. No, there is a wedding in search of

a bride. Let me put it a lot of way. Think of it

as a wedding posse in search of a bride. Do you understand that?

Cowboy? Yeah? What are you doing? These are my shoes? Oh

yeah, and these are my legs? Yeah? What are you gonna do

with them? With the shoes? For the legs? Last time I saw

legs like that, they had a messy started doing. What do you mean?

These are great little legs? I'm a professional. Oh that case.

You shouldn't be dressed in white dancer? Oh oh, cowboys? Look fat

cats? They're not fat you're a bigger than mine. Do we really want

to talk about legs up? Otherwise? What are we doing now? Well?

I am getting my clothes, you fool. That's a good idea.

Why don't you slip into something comfortable? Are we really going? One hundred

and ten? Following one hundred and ten? What do you wear that cowboy

hat? I know because you think it looks dazzling on you? You have

no idea? What I bought this wedding Christmas? What would an action comedy

film be without a villain? This film portrays some members of law enforcement as

the villain, but the chief villain is one Buford t Justice, played by

comedy legend Jackie Gleeson. Justice wields his power with an iron fist, but

he is bumbling and comedically incompetent. This is evident in our final clip when

Justice is at a roadside diner. He needs Bandit and doesn't even realize it.

Here the difference between Bandit and Justice. Bandit is calm and cool,

Injustice is exasperated in rushing to catch the prey that is right in front.

I'm gonna tell you, man, dollar and a half, Yeah, you've

changed. Let me have a dia blow sign doctor back by making fast.

I'm in a murray you are day ain't got no time for dad loan dog

stocking my fla. You must be in a hell of a hurry. I

sure bet your last on that. Boy. Oh yeah, mess there.

Let me let me help you out here. Get that off there. That's

a way an off merchy line. Who are you chasing? Somebody teaching you?

Nobody teaching me? Boy ippa, chase my mania all the way from

that. I cannot teach you. Ay, I see a bank robber the

bottom all right, bank problem is baby kidding along side of what this dude

is doing. Almost killed funny law. I see dripping for people's backyard,

knocking down mailboxer, got a broad in the car, took across the state

line, got the man out. I don't think you got a permission and

that's good nothing. How's that behind? Jus? What? Oh? Let

me pay for it? Let me pay no, no, no, you're

an officer of the law. I'll be honest. Might you apply it?

Where's it? Can? I gotta take the squirk right back there? Just

wonder what hey, no, my god, you're going wrong head on?

What the are you doing justice in there, I Know, I Know.

Upon release Smoky in the bandit became an unexpected hit despite a poor premiere in

New York. It then debuted in Southern States over Memorial Day weekend, engross

nearly three million dollars. A month later, it had a nationwide release and

overall grossed over one hundred and twenty six million dollars, making it the second

highest grossing film of nineteen seventy seven, after a little space opera you may

have heard of called Star Wars. The film has had two sequels, only

one of them featuring Reynolds. Alfred Hitchcock has called it one of his favorite

films. While the language is a little terse for a PG film and some

of the joke fall outside of the politically correct spectrum in today's society, this

film is landmark and its use of car chases and performances. It's a simpler

film for a simpler time that has stood the test of time. I hope

you join me next week when we look at Steven Spielberg's powerful and heart wrenching

film Schindler's List for W M N H. In Matt Connerton Unleashed. This

has been a classic film review with Eric Pilcher's Are we going to do what

they say can't do? We've got a and a short time to get there.

Keep getting on the bild break let we got a run the paper,

the Atlantic and the US here in Texas County, and we'll bring it back

no matter what its He's found it. Goad up man, chuck it.

We're going to do what they say can't be done. We've got a long

way to go, and it's short time to get there. Time he's found

Just quadro man it runs, he's founded. Go ahead, up man trucking.

Are we going to do what they say can't be done? We got

a long way to go and a short time to get there. I'm he's

found up. Watch our mand it run, old spoke. He's got their

ears on. He's out on your trail. He ain't gonna rest of you

in jail. So you've got the dodge. If you've got the ducking,

you gotta keep that diesel trucking. Just put that tamer down and give it

him. He's founded. Die Go ahead, up man trucking. Are we

going to do what they say can't be done? We got a long way

to go and a short time to get there. I'm he's found up.

Watch our mand It run