Topic: Smokey & the Bandit movie technical question

[kilrod]

OH, Hal Needham did mention that nobody had seen the car yet, referring to the 77 model. The movie was filmed in the summer of 76, which means that yes, pontiac was in production on the 77 models.  New cars usually hit the show room floors in the fall of the year, I/E : the 77s began showing up in the fall of 76. After editing and what not, the film was released in 77. Being that it was May 77 when the movie was released, pontiac quite possibly been in production on the 78 models. Even though dealers probably sold what remaining 77s they had, any ordered cars  were probably 78s and that is why the 78 model sales went through the roof. please correct me if i'm wrong

[hada76]

i also recall reading that there were 3 T/As used...although you'd think they'd need more. seems like they could have acquired some early 77s from pontiac, and i have seen a pic of the famous honeycomb wheel car

[solargold]

Here is the honeycomb wheel at the state line just before picking up the coors. Also while picking up the beer the headlights are on high beam (only 3 lit). I find it hard to believe they would swap the 76 2 light nose to the 4 light 77 and hook up the lights.  Why go through all the trouble for that detail and miss a major detail like the rims.

[kilrod]

quite possibly the texarcana sign scene was filmed in texarcana.  the part where they pick up the coors at the warehouse was filmed in georgia

[solargold]

Possibly. Haven't caught it yet but am told there is a scene where a palm tree is pictured. Said some scenes were edited and reshot  in California, don't know, but here is the Coors warehouse as it sits today

[Ricky G]

Youtube has a video of the Smokey and the Bandit landmarks 30 years later. I wish I could post a link of it. I will give it a try.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCJM-iwT5RU
I hope this works.

[kilrod]

hey thats some good stuff. could it possibly be that the snowflakes are so shiney becaause they are brand new? maybe its just an illusion that they are honeycombs.  Now i just dont know and its making my head hurt to think about it!!!!!! LOL

[solargold]

I've watched that scene frame by frame, sitting still and moving. I am positive it is not snowflakes, even the honeycomb trim rings are noticeable. I am certain they are visible in another scene too. I do believe at least one 76 and maybe the same car is a 4 speed. In the beginning at the red light and tires are burning is one of the possible scenes but that car definably has snowflakes on the passenger side, could it have been honeycombs on the other side? You will also notice the same car is used in most of the chase scenes as the passenger rear snowflake is almost always missing the center cap. we know for a fact there were at least 3 TA's. One strapped to a trailer for the close ups, one that jumped the bridge and one in the chase scenes, but eye witnesses individually have said there were 8.

[Bayou_Flyer]

Is the side profile of the 76 nose the same as the 77 nose? Seems that would be the only way to tell.

Besides, if all of the cars were 77 SE's, with the correct snowflakes, why would that car have 76 wheels? It didn't do anything special to necessitate different tires after all, it just drove away. In 1977, I doubt movie goers paid that much attention to the wheels.....but with that particular scene, if I owned a 76 that was in the movie, I would definitely tell someone.

I mean, people get on TV and say they saw a UFO after being told by the gubment to keep their mouths shut! What makes a 76 TA in SATB so much of a big deal, that no one has come out to at least claim they own the "76 that doesn't exist"?  If the internet had been around then, this proabably would've been leaked via wikileaks!

[sCI]

There is so much conflicting arguments, numbers, years, and dates in this thread, that all of these conflicting comments lead me to one question:

Where's the proof?




(I want to believe something, I just don't know what!)

[RainMan]

I really haven't learned anything definitive yet  

Does Burt use twitter or have a fan club .Maybe we could ask him?
Or maybe I should email myth busters and see if they can find out

[solargold]

episode 3 on the Speed Channel (I believe airs Feb. 24, 2011) will be a remake of the route from Atlanta to Texarkana and back to Atlanta. I am told by some on the scene that it was done in 26 hours and yes they bought some Coors while in Texarkana, TX. They used a Snowman replica 18 wheeler and Year One's BRE Trans Am. Maybe some new info will appear that makes this even more confusing.
http://www.speedtv.com/programs/american-trucker/

[kilrod]

yea mike, they stopped and ate at cracker barrel in tupelo. a girl my wife knows sent her pics of her sitting in the T/A at cracker barrel. even had a pic of the rig. thats all i know, dont know if they filmed any in tupelo or not. cracker barrel is just off US 78 that runs from memphis to birmingham. I'm thinking they crossed the bridge in Memphis and took 78 to Birmingham then picked up I 20 to Atlanta. that route makes more since anyway.

[hada76]

HAD to be more than 1...unless bridge scene was last thing filmed

[Anderson0741]

HAD to be more than 1...unless bridge scene was last thing filmed

Whose to say it wasnt?  haha