Everybody can title the highest-grossing movie of 1977 — George Lucas’ “Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope” — because it kicked off a high-profile sci-fi franchise that persists to at the present time. Different huge hits from that yr included Steven Spielberg’s alien abduction thriller “Shut Encounters of the Third Variety” (a film impressed by Spielberg’s real-life fascination with alien life) and John Badham’s downbeat disco drama “Saturday Evening Fever” (a movie that John Travolta skilled “Rocky”-style to arrange for). One of many extra notable but less-discussed success tales of 1977, nonetheless, was Hal Needham’s laidback beer-run action-comedy “Smokey and the Bandit,” a movie that raked in roughly $127 million on the field workplace towards a $4.3 million finances. That is like a $23 million film incomes $677 million in 2025.
“Smokey and the Bandit” is a playfully rebellious movie a couple of Southern sports activities automotive proprietor, nicknamed Bandit (Burt Reynolds), who’s tasked by a pair of benefactors (Pat McCormick and Paul Williams) with retrieving a truck filled with beer. Bandit lives in a dry county, nonetheless, so making a beer run is dangerous. Certainly, he finally ends up attracting the ire of native Sheriff Buford T. “Smokey” Justice (Jackie Gleason). Bandit additionally falls in with Carrie (Sally Area), and the 2 share an immediate chemistry. Bandit is in a rush, however not a lot that he cannot cease and have a playful/romantic chat with Carrie.
Given how informal and easygoing “Smokey and the Bandit” is, it is stunning that it was such successful. However there was one thing about Reynolds’ allure, his quick automotive, and his devil-may-care philosophy that drew individuals in. It helped that Reynolds and Area had such nice chemistry (they have been an merchandise in actual life on the time) and that Gleason had created such an indelible character.
And like “Star Wars,” it additionally spawned a long-running franchise.
There are a number of Smokey and the Bandit motion pictures
“Smokey and the Bandit,” like “Star Wars,” received a direct sequel in 1980, though “Smokey and the Bandit II” wasn’t practically as huge successful as “Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Again” (itself the primary Harrison Ford movie the star was proud of). Needham returned to direct with Area as soon as once more co-starring, though she and Reynolds broke up shortly after manufacturing wrapped, so the romantic chemistry is not fairly as palpable this time. Additionally, the plot is sillier. Within the film, Bandit has turned to the bottle after breaking apart with Carrie, so a part of the runtime is dedicated to getting him sober once more. He and his companion Cledus (Jerry Reed) are then tasked with transporting an elephant to the close by Republican Nationwide Conference. With Smokey on their tail, Bandit, Cledus, and Carrie all head to Dallas. The movie is a bit more nonsensical than its predecessor, so one can see why it was much less profitable. No less than Gleason received to ham it up by taking part in three completely different characters.
After that, the “Smokey” motion pictures swerved off the rails with the 1983 sequel “Smokey and the Bandit Half 3” (aka merely “Smokey and the Bandit III”). Hardly anybody preferred the movie, which Reynolds is barely in. As a substitute, the film follows Smokey as he is provided an ideal sum to drive a shark statue throughout state strains. Hoping he’ll lose, his benefactors rent Cledus to disguise himself because the Bandit (!) and attempt to journey him up. Reynolds himself solely seems in a single scene close to the tip, at which level Smokey has a hallucination. Critics hated it on the time and the movie remains to be reviled to at the present time. Everybody type of already knew “Smokey and the Bandit” had a skinny premise anyway, so making a number of sequels was by no means a good suggestion.
“Smokey and the Bandit Half 3” went on to gross a puny $7 million on a $9 million finances. However when you thought that will be the tip of the road for the franchise, you would be flawed.
Smokey and the Bandit lived on as a sequence of TV motion pictures within the Nineteen Nineties
In 1994, the “Smokey and the Bandit” property was resurrected within the type of 4 TV motion pictures, all starring Brian Bloom because the Bandit. The occasions of those TV movies appear to solely be semi-canonical, as there is not any Smokey character looming over the proceedings. As a substitute, the flicks play like prolonged episodes in a “Renegade”-style TV sequence whereby Bandit travels the American South hoping to assist individuals in hassle. Hal Needham returned to direct all 4 of the flicks, they usually star a panoply of recognizable Nineteen Nineties actors.
The primary film, “Bandit Goes Nation,” stars nation star Mel Tillis as himself. When Bandit helps him after a airplane crash, the pair turn out to be pals, solely to see their newfound relationship jeopardized when Bandit’s cousin (Christopher Atkins) bootlegs Mel’s music. Confusingly, the second movie, which is amusingly titled “Bandit Bandit,” then includes a Bandit imposter performed by Gerard Christopher. (Since these motion pictures have been offered underneath the banner title of “Bandit,” technically the film is named “Bandit: Bandit Bandit.”) After that comes the third flick, “Magnificence and the Bandit,” which starred supermodel Kathy Eire as a lady on the run from a gangster performed by Tony Curtis. Lastly, the fourth movie, “Bandit’s Silver Angel,” starred Traci Lords because the eponymous angel, with Donald O’Connor taking part in Bandit’s aged uncle.
Just like the movies that impressed them, the “Bandit” TV motion pictures are weirdly laidback. On the identical time, TV writing of the Nineteen Nineties dictated this stuff have precise tales, so the movies are comparatively cogent and structured, no less than from a writing perspective. They’re definitely a sight higher than “Smokey and the Bandit Half 3,” anyway.
These days, “Smokey and the Bandit,” in contrast to “Star Wars,” would not have yearly celebrations, cults of merch collectors, or total on-line enclaves selecting aside its plot fineries. But it surely was one other vital hit from 1977 that lived on for a really very long time. Give it some respect.
