Smokey and the Bandit

""What we have here is a total lack of respect for the law!""

1977 1h 36m EN

👍

7.0

SOLID

★7.0TMDB · 837

ActionAdventureComedy

Synopsis

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A race car driver tries to transport an illegal beer shipment from Texas to Atlanta in under 28 hours, picking up a reluctant bride-to-be on the way.

“"What we have here is a total lack of respect for the law!"”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Burt Reynolds
Bandit
Sally Field
Carrie
Jerry Reed
Cledus
Mike Henry
Junior
Paul Williams
Little Enos
Pat McCormick
Big Enos
Jackie Gleason
Buford T. Justice
Alfie Wise
Patrolman Traffic Jam

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Hal Needham
Writers: Alan Mandell, James Lee Barrett, Charles Shyer
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $4.3M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Grossed $127M — a 29.5× return. The kind of profit studios chase for a decade.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

49 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Smokey and the Bandit Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Hal Needham, shot by Bobby Byrne. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Bill Justis. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Angelo Ross shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Burt Reynolds and Sally Field and Jerry Reed carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Hal Needham directs. Bobby Byrne behind the camera. Bill Justis scores. Angelo Ross cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $4.3M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Grossed $127M — a 29.5× return. The kind of profit studios chase for a decade.
349 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4Part of the "Smokey and the Bandit Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
5Directed by Hal Needham, shot by Bobby Byrne. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Bill Justis. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Angelo Ross shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Burt Reynolds and Sally Field and Jerry Reed carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: ""What we have here is a total lack of respect for the law!"".
10IMDB entry: tt0076729 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 22 themes, including "friendship", "sheriff", "dancer", "smuggling (contraband)".

The technical file

Cinematography: Bobby Byrne
Original score: Bill Justis
Editing: Angelo Ross
Makeup / hair: Bren Plaistowe
Runtime: 96 min · 1h 36m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $4,300,000
Box office: $126,700,000
Return: 2947% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Smokey and the Bandit (1977)

Part of

Smokey and the Bandit Collection

The Smokey and the Bandit Collection is a series of movies about the adventures of the legendary Bandit and his run ins with Sheriff "Smokey" Justice.

Also by

Hal Needham

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2019-03-05
★ 9/10
Pedal to the metal in this ripper of a good time. Smokey and the Bandit is directed by Hal Needham and the screenplay is collectively written by James Lee Barrett, Charles Shyer and Alan Mandel; from a story by Needham and Robert L. Levy. It stars Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jackie Gleason, Jerry Reed and Mike Henry. Music is by Bill Justis and Jerry Reed and cinematography by Bobby Byrne. He does what he does best-shows off. Bo "Bandit" Darville (Reynolds) accepts a, illegal job/bet offer of delivering a truck load of Coors Beer from Texas across the states to Georgia. The job must be completed within 28 hours or he will not pick up the $80,000 payment for his services. Enlisting his buddy Snowman (Reed) to drive the truck, while he acts as a decoy in his Pontiac Trans Am, the Bandit must avoid capture by the Smokey (police). When he stops to pick up runaway bride Carrie (Fields), this makes him the target for one particularly vindictive laws enforcer, Sheriff Buford T. Justice (Gleason), whose son Junior Justice (Henry) is the jilted intended of Carrie. You sumbitches couldn't close an umbrella! The best of the "CB Radio" movies, Smokey and the Bandit makes up for what little it has in plot, with unadulterated fun via car pursuits, stunts and wonderfully colourful characters. Essentially one long chase movie, it was a massive box office success on it release, becoming the second biggest earner in 77 behind a certain Space Opera from George Lucas. Cashing in on Burt Reynolds popularity, and the new found interest in CB radio on the highways, film went on to influence similar films and TV shows further down the line. The memory of the poor sequels and the inferior similar films of its type has somewhat led to many people forgetting just what an entertaining movie it is. There is no way, no way, that you could come from my loins. Soon as I get home, first thing I'm gonna do is punch your momma in the mouth. Hal Needham uses his knowledge as an ex-stuntman to great effect, setting up a number of inspired sequences that sees cars jumping, crashing or going for a swim! Wisely letting his actors ad-lib where possible, film has a natural flow that's hard to dislike. The chemistry between Reynolds and Fields is warming, due to the fact that it was off screen real, while Gleason steals the movie with a hilarious portray as the manic, cussing and determined Buford. The bumpkin based music is perfectly in keeping with the mood, and the various locations used make for an appealing backdrop to the carnage and speedster thrills. Not quite as Punk Rock anti-establishment now as it seemed back then, but still utterly delightful courtesy of a damn fine cast and some special motor vehicle mayhem. 8.5/10

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