Smokey and the Bandit and Star Wars opened the same week in May 1977. That Memorial Day weekend, Burt Reynolds’ comedy actually earned more, per The Numbers. Star Wars was playing in just 43 theaters at the time.
TCM named Smokey and the Bandit 1977’s second-highest-grossing film, behind only Star Wars. It also made Reynolds the No. 1 box-office star and also helped spread the CB radio craze beyond truckers.
Hal Needham directed Reynolds as the Bandit, alongside Sally Field and Jackie Gleason.
Video Librarian’s Sean Axmaker described it as “not so much a classic as a cultural artifact.”
Rotten Tomatoes’ critics’ consensus praised the film’s uncanny ability to keep audiences engaged with its action shots:
“Not much in the head but plenty beneath the hood, Smokey and the Bandit is infectious fun with plenty of car wrecks to keep your eyes glued.”
As popular as it became, Reynolds’ friends initially asked him not to pursue the role.
Why Burt Reynolds’ Friends Begged Him Not to Make Smokey and the Bandit
Needham, a veteran stuntman, lived in Reynolds’ pool house for 12 years, according to Mental Floss. He scrawled his script on yellow legal pads and sent it straight to Reynolds.
Reynolds promised to star if Needham could raise the money. He later described his friends’ reaction in his autobiography. “[They] got down on their knees with tears in their eyes,” Reynolds wrote.
Universal had little confidence in the film and cut its production budget by $1 million shortly before filming. After Reynolds’ $1 million fee, Needham had $3.3 million left for everything else.
Needham was making his directing debut, the first of nine films with Reynolds, per TCM. The film even earned an Oscar nomination for film editing.
Smokey and the Bandit grossed $126.8 million domestically, per Box Office Mojo.
