Smokey and the Bandit

Trivia: Jackie Gleason's character is Buford T. Justice. This was the name of a real Florida Highway Patrolman known to Burt Reynolds' father who was once Chief of Police of Jupiter, Florida.

Trivia: Whenever you hear a County Mounty or Smokey without seeing him (i.e. on the radio), it is always the same person (director Hal Needham) doing the voice over.

Trivia: Three future cast members of the Dukes of Hazzard, John Schneider, Sonny Shroyer and Ben Jones have unbilled cameos. Years later, Burt Reynolds would play Boss Hogg in the Dukes of Hazzard movie.

Trivia: Throughout the movie, the Plymouth or Dodge (even the larger Ponitiac) police cars show up with hood scoops. These were not available on some of these cars. Maybe the hood scoops were simply added for effect?

Charles Malo

Trivia: A pro football team, the Tampa Bay Bandits of the short-lived United States Football League (1983-5), was named for the movie. Burt Reynolds was part-owner.

Trivia: When Buford's car loses the muffler, the effect was done by the stunt driver holding the exhaust parts outside the driver's door and dropping them on cue.

Smokey and the Bandit trivia picture

Trivia: On Burt Reynolds' hat is the shape of Florida with a star. The star marks the location of Jupiter, where Reynolds lived much of his life, had a ranch, and eventually passed away.

QTPitootyFL

Smokey and the Bandit mistake picture

Continuity mistake: In the scene near the end Snowman drives a truck into a load of police cars if you play it in slow motion you can see a protector around the lights.

More mistakes in Smokey and the Bandit

Buford T. Justice: What we're dealing with here is a complete lack of respect for the law.

More quotes from Smokey and the Bandit

Question: What did the trooper mean when he said, "Didn't you know this ain't Saturday"? It always makes me wonder.

Answer: The trooper on the motorcycle had just landed in the water. In older days, the typical day to take a bath, wash hair, etc. was Saturday. The trooper in the car (once he saw the motorcycle trooper was okay and wet) just made a joke about him taking a bath.

Zwn Annwn

Answer: I think the trooper makes this joke in reference to Evel Knievel, a popular performer of the day. His shows, which prominently featured motorcycle stunts (particularly jumping) usually occurred on the weekends (i.e. Saturday).

More questions & answers from Smokey and the Bandit

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