...hey, no doubt about it...it was a little '70's drive-in-flavored flick, with some rather
big cohones...er, rather big ambitions. Pretty much snubbed as mere exploitative dreck by just about every studio who laid eyes upon the script...yes, even by A.I.P., of all places...hell,
even by the very studio that eventually, albeit reluctantly picked it up for production...and surprisingly (...considering his previous few films of similar ilk, playing the likes of 'Gator' McKlusky, W.W. Bright, or simply Lewis, from "Deliverance"), it was
even resigned and relegated as virtually unreleasable by the film's proposed star, who called the script 'ridiculous', suggesting that no one,
absolutely no one would buy into it (...though, with the
added 'what-the-hell' notion of 'well, OK...if you can get the money and the studio, I'll do it'). Clearly, a gamble for the film's untried director...this pretty much unknown, recklessly seasoned, albeit capable stuntman, albeit with 20 years of experience, having executed some of the most dynamic falls, crashes and fist-fights set to film, and still managing to walk away from it all, relatively unscathed. Indeed, a gamble for even the film's aforementioned 'star' who put his
own reputation and superstardom on the line...nay, not for the money, not for the fame, not even for the experience...but for his dearest and most devoted friend, who's abilities, though not necessarily the project, he had the utmost faith in, even as everyone else was suggesting...no, outright insinuating that he
couldn't do it...
...the film in question...eh, a minor little ditty, to be sure...perhaps you've heard of it...something out of the Universal Studios fold, called "Smokey and the Bandit"? Yes, indeed-ee!! Directed by Hal Needham, and starring Burt Reynolds...a rip-roaring, rollicking, four-to-the-floor, little 'good ol' boy' road chase flick which, to the awe and amazement of just about everyone, juggernauted from what may have been initially poised as a negligible, 18-wheeled bit of romantic, gear-jammin' escapism, but instead...invariably and unexpectedly became quite literally a cinematic institution
unto itself (...hell, reliable word has it, those living in the Southern U.S. states, consider the film, a full-blown 'documentary'), invariably becoming the
second-most top box office draw of 1977 (...for those privy to big box office cinema of that particular year...uh, should we
really spout out what the
number one draw was??), and to this day, holds and maintains the honored mantle of being the 'holy grail' of trucker movies...a genre, which was beginning to experience a measurable stale crust, whose sense of romanticism was a mere balance between a trucker's love of the endless open road, and the subsequent encounters with scantly-clad, southern-bred cuties, whom they meet along their travels on the highways and byways (...i.e., "Truck Stop Women", "Six-Pack Annie" and "Moonshine County Express", amongst others)...
...and to the film's credit, and the rhyme & reasoning behind it's unwaveringly flighted rise to fame, was it the mindless fun exuded in the dogged and determined pursuant exploits of the film's character's?? Perhaps even the love-ability of the embraceable, sometimes eccentrically enacted characters, themselves?? The adaptably pursuant pop culture, exuded by the film, which everyone wanted to get in on?? (...and really...who out there,
didn't want to get in on the CB craze?? Uh, my hand raised, right here, folks). Maybe the rousing, universal appeal of a rogue hero, gleefully & recklessly straddling that fine line between the law & lawlessness, and having fun doing it (...what's the old saying about 'being bad is more fun than being good?)...hell bent upon a goal that's cheer-able, amongst the masses...and himself, doggedly pursued by a determined, albeit slightly less than capable and bumbling, law-driven adversary?? Or considering the film's very heart and soul, might the film's phenomenal success truly have fallen upon the result of the unswerving and ideal collaboration between two close, close friends...two bosom buddies, who clearly defined the term of 'bro-mance', years before the term was coined...each willing to put everything on the line for each other, without a second thought about it??
...place your bets, folks...place your bets; we're talkin' the unwavering, unbreakable, close-knit culmination of the latter relationship...of Reynolds and Needham, together (...what was the comparable line in "Smokey.."?? Something like '...uh, like Fred & Ginger, or Lester & Earl"?? LOL)...a fascinating story between the two, unto themselves...which may well prove as heartfelt captivating, insightful and fun, as seen in the recent CMT production of "The Bandit", in as much as the cumulative, and now-legendary classic film, "Smokey and the Bandit" was and still remains as rollicking fun and exciting to watch today, as back in the '70's...
...in "The Bandit", we're afforded the heartening, rise-to-fame stories, which lie between the dynamic duo of pals Reynolds and Needham...two timelines that waver and intersect with each other, like an endless series of figure eights, connected head-to-toe with each other...off on a wayward tangent, but invariably re-connecting, time and time again...the results of which invariably peaked with a classic piece of riotous and rollicking, tried & true, down-home American exploitation cinema, by which the mere mention of the title, readily brings to mind some of the most outrageously hilarious scenes of adventure, comedy and romance...as well as some of the most enbraceably lovable characters, and some of the most laughably quotable dialog, set to film. On one side, we have the suave and mustachioed Burt Reynolds...his humble beginnings without the mustache (...and, well...let's face it: the stylish toupee, which he secretly adapted and adorned, some time later)...the early roles...TV's "Riverboat" (...a role that he hated, but a time in his career, where he first met this behind-the-scenes, death-defying daring-doer, Hal Needham), in addition to an early Brando-esque performance in an episode of "The Twilight Zone"...and of course, the early movies roles..."White Lightning", "Shamus", "Deliverance", "Gator", and even a peek at the obscure "At Long Last Love", all before he stepped into a 'what the heck am I getting myself into' predicament, by taking a chance on playing the Bandit...
...and on the occasionally intertwining parallel, there's of course, Hal Needham...originally culled and brought up in the life of a rough and rugged sharecropper's family...a stint in the army, as a paratrooper...his ever-nurtured inner romance with Hollywood stunt work, in movies and television...a chance early collaboration between star and stuntman, as Hal does his initial stunt work with rising star Burt Reynolds...the later-devoted and supportive friendship between the two, even as far as a what-the-hell, matter-of-fact, two-week stint in one of Burt's So-Cal homes, stretching out to twelve years...Hal's ever-clinging desire to direct a film...hell, even star in one...eventually culminating in himself writing a dream project...one that would invariably cause him to place his reputation and his career on the line...an odds-against gamble, the saving grace of which, finding itself taking the form of a certain suave, rugged, mustachioed, warmly cool smilin' rogue of a Hollywood superstar, and his unswerving belief in what his life-long pal, Hal, could do...
...this is not to say that "The Bandit" is necessarily the first production to focus on Burt, Hal and the behind-the-scenes shenanigans, associated with the making of "Smokey and the Bandit". For anyone privy to one of the production extras on the recent anniversary DVD edition of "Smokey...", the curious reveled in a rather rollicking and jovial look at the film's incarnation, release and reception (...for instance, the story told by Hal, where musician Jerry Reed initially strummed and vocalized a few bars of "Eastbound and Down", and then asked Hal...seeing the strange look on his face...if he should change anything, and Hal...without missing a beat...sternly telling Jerry that if he changes one note, he would kill him, is absolutely priceless, and a riot to hear, each and every time); however, whereas the 20-plus minute piece of docu-film merely covered the making of the movie itself, if only to amuse and be as jovial as "Smokey...", itself..."The Bandit", in just short of a fascinating and much more endearing 85 minutes running time, covers a much more compelling spectrum of events, choosing to focus on not merely the making of the film, but also the heartfully rendered personal experiences, journeys and regrets of two devoted friends, whose careers both reached an indomitable and unexpected pinnacle, with the successful gamble that culminated into one of the most successful action comedies, set to celluloid...
...in the midst of the journey, well before "Smokey..." became
the movie by which all other trucker movies were measured...well, there were, of course, the career stumbles (...for Hal...naturally, there were the deliberating injuries, as the result of his craft; for Burt...well for instance, does anyone out there remember the notorious Cosmopolitan magazine centerfold??)...underlining career envy (...ironically, Hal always wanted to get into acting, but was drawn toward stunt work...and Burt was absolutely enamored by the work of stuntmen, but his looks and personality held him fast to a career in acting)...the contributive and collaborative inclusion of, as well as loving tribute to singer/songwriter Jerry Reed (...whom Burt had worked with previously, in "Gator" & "W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings", and who's relationship with Burt almost rivaled that of Burt's friendship with Hal)...the loves of their lives (...it finally took a marital wife, to get Hal out of Burt's place...and as far as Burt, there was Dinah Shore, and of course, Sally Field, whom Burt fought tooth and nail for, in order to get her cast in her "Smokey..." role, as Carrie, aka 'Frog')...as well as the quirks, idiosyncrasies and eccentricities of the two...both singularly and together...as heartfully and jovially exuded by some of the cast and crew of the "Smokey..." production, including the personal account musings of actor/songwriter Paul Williams, producer Robert Levy, veteran actor & comedian Jackie Gleason, and Hal's very own son, David...as well as Burt Reynolds, himself...
...ya' know su'um?? There's some substantial truth to the underlining bygone idea that, in today's atmosphere of filmmaking, for good or for bad, the producing powers-that-be exhibit a measurable degree of arrogance, in thinking that they know what the public wants, rather than taking into consideration, what audience truly want to see...not to mention that it seems apparent that the actual filmmaking craft seems to have taken a backseat, in favor of projected, expected and eventual box office return. However, such revelation is occasionally offset and made negligible, when talent, skill, experience, passion...as well as a substantial pair of cah-...well, let's just say, the willingness to take an odds-against chance, proudly and daringly steps forward out of the norm, despite the naysayers. And when collaborative friendship...a devoted and dedicated, never-say-die collaborative friendship between two good ol' boys, possessed of such talent, skill, experience, passion, and...oh hell, let's just say it, as before...'cahones', is added to the mix...long story short, there's most assuredly magic to be made, on the silver screen. That's what's apparent herein, in having focused, and gotten caught up in the personal journeys of ol' Burt and Hal, as does happen, in "The Bandit"...indeed, a fascinating, intriguing and heartful journey between the two, which peaked with the runaway success of "Smokey and the Bandit"...a riotously entertaining monument which is reveled and cheered, even to this day...
...that's what "The Bandit" seems to want to say...and the message is oh-so good...
...ah, who am I kidding, right?? The message is awesome.....
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