Smokey and the Bandit/Trivia

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


  • Playing Against Type: Jackie Gleason was a New York Jew. He plays an East Texas redneck in all three movies.
  • The Red Stapler: After this movie came out, there was a six-month waiting list to purchase black Trans Ams.
  • Throw It In: Jackie Gleason was given a lot of lee-way to ad lib. The scene where he meets Bandit at the choke'n'puke without knowing it was his idea.
  • Unintentional Period Piece: That's a big 10-4.
  • What Could Have Been: The infamous "Smokey IS the Bandit" story. Supposedly, Jackie Gleason was going to play a dual role. The most readily available proof that the film was originally shot this way is a trailer in which Gleason as Justice addresses the audience directly and declares that he has literally stepped into the Bandit's shoes in the new film.