7 Things You May Not Have Known About ‘Smokey and The Bandit’

Universal Pictures

1. Producers Weren’t Interested In The Film

Previously known as a stunt man, Smokey and the Bandit director Hal Needham made his directorial debut with the film. He also came up with the story behind it, which he had a lot of faith in.

However, no one else seemed to feel the same. As Needham confessed in a contributing article for Fortune, no one seemed keen on the idea of him directing a film. But everyone changed their tune once Reynolds was brought into the picture.

As the biggest movie star at the time, everyone wanted to produce a film of Reynolds’. Needham decided to market the film as a Reynolds project, and it worked. Universal Studios offered to back the project for $5.3 million.

We’d say that decision paid off for everyone involved!

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About the Author

Miranda Raye

Hello, I'm Miranda, a lifelong country music fan! There are old home videos of me in my baby swing, swinging along to Dolly Parton and Ricky Van Shelton’s “Rockin’ Years.” Being able to unite my passions for storytelling, researching, and music into my work has been a dream come true.

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