Smokey and the Bandit II

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Smokey and the Bandit II is a film released on August 15, 1980 in the United States, January 1, 1981 in Australia, January 22, 1981 in West Germany, January 30, 1981 in Sweeden, February 7, 1981 in Norway, and March 27, 1981 in Finland. It is the sequel to the 1977 film, Smokey and the Bandit.

The film stars Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jerry Reed, Jackie Gleason, and Dom DeLuise. Like the first one, it was directed by Hal Needham.

The film was originally released in the United Kingdom as Smokey and the Bandit Ride Again. Early video releases and TV broadcasts also used this title, but in more recent years have reverted back to the original U.S. title.

The film was folowed by a sequel three years later, Smokey and the Bandit Part 3, in which Reynolds appeared only in a brief cameo appearance, and Sally Field was absent completely.

The plot centers on the Bandit, played by Burt Reynolds, and Cletus "Snowman" Snow (Jerry Reed), transporting an elephant to the GOP National Convention with Sheriff Buford T. Justice, played by Jackie Gleason, in hot pursuit once again.

Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Trivia 4 External link

[edit] Plot

Big Enos Burdett is attempting to be elected as Governor of Texas. Critical to his bid is to take responsibility of transporting a crate of unknown content from Miami to the Republican Party convention in Dallas. He enlists the help of Bandit and Cletus Snow to carry out the task.

The early parts of the film feature Cletus attempting to convince the Bandit to "do it one last time". Unfortunately, in the time since their previous challenge in the original Smokey and the Bandit film, the Bandit has split from his love-interest "Frog" (Sally Field) and become an alcoholic. The Bandit is said to be "the only man in the world to drink up a Trans Am". Cletus seeks the help of Frog to encourage the Bandit to sober up and regain his fitness, since Big Enos has raised the stakes of the game to $400,000. Frog abandons her second attempt at wedding Buford T. Justice's son Junior to help. She is initially persuaded more by the money than her love for Bandit.

The middle sections of the film feature a madcap race across the United States as the trio once again tries to outrun and outwit Justice and Junior. The team discovers that their cargo is in quarantine for three weeks, and they need to get it to Dallas in three days. When they break into the quarantine area to steal the crate, the mysterious cargo turns out to be an elephant who they named Charlotte after Snowman remarked that she reminded him of his Aunt Charlotte and even smelled like her, too. When Cletus opens the crate containing the elephant, Charlotte races out, nearly trampling Frog. The Bandit saves the day by doing a backflip onto the elephant's back and riding the elephant out of the quarantine shed. Noticing a nail was stuck in her foot, the Bandit removes it from there and the elephant takes a shine to Bandit. On their way to Dallas, they pick up a stranded Italian gynecologist played by Dom DeLuise, who rides in the truck with the elephant. Charlotte is later discovered to be pregnant, and eventually gives birth. The movie closes with Charlotte and her baby being towed away in circus-like chariots.

[edit] Cast

Actor	Role
Burt Reynolds	Bo "Bandit" Darville
Jackie Gleason	Sheriff Buford T. Justice / Gaylord Justice / Reginald Van Justice
Jerry Reed	Cledus "Snowman" Snow
Dom DeLuise	Italian Doctor
Sally Field	Carrie/"Frog"
Paul Williams	Little Enos Burdette
Pat McCormick	Big Enos Burdette
David Huddleston	John Coen
Mike Henry	Junior Justice
John Anderson	Governor
Brenda Lee	Nice Lady
Phil Balsley	Himself
Lew DeWitt	Himself
Don Reid	Himself
Harold Reid	Himself
Joe Greene	Himself (as "Mean Joe")
Mel Tillis	Fairground Owner
Joe Klecko	Himself
Don Williams	Himself
Terry Bradshaw	Himself
Jeffrey Bryan King	Football Player
Nancy Lenehan	Ramona
John Megna	P.T.
Dudley Remus	Everglades Gas Station Attendant
Jerry Lester	Warehouse Guard
Hal Carter	Gat Station Attendant
Rick Allen	Safari Park Attendant
Chuck Yeagar	Party Guest
Patrick Moody	Ambulance Driver
John Robert Nicholson	Patient
Anthony T. Townes	As Himself
Ritchey Brown	Young Man
Nancy Lee Johnson	Young Girl
Gayle Davis	Older Girl
James L. Buchanan II	Preacher

[edit] Trivia

• Although a box office success, critics and fans alike expressed some displeasure at the fact that the movie did not pick up directly after the first film. While the elephant plot was considered funny and entertaining, moviegoers had been expecting for some time to see the exploits of the Bandit, the Snowman, and Buford T. Justice as they raced to Boston for the clam chowder Enos & Enos wanted.

• A world-record automobile jump was captured on film during the "roundup sequence," when stuntman Buddy Joe Hooker jumped a 1973 Dodge Polara over 150 feet. Hooker suffered compressed vertebra as a result of a hard landing.

[edit] External link

• Smokey and the Bandit II at the Internet Movie Database