Long before Vin Diesel and "The Fast and the Furious" there was
"Smokey and the Bandit". This road-movie was a monster hit and spawned
several sequels and while no-one would claim it to be a great film it is
a hell of a lot of fun and it put Burt Reynolds centre-stage with a
star-making role as the titular Bandit. It might not have been the kind
of part that would win Reynolds an Oscar but he is surprisingly good
here, helped by a very decent script from James Lee Barrett, Charles Shyer and Alan Mandel.
The director was former stuntman Hal Needham who certainly knew his way
around these backroads and highways and the terrific supporting cast
included Sally (You Really Like Me) Fields, Jackie (Minnesota Fats)
Gleason and Country singer Jerry Reed as well as Pat McCormick and Paul
Williams. It may be reasonably minor in the grand scheme of things but
it is very likeable.
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