MovieChat Forums > Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983) Discussion > How Would it Work?

How Would it Work?

posted 14 years ago by global_global
5 replies | jump to latest

The whole "Smokey is the Bandit" idea:

Was Gleason supposed to play two separate characters, or was he supposed to be suffering from some sort of multiple personality disorder? How could he chase himself around?

And if they were two characters, how was anyone to believe that the Bandit could look like Jackie Gleason?

There's a lot of discussion here about the original concept, but little explanation as to what the storyline was supposed to be like. Anyone know?

[–] jasoncampbell05 14 years ago

From everything I have seen or read about SITB3 Gleason was supposed to play 2 separate characters in the film. He loved to play multiple characters and this was supposed to be his ultimate multiple character performance. Below is the YouTube Link to the original trailer that I found and uploaded.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu4Ht2opvqY

[–] global_global 14 years ago

Awesome find, man! How/where did you locate that trailer?

It's still a bit puzzling though. Was Gleason's bandit supposed to be THE Bandit, or a different bandit? Hmm...

[–] jasoncampbell05 14 years ago

I found the trailer one night surfing the internet. From what I have gathered Gleason was supposed to be the same "Bandit".

[–] TopBoost 14 years ago

Damn.

I really want to see Smoke IS the Bandit.

[–] dlee7283 13 years ago

I think of "Smokey IS the Bandit" as more of a FunnyorDie type idea. Really great in a 10 minute type skit. Not an hour and a half of it.