Called Smokey is the Bandit. It's sounds interesting,if a little silly. Aparently,it got changed after poor test screenings.
If so,what happened in it.
I'm wondering if anyone has a scan of Jackie Gleason dressed as "The Bandit"? He played both roles in the original version, never released. I've searched high and low on the internet and I can't locate a photo to see. I'm curious what he looked like dressed as "The Bandit".
If you have a scan, please send a link. Thanks!
If it's useless information, chances are I already know it!
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That was just an unrban legend. If it were true, some footage or at least som stills of Gleason as the Bandit would have surfaced by now.
shareIt's not an urban legend, Jerry Reed was edited in later after the original idea flopped on test screenings. I wonder who the genious was that thought that one up. Well, being high on coke WAS the cool thing to do in the '80s...
shareLike someone posted above, if it's true, where is the film footage or at least some production stills of Gleason as the bandit? Why is it not mentioned at all on the DVD release? Because, IT NEVER HAPPENED. The rumor got started because the working title of the Film was "Smokey is the Bandit" in reference to Sheriff Justice now illegally racing across the country on a dare/bet with the Enoses. The title itself is what confused test audiences, who before screening the movie, thought they were going to see Jackie Gleason's character dressed as the Bandit and driving the Trans-AM.
sharethat's not true, several sources have told of Reed being inserted into the movie at the last minute because Gleason playing two roles made people go "huh?". You can see if you look close in some scenes that Gleason is driving the TA and wearing the red shirt. Besides, without someone chasing and trying to interfere with Gleason's mission, there would be no suspense or action. Just him and Junior driving west with no distractions.
shareAgain, where's the evidence of this? Why wasn't it on the DVD commentary for the movie? This is the same as Elvis and Bigfoot sightings.
shareLast Year there was a pic of Gleason in the Bandit Clothes complete with a Burt moustache on Ebay. I have also seem several on the set pics on the net of Gleason in this attire.
shareCheck out this website http://www.avology.net/information/bandit3.html also if you see the tv version it has some added footage of Gleason in it.
shareThe link doesn't work.
shareyou must copy and paste it
shareI know and I did. But it takes you to a site that says it's under repair or something.
shareworks for me
shareSo, then please post the text. Or this just like your alternate movie?
This is what your link displays:
AV*ology, is changing, moving, and growing...
New details are emeging, stay tuned. If you need help with anything in the meantime, ask me...
Files taken offline until then. Feb 2007
So you say.
shareThe web site shows ignorance calling Gleason a bigot because of "is character". He plays a gay man in part 2. He ruled in part 1 period.
shareI did actually see the eBay thing when it was up. Whatever that was, it was real.
this was such a bizzare movie. there have been a couple of different versions floating around... some even seem to be missing the audio tracks because all of the voices have been entirely overdubbed. i suppose that there was some initial grand idea that was ultimatey scrapped. subsequently the producers had this mess edited together. it fascinating really... i'd love to see the original cut... whatever it was
Once again, a simple link to these "versions" is all I want. Bueller?, Bueller?, Anyone?, Anyone?. "I seed the Bigfoot. He dun gun tud the batrum in my sleepin' bag and then stold mi chaw. I went to take a picture, but I forgit my yungin dun ate the camera".
sharesupposedly the orginal version has never been seen outside the test screening and ive heard that Gleason's estate owns the print of it so i doubt if we will ever get a wide release. Maybe a workprint will surface one day
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Very nice. Now, go back to school and learn how to spell.
shareEvery once in a while this movie will pop up on TBS or USA or AMC. That would be my best guess as to how to catch the weird versions with the additional footage.
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"Smokey is the bandit" - test audiences were confused because:
1. Buford T. Justice was in essence the bandit by taking the bet.
2. There was no red-shirted, cowboy hat bandit.
Jerry Reed was placed in as the Bandit because of #2, not because Gleason was in a confusing dual role.
There's footage even in the final cut of the Bandit stuntman wearing padded clothing to look overweight like Gleason. They don't mesh AT ALL with the Reed inserts. They just were too cheap to reshoot the expensive stunt shots.
If you pause the movie at certain scenes [such as when the Trans Am slides to a stop in front of the guys on three-wheelers, or the first time the Bandit lassos the Shark off the Police car], you can clearly see a hefty, older stuntman playing the Bandit. That seems pretty definitive proof that at least some footage was shot with the intent of Gleason playing the Bandit. I concede that it is totally possible that there was simply a fat stuntman, but he has the moustache, the same body size, etc. I'm going to say that there was some kind footage shot with Gleason in BOTH roles or that the INTENT was there to shoot him in both roles.
shareThe idea of Gleason playing both Justice and the Bandit is not idle Internet rumor; I read this in a film encyclopedia years before anything like IMDb existed.
All things considered, and admittedly unlikely as it seems, I'm near to accepting the above story as fact. Considering the overweight stuntman (could this even be Gleason himself?); considering the fact that Gleason HAD played no less than three roles (Justice, Reggie, Gaylord) in SMOKEY 2 and relished doubling/tripling himself, much like Jerry Lewis; considering that we know the film was radically reshuffled after test screenings.
****NOTE**** I now have confirmation from at least one other person that newspapers announced Gleason would be playing BOTH roles BEFORE the film's release, when it was still being called SMOKEY IS THE BANDIT.
The lack of photographic evidence is odd, however. If anyone saved that Ebay photo showing Gleason in the Bandit outfit, and it could be shown to be from 1983, it would be a tremendous help. Near certifiable proof, in fact.
It seems as though something, stills or footage, would've slipped through the cracks to document the monumental occasion of Gleason taking over from Burt...UNLESS the story about his estate buying back all materials relating to the stint proves to be true.
Has anyone asked Dick Lowry or Colleen Camp or even Jerry Reed what happened? They would surely be able to confirm/deny the Gleason-Bandit scenario.
Does anyone know what kind of photo that was on ebay? I mean, what it an actual print from a negative, was it a promo photo with the movie title on it, etc. that kind of thing. Someone should (if known) contact the seller and see if he/she has the original scan they used of the photo to sell it.
shareit was a publicity photo if i remember correctly.
share...because only a handful of people are even willing to remember that this movie exists, and maybe a hundred in the whole world would actually be interested in seeing the Gleason version.
Even if a few hundred thousands were interested in seeing it, it's unlikely that it would change anything. Many thousands of people would love to see the Eric Stoltz cut of "Back to the Future" and all that is available to the public is a handful of stills - and that's only because they had been given away already before Fox was cast.
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