It has been a long time since Smokey And The Bandit was released, but the fans still wonder where the movie is filmed! The movie is very fun and about two truck drivers who run into a bride who has been left at the altar by her fiance. What follows is her fiance and his father, who is a Sheriff, chasing the ‘Bandit’.
The movie was released in 1977, and it was recorded as the second most grossing film of the year. Are you wondering who took the top spot? Well, it was Star Wars. Along with being a hit, Smokey and the Bandit generated a couple of sequels and a TV show too. However, these were failed attempts, and none of them were as successful as the original movie. In today’s date, there are multi-state cruises like the Bandit Run and festivals in the places and locations where the film was shot to keep the memory and legacy of the movie alive. So now, let us get into details about where ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ is filmed and more!
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What Is Smokey And The Bandit About?
The movie is about two truck-driving southerners. Bandit and Cledus take a dare from big-shots Big and Little Enos to pick up a truckload of beer from Texas and deliver it to them within a small period of timeframe. As they leave Texas, Bandit picks up Carrie, who is a hitchhiking bride-to-be.
She was left by her fiance and deserted at the altar. Carrie’s fiance, Junior, is Sheriff Buford Justice’s son, and when Buford and Junior realize what has happened, they run after the ‘bandit’ to catch him!
Where Is ‘Smokey And The Bandit’ Filmed?
Most of the filming took place in Atlanta, Georgia, which is in the United States of America. As previously mentioned, Big and Little Enos asked the Bandit to pick up beer cases from Texas and give them the beer. Here, in the background, the audience can see a Spanish colonial-style building. This building and structure is now a component of the Screen Gems movie studios in Georgia. Along with this, some of the shots were filmed in Jonesboro, Georgia. Actually, we see the journey of the movie starting from there. Remember the scene where the Bandit hides? Well, the brick building where he hides is long gone, of course! However, the intersection where it was shot in Macon Street and Highway 20/81 and the oak tree in the scene is still there, even after 40 years!
When Bandit and his friend are on their way back to Atlanta from Texas, they meet a bride who was abandoned by her fiance. This scene is shot on a two-lane highway on a rural road through the outskirts of the town, Jonesboro. Just like the oak tree, even this road has not changed much in 40 years.
More Locations In Georgia!
Now, this is a place that has significantly changed and is almost unrecognizable and no longer resembles the location depicted in the film. It is the intersection of Highway 54 and Mundy’s Mill Road in Jonesboro, Georgia. Here, in the movie, we see the Sheriff and Bandit’s chase. The Bandit does a U-turn and heads in the opposite direction but gets tracked down by the Sheriff. We see chaos following then!
Near the conclusion of the movie, we see Bandit stop at a place to catch up on his journey back to Atlanta. Here, a character, Snowman’s dog, escapes and jumps into a lake. That lake is near Fayetteville Road in Georgia. In the next scene, we see Snowman driving back to Atlanta. Here, he has a few hours to spare but has to keep a watch out for Sheriff Justice for the sake of Bandit and his safety. The Snowman gets hungry and decides to stop at one of his favorite dives. While waiting for his dinner, he is seen assaulted by a biker gang. The entire scene is shot at Macon Street and Rogers Street in McDonough, Georgia.
Also, do you remember watching a crowd of people witnessing the 18-wheeler truck races from the grandstand? Well, this grandstand is in Lakewood Fairgrounds, Atlanta, Georgia. Even though the place is unrecognizable now, the scene has been shot there, and the place is very famous. Atlanta is indeed very beautiful for filmmakers to shoot their movies for decades!
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