BURT REYNOLDS
Lewis Medlock in DELIVERANCE….Paul “Wrecking” Crew in THE LONGEST YARD…. and Detective Tom Sharkey in SHARKEY”S MACHINE were all played by one of Hollywood’s hottest actors in the 70’s; screen idol and matinee heartthrob Burt Reynolds. However, his most famous role may have been as Bo “Bandit” Darville in the 1977 hit SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT.
Opposite the legendary actor Jackie Gleason as Sheriff Buford T. Justice, Sally Field as Carrie, and singer/actor Jerry Reed as Cletus Snow, Reynolds captivated mainstream America with his laughable escapade as he went on a cross country mission illegally transporting 400 cases of Coors beer (which was available only west of the Mississippi River then) into Georgia in time for the Southern Classic truck rodeo in Georgia. Most of the film is devoted to him and his partners crashing roadblocks and avoiding arrest as he drove Gleason crazy with his antics until he made it to his destination with ten minutes to spare.
Reynolds had a reputation with the ladies as well, having rumored relationships with Tammy Wynette, Lucie Arnaz, Adrienne Barbeau, Lorna Luft, Chris Evert, Dinah Shore, and his Smokey co-star Sally Field. He was married to Laugh In’s Judy Carne and Loni Anderson of WKRP in Cincinnati, but both ended in divorce.
The actor was also a minority owner in the USFL’s Tampa Bay Bandits, which were obviously named after his role in the film. Having been a scholarship football player collegiately at nearby Florida State in Tallahassee, he was able to parlay his love of acting and football into a professional franchise named after one of his characters. Coached by Steve Spurrier, the Bandits displayed a high spirited offense led by ex Eagle QB John Reaves and running back Gary Anderson. Although competitive with a 3 year franchise record of 35-19, they were not quite able to reach the elite stature of the league’s best teams, and never made it to the championship game.
The Philadelphia Stars scrimmaged the Tampa Bay Bandits in February of 1983. As I took the field pregame for an inspection of the turf conditions, Reynolds was playfully having a catch with a ball boy in the middle of the field. Although standing near him, I had my “game face” on and fought the urge of going up and shaking his hand; preferring to finish my ritual undistracted even though he was one of the hottest names in the world at that time.
Lewis Medlock in DELIVERANCE….Paul “Wrecking” Crew in THE LONGEST YARD…. and Detective Tom Sharkey in SHARKEY”S MACHINE were all played by one of Hollywood’s hottest actors in the 70’s; screen idol and matinee heartthrob Burt Reynolds. However, his most famous role may have been as Bo “Bandit” Darville in the 1977 hit SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT.
Opposite the legendary actor Jackie Gleason as Sheriff Buford T. Justice, Sally Field as Carrie, and singer/actor Jerry Reed as Cletus Snow, Reynolds captivated mainstream America with his laughable escapade as he went on a cross country mission illegally transporting 400 cases of Coors beer (which was available only west of the Mississippi River then) into Georgia in time for the Southern Classic truck rodeo in Georgia. Most of the film is devoted to him and his partners crashing roadblocks and avoiding arrest as he drove Gleason crazy with his antics until he made it to his destination with ten minutes to spare.
Reynolds had a reputation with the ladies as well, having rumored relationships with Tammy Wynette, Lucie Arnaz, Adrienne Barbeau, Lorna Luft, Chris Evert, Dinah Shore, and his Smokey co-star Sally Field. He was married to Laugh In’s Judy Carne and Loni Anderson of WKRP in Cincinnati, but both ended in divorce.
The actor was also a minority owner in the USFL’s Tampa Bay Bandits, which were obviously named after his role in the film. Having been a scholarship football player collegiately at nearby Florida State in Tallahassee, he was able to parlay his love of acting and football into a professional franchise named after one of his characters. Coached by Steve Spurrier, the Bandits displayed a high spirited offense led by ex Eagle QB John Reaves and running back Gary Anderson. Although competitive with a 3 year franchise record of 35-19, they were not quite able to reach the elite stature of the league’s best teams, and never made it to the championship game.
The Philadelphia Stars scrimmaged the Tampa Bay Bandits in February of 1983. As I took the field pregame for an inspection of the turf conditions, Reynolds was playfully having a catch with a ball boy in the middle of the field. Although standing near him, I had my “game face” on and fought the urge of going up and shaking his hand; preferring to finish my ritual undistracted even though he was one of the hottest names in the world at that time.
You really would have a hard time beating the acting career and the romantic prowess that Reynolds had over the years. But the Bandits couldn’t beat the success the Stars had on the field. And to me….that was worth far more than a truckload of free Coors.
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