The Cannonball Run

Name: The Cannonball Run
Genre: Action, Comedy, Family
Released: 1981-06-19
Duration: 1 h 35 min
Rating: 6.3
Cast: Burt Reynolds, Roger Moore, Farrah Fawcett, Dom DeLuise, Dean Martin

You'll root for them all...but you'll never guess who wins.

The Cannonball Run (1981)

Timing: 1:35 (95 min)

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Everything about the movie

Video 8

Photo 33

Actors and characters

Video for the film The Cannonball Run — The Cannonball Run ≣ 1981 ≣ Trailer

2:49

Photo 33

Release date

1981-06-19

Country

United States, Hong Kong

Production

20th Century Fox, Orange Sky Golden Harvest, Albert S. Ruddy Productions

Genre

Action, Comedy, Family

Budget

$18 000 000

Box office

$72 179 579

Website

Director

Hal Needham

Actors

Burt Reynolds, Roger Moore, Farrah Fawcett, Dom DeLuise, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Jack Elam, Adrienne Barbeau, Terry Bradshaw, Jackie Chan
All actors and roles (10)

Scenario

Producer

Albert S. Ruddy, Raymond Chow Man-Wai

Camera operator

Michael C. Butler

Composer

Al Capps

Artist

Audition

Editing

Donn Cambern, William D. Gordean, André E. Morgan
Whole Team (55)

Short description

A cross-country road race is based on an actual event, the Cannonball Baker Sea to Shining Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, organized by Brock Yates to protest the 55 mph speed limit then in effect in the U.S. The Cannonball was named for Erwin G. "Cannonball" Baker, who in the roaring 20's rode his motorcycle across the country. Many of the characters are based on ruses developed by real Cannonball racers over the several years that the event was run.

What's left behind the scenes

The Ferrari 308 used in the film belongs to director Hal Needham.
The first patrolman in this film to stop Adrienne Barbeau and Tara Buckman was Burt Reynolds’ stunt double.
Producers requested permission from the Governor of Georgia to close off the center of a small town for the landing of an airplane. The police cordoned off the area, and this barrier can be seen on screen.
To gather material for the film, Brock Yates participated in the final Cannonball Run in 1979. This step cost him his position as an editor at 'Car & Driver' magazine.
Each time Roger Moore appears in this film, he has a new girl with him. They are all voiced by June Foray.
The ambulance used in the film is a real vehicle built by Hal Needham and Brock Yates and which participated in an actual 'cannonball run' race.
One of Jackie Chan's first appearances in an American film. Inspired by Hal Needham's idea of including bloopers at the end of the film, Chan establishes a tradition of doing the same in most of his movies.
The film was originally planned as an action movie starring Steve McQueen. After his death, the lead role went to Burt Reynolds, and the film became a comedy.
Don Rickles was originally planned for the role of Fenderbaum, which later became the role of Sammy Davis Jr..
The character Dom DeLuise’s Victor Prinzi was named after Vic Prinzi – a friend and college football teammate of Burt Reynolds at Florida State University. Reynolds played halfback at the university until an injury forced him to quit football. Prinzi was a defensive back.
Stuntwoman Heidi von Beltz was injured during a stunt when the car she was driving (doubling Roger Moore's Aston-Martin driver in this race) lost control and crashed. The driver and a second stunt performer sustained minor injuries, while Heidi suffered paralysis in her lower limbs.
A cameo role for the director: the man behind the ambulance.
Victor (Dom DeLuise) told J.J. (Burt Reynolds) that having a doctor on board was very good, in case someone got “malaria.” This is another reference to *Smokey and the Bandit II* (1980), where Dom plays a doctor who treated a patient with malaria and is picked up by Burt.
A short scene featuring two animated cars destroying the 20th Century Fox logo was created by Hal Needham, who did something similar for another studio when making “Smokey and the Bandit” (1977). Fox studio didn't appreciate the idea of destroying their logo, but soon realized they would have to talk to the public if it didn't happen.
The film was based on a series of real races started by Brock Yates in "Car & Driver" magazine. The fifth and final race was in 1979.
In one of the early scenes of this film, Dom DeLuise's character says, “Maybe we can get a black Trans Am,” and Burt Reynolds’ character replies, “No, that’s already been done.” This is a reference to the film *Smokey and the Bandit* (1977), which starred Reynolds and was directed by Hal Needham. DeLuise starred alongside Reynolds in the sequel, *Smokey and the Bandit II* (1980).
Jackie Chan, playing a minor role in this film, was very upset that his character was Japanese, while he himself is Chinese.
At the end of the film, during the big race to the finish line, a black Trans Am appears. The driver of the car is visible in the pedestrian race scene. He is wearing a jacket that Burt Reynolds wore in 'Smokey and the Bandit 2' (1980).
Cameo role of Brock Yates: the film's screenwriter appears as a race organizer.