TITLE: Smokey and the Bandit
YEAR OF MOVIE RELEASE: 1977
FILM STUDIO / PRODUCTION COMPANY: Rastar Productions / Universal Pictures
AUSTRALIAN DISTRIBUTOR: Cinema International Corporation (CIC)
TAGLINE: “Bandit is his name — beating Smokey (the police) is his game.”
ADDITIONAL POSTER TEXT: “It’s a slap-bang 1,800 mile road chase that jams all 40 channels with laughs!”
DIRECTOR: Hal Needham
CAST: Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jerry Reed and Jackie Gleason as Sheriff Buford T. Justice
PRODUCER: Mort Engelberg
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Robert L. Levy
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Bobby Byrne
SCREENPLAY: James Lee Barrett, Charles Shyer and Alan Mandel
STORY: Hal Needham and Robert L. Levy
MUSIC: Bill Justis and Jerry Reed
ARTWORK: John Solie
POSTER PRINTER: M.A.P.S. Litho Pty. Ltd.
FORMAT: Australian One Sheet
GENRE: Action / Comedy
COLLECTOR’S NOTE
John Solie’s illustrated campaign brings together the film’s stars, trucks, police pursuits and CB-radio humour in one bustling composition. Solie later recalled receiving black-and-white production photographs as reference material before the film’s release.
Jerry Reed contributes to the film on two fronts: appearing alongside Burt Reynolds and sharing the music credit with Bill Justis. This Australian One Sheet also explains “Smokey” as “the police” within its tagline, a useful detail showing how the American trucking slang was presented to local audiences.
POSTER DESIGN FEATURES
A smiling Burt Reynolds sits above a large articulated truck, holding a drink while Sally Field appears behind him in bridal clothing with a CB-radio microphone. Jackie Gleason’s uniformed sheriff gestures angrily at the left, establishing the comic conflict.
A basset hound perches above the truck cab, while tilting police cars, a motorcycle and tumbling figures fill the lower action montage. The exaggerated scale and lively arrangement suggest a chase that has spilled into cheerful chaos.
The yellow Smokey and the Bandit logo incorporates lightning-like extensions, small character portraits and a CB microphone. Pink promotional lettering contrasts with the blue border and lower credits, while the pale background keeps the detailed illustration clearly visible.