Cannonball Run
Directed by	Hal Needham
Written by	Brock Yates
Starring	Burt Reynolds Dom DeLuise
Distributed by	Twentieth Century Fox
Released	June 19, 1981
Running time	95 min
Language	English
IMDb profile

Cannonball Run was a campy, screwball comedy movie released in 1981 that starred Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise and Farrah Fawcett. Hal Needham was the director and had an uncredited role as an emergency medical technician. The premise is very similar to the earlier Cannonball and The Gumball Rally (both 1976). It also has a sequel, Cannonball Run II Image File history File links CannonballRunPoster. ... Hal Needham, stuntman, was born March 6, 1931 in Memphis, Tennessee. ... Brock Yates was executive editor of Car and Driver, an American automotive magazine. ... Burt Reynolds in 2005 Burt Reynolds (born Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. ... Dom DeLuise Dominick Dom DeLuise (born August 1, 1933) is an American actor of Italian extraction. ... Related articles FOX Television Network Fox Searchlight Pictures Fox Entertainment Group List of Hollywood movie studios List of movies Variant of current 20th Century Fox logo External links 20th Century Fox Movies official site Twentieth Century Fox is also the punning title of a song by The Doors on their... June 19 is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 195 days remaining. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The term camp—normally used as an adjective or a noun, even though earliest recorded uses employed it mainly as a verb—refers to the deliberate and sophisticated use of kitsch, mawkish or corny themes and styles in art, clothing or conversation. ... The screwball comedy has proven to be one of the most popular and enduring film genres. ... Film refers to the celluloid media on which movies are printed. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Burt Reynolds in 2005 Burt Reynolds (born Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. ... Dom DeLuise Dominick Dom DeLuise (born August 1, 1933) is an American actor of Italian extraction. ... Farrah Leni Fawcett (born February 2, 1947 in Corpus Christi, Texas) is an actress who became a noted pop culture icon and leading sex symbol of the 1970s. ... Hal Needham, stuntman, was born March 6, 1931 in Memphis, Tennessee. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Cannonball was a 1976 movie starring David Carradine. ... The Gumball Rally is a 1976 film about a coast-to-coast road race. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1976 calendar). ... Cannonball Run II is a film that was released in 1984. ...

Plot details

Reynolds and DeLuise play has-been race car driver "J.J. McClure" and his mild-mannered mechanic "Victor Prinzim" (with a superhero alter ego, "Captain Chaos") who run the Cannonball in an ambulance, a heavily modified Dodge Tradesman van which was actually used in the original running of the Cannonball. In an attempt to appear legitimate to law enforcement, Victor hires "Doctor Nikolas Van Helsing," an inebriated physician of questionable skill played by Jack Elam. They kidnap young photographer "Pamela Glover" (Farrah Fawcett) nicknamed "Beauty" to be their "patient." Though Beauty protests her apprehension at first, she eventually comes around to the idea of being a participant in the race. A scene where the ambulance is stopped by law enforcement for speeding to California since the patient was "unable to fly" is based on an actual event. An ambulance is a vehicle designated for the transport of sick or injured people. ... The Dodge Tradesman was a full-sized passenger van built by Dodge. ... For the band, see The Police. ... Physician examining a child A physician is a person who practices medicine. ... Jack Elam in Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) Jack Elam was an American film actor appearing mostly in westerns. ...

Based on a true story, See Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, the movie is based on a cross-country rally from the Red Ball Garage in New York City to the pier at Redondo Beach, California organized by automotive journalist Brock Yates. The Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, widely known simply as the Cannonball Baker or Cannonball Run, was an unofficial, if not outlaw, automobile race run four times in the 1970s from New York City to Los Angeles. ... Rally refers to competition, as in rally racing with automobiles a political rally, a march or parade e. ... Nickname: The Big Apple Official website: City of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Geographical characteristics Area Total 468. ... Redondo Beach is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. ... Brock Yates was executive editor of Car and Driver, an American automotive magazine. ...

Cast

Cannonball Run had its share of stars. Among them:

• Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr. respectively as aging and perpetually inebriated ex-Formula One driver "Jamie Blake" and Las Vegas gambler "Morris Fenderbaum" who run the race in a Ferrari while disguised as Catholic priests. Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder played their bookie.

• George Furth played "Arthur J. Foyt." Despite sharing a name with racing legend A. J. Foyt, Foyt in an anti-automobile fanatic who tries to have the race stopped. Instead, he winds up in a number of hilarious predicaments.

• Roger Moore played "Seymour Goldfarb, Jr." as a self-parody of his role as James Bond. Goldfarb is a character who thinks he's Roger Moore and who therefore stylizes himself as James Bond. His car is an Aston Martin DB5 like the one in the original Bond films. Molly Picon portrayed his mother, who referred to her son "as if he were some goy movie star named Roger Moore".

• Jackie Chan played the driver of the Japanese entry, a Subaru that was constantly getting lost despite all the high-tech gadgetry aboard. Michael Hui played the Japanese engineer and navigator.

• Jamie Farr appeared as "Shiek Abdul ben Falafel," a wealthy Arab determined to win the race even if he has to buy it. Bianca Jagger makes a brief appearance as his sister. Farr's racer is a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. This character is the only one to appear in all three films in the Cannonball Run movie continuum.

• Terry Bradshaw and Mel Tillis are a couple of "good ol' boys" driving a thinly-disguised Chevrolet Malibu NASCAR stocker .

• Adrienne Barbeau and Tara Buckman appeared as "Marcie" and "Jill", Spandex-clad "hotties" in a black Lamborghini Countach. That same Lamborghini was used in the opening credits of the movie as it was being pursued (unsuccessfully) by an Arizona Highway Patrol car. Valerie Perrine has an uncredited role as a state trooper who successfully stops the duo later in the film. (Though their character names were not mentioned during the story, they are mentioned in the end credits. Their character names, however, *are* mentioned in the sequel, though the parts were re-cast)

• Peter Fonda had a cameo role reprising his character in Easy Rider. The appearance of Fonda and his motorcycle gang during a halt in the race caused by a road closure was the perfect excuse to cut Chan loose in a kung-fu fight sequence.

• Bert Convy played wealthy but bored executive "Bradford Compton" who planned to run the Cannonball by motorcycle with the help of an old friend, "Shakey Finch" (played by Warren Berlinger), once the world's greatest cross-country motorcyclist. The two planned to disguise themselves as newlyweds, presumably to try and make themselves appear legitimate. However, his friend had gained a great deal of weight over the years forcing them to ride a "wheelie" all the way across the continent.

A "cult classic" today and fairly well-received by the public (but savaged by critics), Cannonball Run sparked a sequel, Cannonball Run 2 which reprised most of the original cast. It would also be Dean Martin's final film before his death. Dean Martin (June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an Italian-American singer and film actor. ... Sammy Davis, Jr. ... The current Ferrari logo Ferrari is an Italian constructor in the Formula One World Championship, as well as a manufacturer of high-end and high-performance race cars, exotic cars, and sports cars formed by Enzo Ferrari in 1929. ... Jimmy the Greek Snyder (19 September 1919–21 April 1996) was an American sports commentator and Las Vegas bookie. ... George Furth (b. ... A.J. Foyt A. J. Foyt (born Anthony Joseph Foyt, Jr. ... Moore and Curtis in The Persuaders! (1971/72) Moore, Liv Ullmann and Sacheen Littlefeather at the 1973 Oscars Sir Roger George Moore, CBE (born October 14, 1927) is an English actor known for his suave and witty demeanor. ... The James Bond 007 gun logo James Bond, also known as 007 (pronounced double-oh seven), is a fictional British spy created by writer Ian Fleming in 1953. ... Moore and Curtis in The Persuaders! (1971/72) Moore, Liv Ullmann and Sacheen Littlefeather at the 1973 Oscars Sir Roger George Moore, CBE (born October 14, 1927) is an English actor known for his suave and witty demeanor. ... The Aston Martin DB5, released in 1963, was a slight upgrade from the DB4 which preceded it. ... Molly Picon Molly Picon was born Margaret Pyekoon in New York City on June 1, 1898. ... Moore and Curtis in The Persuaders! (1971/72) Moore, Liv Ullmann and Sacheen Littlefeather at the 1973 Oscars Sir Roger George Moore, CBE (born October 14, 1927) is an English actor known for his suave and witty demeanor. ... Jackie Chan (born April 7, 1954 in Hong Kong) is a Chinese martial artist, actor, director, stuntman and singer. ... Subaru (In katakana: スバル), a Japanese car company, is a subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI). ... Michael Hui Koon-Man (許冠文 pinyin: Xǔ Guànwén) (born September 3, 1942) is a Hong Kong film comedian, scriptwriter and director. ... Jamie Farr (born on July 1, 1934 in Toledo, Ohio), birth name Jameel Joseph Farah, is an American television and film actor of Lebanese Antiochian Orthodox extraction, who is best known for playing the role of Corporal Maxwell Klinger in the 1970s and 80s U.S. television sitcom, M*A... Bianca Jagger (born Bianca Moreno de Macias on May 2, 1945, in Managua, Nicaragua) is a social and political activist made famous by having married Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones. ... The Rolls Royce logo Rolls-Royce is a set of several companies, all deriving from the British automobile and aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Henry Royce and C.S. Rolls in 1906. ... Terry Paxton Bradshaw (born September 2, 1948) is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League (NFL). ... Mel Tillis (born Lonnie Melvin Tillis on August 8th, 1932 in Tampa, Florida) is a country music singer/songwriter, and actor. ... The Chevrolet Malibu (named for Malibu, California) is a mid-size car produced in the United States by General Motors. ... The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States. ... Adrienne Barbeau Adrienne Barbeau (born June 11, 1945) is an American actress working in television, film, and musical theater . ... The Lamborghini Countach was a supercar produced by Lamborghini in Italy. ... The term highway patrol can refer either to a police agency created primarily for the purpose of overseeing traffic safety compliance on a politys roads and highways, such as the California Highway Patrol, or to a detail within an existing local or regional police that primarily concerns its activity... On the cover of Playboy, August 1981 Valerie Perrine (born September 3, 1943) is an American actress. ... Peter Fonda Peter Henry Fonda, born February 23, 1940 in New York, New York, is an American actor. ... This article is about the film Easy Rider. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with wushu. ... Bernard Whalen (Bert) Convy (July 23, 1933 – July 15, 1991) was an American game show host, actor and singer. ... Warren Berlinger (born August 31, 1937) is an American character actor, and also the nephew of comedian Milton Berle. ... Cannonball Run II is a film that was released in 1984. ...

The film continued director Hal Needham's tradition of showing bloopers during the closing credits (a practice he started with the Smokey and the Bandit films). Jackie Chan (who admitted he did Cannonball Run II to fulfill his contract with Warner Brothers) says it was this film that inspired him to do the same at the end of most of his movies. A blooper usually refers to a faux pas made by an actor while filming a television show or movie. ... Smokey and the Bandit was a 1977 movie starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jackie Gleason, Jerry Reed, Paul Williams, and Mike Henry. ... Warner Bros. ...

Trivia

• In this movie Jackie Chan tried to break into the American market once again, but failed yet again. The mainstream Western market wasn't ready for Hong Kong action movie yet.

• Although the movie script describes Jackie Chan and Michael Hui as Japanese, they spoke Cantonese during the whole movie. The only time that we hear Japanese language is when the Japanese TV show presenter is interviewing these two characters.

• The opening sequence showing the famous 20th Century Fox logo was specially animated for the movie. It starts normally, but then an unseen crash takes out one of the spotlights and winds the fanfare music down. A rally racer zooms around the front of the logo and parks inside the "zero." A police cruiser then zooms around, crashing into two more spotlights in the process. The anthropomorphic rally racer peeks out from it hiding place, looks around, then beeps his amusement and laughs in Reynolds' high-pitched "trademark" laugh.

• The stop-motion animated series Robot Chicken once featured a segment parodying race movies called "3 Fast 3 Furious", in which Reynolds and DeLuise cameoed as the voices for look-alike characters in a nod to their Cannonball Run roles. The episode specifically parodied Cannonball Run director Hal Needham's trademark of running a blooper reel alongside ending credits; in this case, the bloopers were animated clips set to multiple takes of DeLuise flubbing one of his lines.

Michael Hui Koon-Man (許冠文 pinyin: Xǔ Guànwén) (born September 3, 1942) is a Hong Kong film comedian, scriptwriter and director. ... Cantonese (Traditional Chinese: 粵語; Simplified Chinese: 粤语, Cantonese: Yuet6yue5; Mandarin pinyin: Yueyu, Yụet (Guangdong) language) is one of the major dialect groups or languages of the Chinese language or language family. ... Japanese (日本語, ) is a language spoken by over 127 million people, mainly in Japan, but also by Japanese emigrant communities around the world. ... 20th Century Fox logo Fox Plaza, the company headquarters. ... Robot Chicken is an American stop motion animated television series created by Stoopid Monkey and Sony Pictures Digital, currently airing as a part of Cartoon Networks Adult Swim lineup. ...

External link

• IMDb listing