"The Cannonball Run" (1981) with Danny Johnson & Laramy Wells

Tim: Forget the speed limits, forget the traffic laws. When the ultimate cross-country race gets the green light, the highway turns into an absolute circus of custom vans, high-end sports cars, and an ambulance driven by two guys who definitely shouldn't have a medical license. When this 80s flick hit theaters in 1981, it was based on a very real and very illegal cross-country race. It was called the Cannonball Baker Sea to Shining Sea Memorial Trophy Dash. Say that five times fast. It was a no rules rally that ran from Connecticut to California. Stunt man turned director Hal Needham turned that madness into box office gold and an HBO staple for years to come. So fasten your seat belts, check your speedometers, and watch out for the fuzz as Danny Johnson, Laramie Wells, and I discuss the cannonball run from nineteen eighty one on this episode of the eighties flick flashback podcast. Welcome to the show, everybody. I'm your host, Tim Williams. So glad to have you on this episode of the 80 slick flashback podcast. As always, I'm thrilled to have these two guest hosts joining me tonight. First, he's back to make sure we stay hidden in night mode while driving at night for Moving Panels Podcast. It's Laramie Wells. How you doing, Laramie?

Laramy: I'm good and I've I've got a lot of things to say about this one because man, the there's a there's a lot. Yeah.

Tim: There's a lot there's a lot happens. Yeah. And I'm incredibly excited to have Returning the Show, a man who keeps the laughs coming faster than Captain Chaos can jump into action. He's a touring stand up comedian, a fellow podcaster, and now a budding YouTuber, comedian Danny Johnson. How you doing, Danny?

Danny Johnson: Hey, I like that you use the word fuzz in your opening. That no one knows what that is anymore. That's yeah. Watch out for the fuzz, man. Yeah.

Tim: Yeah. That was that was the 80s term, right? Yeah. Fuzz. Watch out for the fuzz. Yeah, smoke. Yeah, well, you know, well,

Laramy: They kept using smokey in the in the movie, yeah.

Tim: Smokey and the Bandit. I didn't want to use Smoky because I feel like that was gonna be that would, you know, throw him off a little bit, but but yeah. I love this movie. We'll say it right out right out the gate. This is one of my favorite movies I saw as a kid. And we're going right into this next part, but let's let's just go ahead and jump right in.

Danny Johnson: Sure.

Tim: Danny, tell me, when did you see Cannonball run for the very first time?

Danny Johnson: I'm gonna have to say it's it's when we got HBO 'cause I was

Tim: Yeah.

Danny Johnson: young when it came out. yeah, it had to be it had to be post theater. I don't think I went to the theater, but

Tim: Yeah. Mm-mm.

Danny Johnson: yeah, and was was smoking the bandit before this, was that seventy seven? Yeah, 'cause you could see the tributes to it.

Tim: Yes. Yeah. Yeah.

Laramy: Yes. Yeah. Bert Bert even makes a reference to it. Yeah.

Tim: yeah. Yeah.

Danny Johnson: Yeah, you can see the tribute, the Trans Am cop, a car, and on the hood

Tim: Mm-hmm.

Danny Johnson: of the truck is the Falcon or the Hawk or whatever. But yeah, so I was a Burt Reynolds fan from that. I'd seen that first, so I was like, this is cool. I

Tim: Mm-hmm.

Danny Johnson: didn't know it was a real thing either.

Tim: yeah, it real race. I didn't find that out until much later. Yeah. So

Danny Johnson: Yeah, but I don't think I watched it I w I mean I watched it when I was obviously younger, a kid, but up until today. I wa rewatched it today. So I ha in between

Tim: Yeah.

Danny Johnson: I hadn't seen it. Just clips like the bloopers, which are the best. Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Tim: Wow. Yeah. yeah, the bloopers are the yeah, most probably the most iconic, which we'll get to. What about you, Laramie?

Laramy: ye of course saw it on television.

Tim: Yeah.

Laramy: as I don't remember exactly when it was a long time ago.

Tim: Ha ha ha

Laramy: but yeah, no. I this was I don't th we had HBO, but I I honestly think this was something I probably saw on like T B S or yeah.

Tim: Yeah, it definitely ran on TBS here in Atlanta for a long time. So yeah. Yeah. But yeah. Yeah. Yeah, that's the new one. Yeah.

Danny Johnson: Until Talladega Knights took over TBS. That's the new one.

Tim: yeah, I saw this one on HBO. I was too young to have seen this in the theater, but it was like, you know, back in eight, you know, we talked about before early eighties HBO, they didn't show any R rated movies until after nine o'clock at night. So if it was rated PG, that's just what they ran during the day. So if you were home from school or homesick from school or it was in the summer, you're gonna see the same PG movies over and over and over again. And this is one

Danny Johnson: Yeah.

Tim: that was just like on heavy rotation. So and it's funny because there's some parts of it, like I think are in Cannonball Run two that are in this one. But then when I went

Laramy: Yes.

Tim: back and watched Cannonball Run two, I was like, I know why I like the first one better. Yeah.

Laramy: Honestly, everything about Jackie Chan I remembered from Dr Cannonball Run two.

Tim: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's it's highly inferior to this one. Not that this is a cinematic masterpiece, but it's still still not good. But what about you, Laramie? How long has been since you rewatched before you're watching it for the podcast?

Laramy: I have no clue. and it's and again, I'll I'll jump ahead and say I really like this movie. But I

Tim: Mm-hmm.

Laramy: think the fact that it's the ability to rewatch it is near near to impossible.

Tim: Yeah, yeah. Mm-hmm.

Laramy: I luckily was able to find I found a double pack with it and Cannonball Run two on Blu ray and

Tim: Okay.

Laramy: ordered it in order to watch it for this show.

Tim: Ha ha ha.

Laramy: But yeah. 'Cause it yeah, it was nowhere. I couldn't find it anywhere.

Tim: I am shocked you did not have this on DVD somewhere in your house.

Laramy: Nope, I did not.

Tim: Yeah.

Laramy: This was one of

Danny Johnson: I found it on YouTube and it but

Tim: Yeah.

Danny Johnson: it was in nine minute and change chunks. So it would go

Tim: Yeah.

Laramy: Yeah.

Danny Johnson: nine minutes and then it go you know, it yeah, that box pops up and it's like n next playing in fifteen, fourteen, thirteen, so and it just

Tim: Yeah.

Laramy: Mm. Next video. Yeah.

Danny Johnson: picked right up.

Tim: So you just you like binge watched it. It was like a nine minute episode. Yeah.

Laramy: Yeah. Just a playlist.

Danny Johnson: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It made it it made it go by faster, I'll tell you that. I think if it was the whole movie I would have it would have been a struggle, I think.

Tim: well. Yeah. yeah. I I bought this one on Blu ray about a year or so ago and I watched it when I bought it because I wanted to see it again. And I think I watched it on YouTube in the last ten years probably back when I was, you know, just thinking about when when the kind of the birth of the podcast, thinking about movies I saw as a kid on HBO. That's really kind of what spawned the idea of the podcast is like, what are some of these movies you just don't see as much anymore that I remember watching as a kid and I think I found like I kind of blurry copy on YouTube and watched it on my phone or my iPad or something ten years ago. So and I'll even say the Blu ray copy is not the greatest.

Laramy: I I was actually gonna ask you that. Is your Blu ra

Danny Johnson: What

Laramy: 'cause my Blu-ray copy

Danny Johnson: do you mean? Why isn't it

Laramy: is not it is not a crisp picture.

Tim: The Yeah, well the the pic the picture's

Danny Johnson: okay, okay.

Tim: not bad. The sound quality is bad. Like all the all of the

Laramy: All of it.

Tim: explosions are like, you know, like the crash scenes are like sound like they're in a can. Like it doesn't it just not very good sound quality, but but it's still fun. I there were still parts that I I just I was still laughing out loud on some of the scenes, so which I I appreciated. So

Danny Johnson: I mean the whole movie is riddled with jokes and innuendo that you probably couldn't do today. I mean I find it funny and I'm not offended by it. I I think that's just humor. but

Tim: absolutely. Yeah. yeah, yeah.

Laramy: absolutely. Yeah.

Danny Johnson: you know the every time Jackie Chan and the car they have the Asian music in the background and that would be considered insensitive. They're both wearing headbands, you know, and you know.

Tim: Mhm. f of course, yeah. Yeah.

Laramy: yeah. Yes. And again, Jackie Chan, a famous Chinese man, playing a Japanese man,

Tim: Right. Playing Japanese. Yeah.

Laramy: not speaking either language.

Tim: No. Yeah. Yeah.

Laramy: They are saying gibberish.

Danny Johnson: They had a sneak in a fight scene. It was so great with the karate with this Yeah.

Laramy: Yeah, I did enjoy that though.

Tim: yes. yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. All right, it's that time of the show where we put our nostalgic knowledge to the ultimate test. It's time for risky quizness. All right. We're about

Laramy: Mm-hmm.

Tim: to see if our guests have been paying attention or if they've just been drafting behind the semi truck the whole time. I'm gonna present you with five true or false statements and you can work as a team to decide if you If they are true or false, let's see who's coming out on top today. So, Danny and Laramie, you can work as a team. You got five true or false statements.

Danny Johnson: Do it.

Tim: Here we go. Number one, true or false. The film's writer, Brock Yates, actually competed in the real life illegal cross country race that inspired the movie and drove a customized ambulance with Hal Needham, the director. True or false.

Danny Johnson: Can it be partially true? I guess it's okay.

Tim: No, it's it's either all true or all false.

Danny Johnson: I'm g I mean I have a guess based on your intro

Laramy: Go for it.

Danny Johnson: only. It's true.

Tim: What do you think, Laramie? It is true. They drove the ambulance

Laramy: Yeah. Why not? I'll say true. Hey! Good job.

Tim: entry with direct yeah, they both drove it and inspired the plot. The ambulance used in the movie is the actual ambulance they souped up and raced in the real cannonball run.

Danny Johnson: Hmm.

Tim: It had been modified, which made it go up to a hundred and forty five miles per hour. Needham and Yates didn't win the race. The transmission blew in Palm Springs, California. So Needham kept it in storage for several year several years until the time came to make the movie. After the movie, he gave charity, which raised a good deal of money auctioning it off. So good for Hal. Yeah.

Danny Johnson: Yeah, and they mention the transmission in the movie. They that's where they they piggyback onto the the the back of that semi. Yeah. He's fixing one for one.

Tim: The the semi Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Love it. All right. One for one. And and with like

Laramy: Very nice.

Tim: I go like baseball rules. Can you win the series? Can you get if you get, you know, more more

Danny Johnson: Mm-hmm.

Laramy: Mm-hmm.

Tim: wrong than more right get more right than you got wrong, you win.

Laramy: I am three out of five.

Tim: Yeah, three out of five.

Danny Johnson: Yeah, and especi that's that's good for you, especially in a in Atlanta area. You guys are not used to winning the series.

Tim: Don't start with me. Don't start me I yeah, L Laramies, yeah.

Laramy: So called.

Danny Johnson: I don't know. You're in Georgia, right? I don't know if you're in the Atlanta area. I forget.

Tim: what are you, Yankees fan?

Danny Johnson: Yeah.

Tim: I should have known. Okay.

Laramy: of course.

Danny Johnson: I'm sure yeah, I have some old video tapes of the n late nineties World Series if you guys want to watch.

Tim: yeah. Love it. All right, number two, stay on topic. Here we go. True or false. Burt Reynolds had creative control over casting and personally requested that his good friend and co star Dom Deweiz be paid less than half his own salary so the studio could green light the project. True or false.

Laramy: Wow.

Danny Johnson: I'm gonna say that's true.

Laramy: man, I'd hate I'm gonna hate for that to be true. But Yeah, let's go true. It's false. I knew it. I knew it. I knew it.

Tim: Sorry guys, that one's false. While Reynolds did heavily influence the star studded ensemble cast, there was no such salary cut arrangement. The massive budget was largely driven by the sheer volume of A list star power.

Laramy: Yeah, yeah, I was about to say. Th I'd I would have hated for that to be true. It's like

Tim: Yeah. Yeah, I can't imagine him doing that. So all right. One in one in one. Gotta gotta do better. All right, number three, true or false. The opening scene featuring the Lamborghini evading police officers was actually filmed on a closed private track in California rather than public highways.

Danny Johnson: Remember that scene 'cause it was forever.

Laramy: Yeah.

Tim: Yeah.

Laramy: it doesn't look like it's on

Tim: And the Ray Stevens song.

Laramy: a private Yeah. I mean it looks like it's on an actual highway.

Danny Johnson: It really doesn't. But it was helicopter shot. It was shot from a helicopter, you know, so

Tim: Mm-hmm.

Danny Johnson: you kinda can't tell.

Tim: Re false.

Danny Johnson: I don't know, I'm leaving it up to you.

Laramy: You know what, just because of I know the way they shot some of the others and that they're ac they're actually on the streets and all that, I'm gonna say false.

Tim: You're correct. The opening sequence was shot on actual public roads in Nevada utilizing real traffic and local law enforcement cooperation to manage the high speed passes.

Laramy: I'm sure we'll talk about the the airplane landing. Of course.

Tim: Course we will. of course we will. All right, number four. So there.

Laramy: Or two for three. Yeah.

Danny Johnson: Two and one.

Tim: Two and one. There we go. All right, number four, true or false. Jackie Chan's high-tech Subaru GL four wheel drive hatchback featured a working rocket launcher prop designed by the special effects team from the James Bond films. True or false.

Danny Johnson: Yeah.

Laramy: I'll go with it. True. We got it. We gotta get the next one.

Tim: It's false. While it had plenty of fictional gadgets like smokescreens and radar telem telemetry, the special effects were handled by the film's internal stunt crew, not borrowed from Bond. That was a tricky one because of Roger Moore, I know. All right. Two and two. This one's gonna determine whether it's a win or a loss. Burt Reynolds,

Danny Johnson: I hope the n fifth question is it was Burt Reynolds in the movie?

Laramy: Yeah.

Tim: where's the toupee? True or false? No, I'm just kidding.

Danny Johnson: He's

Laramy: Yeah.

Tim: All right, true or false, the iconic blooper reel shown during the end credits, a staple that would become a signature of Hal Needham and Jackie Chan films, was entirely scripted to make the actors look unprepared, true or false.

Danny Johnson: False. I don't think that's real.

Laramy: Yeah, I yeah, I would think it's real. I would say it's false.

Tim: That is false. I gave you the easiest one at the end.

Laramy: Yeah.

Tim: The behind the scenes atmosphere was closer to a party

Laramy: Appreciate it.

Tim: than a film shot.

Danny Johnson: Yep.

Tim: Reynolds later said that Needham's direction was quote unquote a mixture of bourbon and enthusiasm. Crew

Danny Johnson: Yeah.

Tim: members often had to reshoot scenes because actors just couldn't stop laughing, like Dom Delouise in the first outtake. So yeah.

Danny Johnson: he's the best.

Laramy: Yeah.

Tim: Yeah. He pulls the hair, then the mustache hair. I was like, man. He's like, you're gonna hit me. You're gonna hit me. gosh, so good.

Danny Johnson: Yeah, and then later on in the blue in the b same blooper he takes when Bert keeps messing up, he takes Dom's hand and smacks his face with

Tim: Yeah. I wanna

Laramy: Yeah.

Tim: know how many times has Don Dom Delwey's been hit by Burt Rails? Like he just loves

Danny Johnson: Mm-hmm.

Tim: to like smack him around. All right. Well, you guys came out with a victory. Glad. Glad

Laramy: Yeah.

Tim: for that. Yay. Hey, a win is a win. We don't, you know.

Danny Johnson: Squeaked it. We s we were squeaked by. Do we get

Laramy: Yeah.

Danny Johnson: like a f 80s flick flashback t-shirt or something? What do we get for winning?

Tim: I can send you a I can send you a sticker. All

Danny Johnson: Okay.

Tim: right. Well, if you played along at home, let us know how well you did. Send us an email, message us on social media, or you leave a comment right here on YouTube. That's where you're watching the show. All right. Well, let's jump into the cast. As I told the gentleman before we start, I'm gonna try to get through this as quick as possible because it's packed full

Danny Johnson: Yeah, it's huge.

Laramy: Yeah.

Tim: of cameos and real stars. But of course You can't talk about Cannonball Run without talking about the Burt Reynolds as JJ

Danny Johnson: Mm-hmm.

Tim: McClure. Of course, he had leading roles in films such as White Lightning, The Longest Yard, Smoking the Bandit, Semi Tough, The End, Hooper, Starting Over, Smoking the Bandit 2, Sharky's Machine, and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, several of which he directed. And that's just his eighties movies or seventies and eighties movies that are listed there. So yeah.

Danny Johnson: Right? Huge.

Tim: So I will say so. I know Danny, you said like you saw Smoking the Bandit first. I think I saw this one first before I saw Smoking the Bandit. Or might have seen

Danny Johnson: Mm-hmm.

Tim: him probably they're probably both playing on HBO around the same time. So I might have seen them around the same time. But this was I wanna say this was my initial introduction to Burt Reynolds, but I was a fan. He

Danny Johnson: What was your first impression?

Tim: was great. I loved him. He was funny. Yeah. Just

Danny Johnson: Yeah. Doesn't he come across as the like the cool uncle, you know what I mean? Just the relaxed,

Laramy: Yeah.

Danny Johnson: kinda confident guy, you know? And funny.

Tim: Mm. And the the iconic laugh though, yeah, well, I can't do it,

Laramy: Yeah.

Tim: but yeah.

Danny Johnson: Mm-hmm.

Tim: Yeah, so great. but yeah, I I know I joked about the toupee, but like I can't watch a Burt Reynolds movie without trying to figure out if he's wearing a toupee or not. But

Danny Johnson: Yeah.

Tim: sometimes it's hard to tell.

Danny Johnson: I had I d I I'm embarrassed to say that I didn't remember Jackie Chan was in the movie.

Tim: yeah, yeah.

Laramy: Yeah.

Danny Johnson: And I wouldn't have if they didn't have the pre-credits before the movie and that which said

Tim: Mm-hmm.

Danny Johnson: it was him. I would have recognized them when they showed that the Japanese talk show, you know, him being announced. So I would have been like,

Tim: Right. Right.

Laramy: Mm-hmm.

Danny Johnson: wow. But yeah, and then I was like, I wonder if I'm gonna remember or recognize Jimmy the Greek and I did. I mean I didn't know that I would recognize him when he came on the screen talking to Sammy at the sports book. I was like, wow.

Tim: yeah. Yeah. Yeah. yeah. Yeah. We're gonna talk about Jimmy here in a few minutes. So not that we have to, but just gonna All right,

Danny Johnson: Hehehehe

Tim: and then we got Dom de Louise as Victor, who a occasionally becomes his alter ego Captain Chaos.

Laramy: Mm-hmm.

Tim: widely recognized for his performances in the films of Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder, as well as a series of collaborations with Burt Reynolds. Across of course in the eighties, he also expanded in doing major animated productions with Don Bluth with roles in The Secret of Nym, An American Tale, A Troll in Central Park and All Dogs Go to Heaven, also with Burt Reynolds. But yeah, like Dom Delouise and like Burt Reynolds together with like that's that was like one of the first like comedy teams I kind of remember. You know, like Yeah. yeah, yeah, yeah.

Danny Johnson: That laugh is the best. The wheezing it's just so contagious and so great. I have a friend from childhood that laughs like that and I I just can't wait to make him laugh. It's the best.

Tim: I b I believe

Laramy: Mm-hmm.

Tim: it. Yeah. I believe it. Any thoughts on the Dom?

Danny Johnson: I mean he he's just brilliant. I wish he I wish it was I don't know. Y you know, his character's kinda sad. It's kind of you know,

Tim: Yeah.

Danny Johnson: the lonely man that doesn't have friends or whatever, but

Tim: Mm-hmm.

Danny Johnson: I just w I wanted to see more of I know Bert's the star and blah, blah, blah, but being a comedian I wanted more of that.

Tim: Mm-hmm.

Danny Johnson: I wanted

Tim: Yeah. he does kind of become the butt of the joke more than

Danny Johnson: Mm-hmm.

Tim: anything else, which is not which is of course more problematic now. Back then we didn't think anything of of it. It was just funny. But yeah,

Danny Johnson: Yeah.

Tim: yeah, for sure. So

Danny Johnson: And initially, you know, when you talk about Bert slapping him around a little bit in the bloopers, at first I thought I that's I w I wonder if if Dom's not is not okay with that, right? 'Cause in in one

Tim: Mm.

Danny Johnson: of the bloopers he actually kind of he messes up and then he kinda flinches, like, you're gonna hit me again.

Tim: Right. Right.

Danny Johnson: But then like I mentioned earlier, when I s a future blooper I see Bert grab Dom's hand and smack him, like I

Tim: Mm-hmm.

Danny Johnson: think that was his way of telling him, Hey, this is both I respect you and this is

Laramy: Yeah.

Danny Johnson: both ways. It's not me pushing you around. So

Tim: Right, right. yeah.

Danny Johnson: so I felt better about it. It but initially it was like, he's just treating him however the heck he wants but but no, it was it was

Tim: Yeah. They s yeah. Yeah. They seem to have like a really good like a real friendship

Danny Johnson: Mm-hmm.

Tim: and collaboration that they probably I'm sure like Dom probably gave him as much as he got. But

Danny Johnson: Yeah.

Tim: of course with Bert being the star, you're not gonna see that as much on film. But I'm sure behind the scenes

Danny Johnson: He's

Tim: he was he was getting it too. So but yeah. All right, well, let's we're getting there.

Danny Johnson: Fairfoss, when can we talk about Fair Foss?

Tim: We're getting there.

Laramy: Ha ha ha.

Tim: We're getting there. All right, let's talk first. Let's talk about Roger Moore as Seymour Goldfarb Jr. and a self-parody. of course, he was the third actor to portray James Bond in seven feature films: Live and Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun, The Spy Who Loved Me, Boon Moonraker for Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, and Of You to A Kill.

Danny Johnson: Mm-hmm.

Tim: Amazingly, For Your Eyes Only, premiered. Only a few days after this movie came out. So he actually had both movies coming out at the same time.

Danny Johnson: wow.

Tim: So in the original script, Seymour was originally a man who thinks he's James Bond, but for legal reasons this was changed to a man who pretends he's Roger Moore.

Laramy: Yeah. I also like that clearly yeah.

Danny Johnson: He's even signed his name on the

Tim: Yeah, yeah.

Laramy: Also like clearly for legal reasons it's not quite the James Bond theme that's playing. Like like it's close.

Tim: Yeah, yeah. Mm-hmm.

Danny Johnson: Right. It's like the difference between Queen and Vanilla Ice, that little one one beat.

Laramy: Yeah. Yeah. Dun

Tim: Yeah.

Danny Johnson: Yeah, I liked

Tim: Yeah that

Danny Johnson: him. I like I I thought he played it great. I mean, the total

Tim: Mm-hmm.

Danny Johnson: straight man. And I just f first of all, I don't know if you noticed this or if I'm going crazy, but it had a multiple w different women.

Tim: Yes, yeah. Every time there was a scene with a different woman. Yeah, yeah. A brunette. Yeah. And he's wearing a different suit, like in almost every scene. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. He definitely changes suits every every scene. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Drive.

Laramy: Yes, it was a different woman every time you saw him. Yeah.

Danny Johnson: Okay. Because at first I didn't notice it. It was like a blonde and then this I'm like, I wonder if she has she has yeah, and then I was like she has a wig on or something or like Yeah. Yeah. A tuxedo. And that kid I

Laramy: I didn't catch that.

Danny Johnson: thought it was the funny scene when the kid when he's signing in and the kid's taking a picture of his friend in the background and he talks about keeping the media at bay.

Tim: Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

Laramy: Yeah. Yeah.

Tim: No, my favorite scene with him is in the fight scene where he's like, I'm Roger Moore and like, who? And then he's like, you know, he's watching everybody else fights like I'm I'm gonna wait for my chance and he just totally gets knocked out. I'm like, yeah, that's perfect.

Laramy: I love when he gets hit, there's actually the sound of glass breaking. 'Cause

Tim: Yeah.

Laramy: it's it's like he's got a glass jaw. Yeah. Yep.

Tim: Glass Jaw, yeah. Lots of s lots

Danny Johnson: I didn't hear that. That's funny.

Tim: of lots of like funny cartoonish sound effects in the movie too. Yeah, for sure.

Danny Johnson: I thought that was a heartfelt scene that the cannonballers came together to fight the bikers. You know, 'cause

Laramy: Yeah. Yeah.

Tim: yeah, of course, yeah.

Danny Johnson: it I didn't foresee that coming as much as those eighties movies you

Tim: Ha ha ha.

Danny Johnson: can kinda tell, you know, this is about to happen, but

Tim: yeah, yeah.

Danny Johnson: it was I guess the point was that it they're all on on the same team, they're all, you know, they're all friend you're not friend or friendly, they're all in the same group and they fought the bikers.

Tim: Yeah. I mean,

Laramy: Yeah. There's some

Tim: I mean this this this movie isn't based on any real logic. I mean it's based on true story, but there's no real logic to the movie. I mean,

Danny Johnson: Yeah.

Tim: let's be honest, this was as most Hal Needham movies, it's an excuse for him to show like crazy stunts and just be goofy. So which I think it succeeds in

Laramy: It works.

Tim: very much. So all right, Danny, are ready? Farah Fawcett has the

Danny Johnson: Yeah.

Tim: tree loving photographer, Pamela Glover. Who JJ calls beauty and that becomes her name. she for

Danny Johnson: Even even yeah. Like I I can't tell you how many times in my head I said, Enough about the trees for Pete's sake.

Laramy: Yeah.

Tim: Have I told you that I love trees?

Laramy: Did you see that? Yeah, they drove over all those trees.

Tim: shell over the door. There's trees. Yeah. Did I

Danny Johnson: me some pur to say.

Tim: tell you that I love trees? All right. she first rose to massive international fame in her breakout television role as Jill Monroe on the hit series Charlie's Angels from 76 to 77.

Laramy: Yeah. No, it was the poster. That's what she she rose to fame.

Danny Johnson: Yeah.

Tim: Your hairstyle sparked a worldwide fashion craze. before the Monica, there was the Farah Fawcett. her film credits included Love is a Funny Thing in 69, Logan's Run in 76, Sunburn in 79, Extremities in 86, The Apostle in 97, Dr. T and the Women in 2000, and for some reason she was in the cookout in 2004.

Laramy: Mm-hmm.

Tim: I don't know if this is a hundred percent true, but I thought it was fun to put in here. Farah Fawcett did not realize the film was going to be a comedy, so she played the character straight. I think she knew it was a comedy,

Laramy: Ain't no way.

Tim: yeah, but but

Danny Johnson: Yeah. Especially the first day when they're cutting it up in between scenes or whatever. She had to have Yeah, she's something else.

Tim: yeah, yeah. Yeah. I mean your care your character is being fawned over continually, so you have to know it's a comedy. So yeah.

Danny Johnson: Right. And literally, if you take it seriously, she was kidnapped.

Tim: Yes, she was, yeah. And then is excited, then we're gonna win, we're gonna win. Like, yeah. Wait a minute, wait a minute. Kidnapped,

Laramy: Yes. One of the Yeah.

Danny Johnson: Yeah.

Tim: drugged, 'cause they obviously gave her some

Danny Johnson: Yeah.

Laramy: Yes.

Tim: kind of like gas to like make her woo woo. yeah, so

Laramy: Yeah. One of the many things in this movie that does not would not go across today.

Tim: Right. Right. Which may be why you cannot find it streaming anywhere. yeah. But but all right.

Danny Johnson: Yeah, she was a perfect complement to the movie. Yeah.

Tim: JJ. Yeah. Yeah. Her and her and Reynolds had really did have good chemistry. Like their scenes together were were really good. Like, you know, she could have just been like not that she had like a major character arc or anything, but you know, they did they did have at least some chemistry for some some decent sentimental ish well, a sentimental scene, I guess, in the back of the ambulance as she's partially getting undressed. So and he's in a and he's and yeah, and he's

Danny Johnson: Right. Right. What am I doing in this scene? You're getting on dress.

Tim: in a t-shirt for some reason. So but yeah. All right. Moving right along. Dean Martin as Jimmy Blake. And of course he's teamed up with Sammy Davis Jr. Dean Martin. Dean Martin, yeah.

Laramy: No, he's no, he's Dean Martin as Dean Martin. Like, come on.

Danny Johnson: Yeah.

Tim: They're all pretty much playing themselves. Let's just be honest. Yeah. So

Laramy: They're they're just caricatures of themselves. Yeah.

Tim: of course Dean Martin was, you know, famous for Martin and Lewis being drunk, yeah, which

Laramy: Being drunk.

Tim: he's de he's definitely drunk through most of this movie. I will say the car they're driving is the same model as the Ferrari and Magnum P.I. So that's why it

Laramy: Alright.

Tim: looks so familiar. Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin, of course, part of the Brat Rat Pack. And so we'll kind of I'm not gonna spend much time with them, but Don Rickles which Ridley cast in the Sammy Davis Jr. role but

Laramy: I could see that. Yeah. But no, works better with with D

Tim: Well yeah, they took Sammy instead.

Danny Johnson: He w Don would have overpowered Dean. So casting made sense for Sammy, yeah.

Tim: for sure. For sure. Yeah.

Laramy: Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah.

Tim: Yeah.

Laramy: But but talk about something else that would not flow today. the and I'll just I'll leave it at this. The reason JJ gives the cop as to why to stop them

Tim: Right.

Laramy: to stop the priests because of what the priests were doing. Yeah.

Tim: Yeah. Doing yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yes. Yeah.

Danny Johnson: Yeah, I mean even the b even the black jokes, you couldn't and as

Laramy: It's just

Danny Johnson: harmless as I think they were, and in good you

Laramy: yeah.

Tim: Yeah.

Danny Johnson: know, good fun, what it was a chocolate father or whatever he called them or something. Chocolate monk or whatever. I like that I do like

Tim: Chocolate monk. Chocolate monk? Yeah. He can say that. He can say that.

Laramy: Yeah.

Danny Johnson: the wording of the of the exchange. He can say that. He c he can say that because he's over there with the blimp or whatever. Did he say that? Yeah, he can say that because Yeah. I like that.

Tim: Yeah. Yeah, I love that. Yeah. But because I yeah, right. Yeah. Yeah. he can say that. He can say that. He can say that. Yeah. Yeah. I'm gonna take those rosary beads and shove them up your nose.

Laramy: Yeah. Yeah.

Danny Johnson: and the bloopers is the yeah, the the bloopers is bleeds. These bleeds? And they kept going. Yeah. Yeah.

Tim: These rosary beads? Yeah. The bleeds? The bleeds? These bleepity bleeds. Yeah. yeah. man. yeah. And then and then of course it's you know well known that Sammy Davis Jr. was Jewish, which I think he's even wearing like a star of David in one of the scenes. Yeah. Yeah. And like and you're

Laramy: Yes. And there's he is. When he first shows we've got God on our side, he's holding up a star of David.

Tim: and you're disguising yourself as a priest. So yeah. but yeah.

Laramy: Yeah. I th I think isn't even there a line where they say something and Dean looks at him and he says, You're not Jewish enough or something. I wanna say there was a line about about that.

Tim: I don't know. I might have missed that.

Danny Johnson: He said you're gonna

Laramy: I I I could be wrong.

Danny Johnson: Jimmy says no, you're gonna need him. When he said God's on our side, he says you're gonna need

Laramy: Yeah.

Danny Johnson: or something like

Tim: No, okay.

Danny Johnson: that. Isn't it ironic, you know, later Jimmy gets in trouble or fired for talking about

Tim: Mm-hmm.

Danny Johnson: how African Americans are built a certain way and they're more athletic and so that that statement that he made that got him in trouble was obviously alluding to the fact that African Americans are very thick and well built.

Tim: Mm-hmm.

Danny Johnson: and he's in the sc only scene in the movie he's in is with a ninety pound black guy.

Tim: 70 junior. Yeah. Yeah. yeah. Yeah.

Danny Johnson: You know what I mean? It's the counter of what he claimed. Yeah.

Tim: man. And Jimmy the Greek is next on my list. So let's go ahead. He's playing

Danny Johnson: Yeah.

Tim: himself during the while they're betting. him and Dean Martin are actually neighbors growing up in Steubenville, Ohio. So that's how they knew each other. But yeah, Jimmy the Greek was a sports commentator and Las Vegas bookmaker. Regular contributor on the CBS program the NFL today. Snater predicted the scores of NFL games, which sports betters use to determine the point spread. He was fired in January of nineteen eighty eight after he made comments suggesting that, you know, what Danny's already talked about, which was not I rem I remember when that news story broke. Like I that's one of those like

Danny Johnson: yeah.

Tim: history in the making when I remember when that happened. it was on the news and I remember being talked about for like weeks around, you know,

Danny Johnson: Yeah.

Tim: my parents' friends and stuff. So Yeah. Not

Danny Johnson: It was one of those things back then, if even if you believed it I think most people th you don't say it. You know what I mean? On national television and C BS and you're

Tim: Right, right. Yeah.

Danny Johnson: being p it it's very it was a very bizarre that was my fur I think it was my first you know, so that was eighty seven, eighty eight, right? Yes. Yeah.

Tim: Eighty eight. Yeah, January of eighty eight, so early eighty eight.

Danny Johnson: So I was a teen a I was a young teenager. That was my first experience of like controversial news, sports related, race related kinda

Tim: Right. Mm.

Danny Johnson: that I kind of remember as a kid, you know what I mean? Like

Tim: Mm-hmm.

Danny Johnson: This is a big deal and this is really sensitive

Tim: Yeah.

Danny Johnson: and we should learn, you know. So that was I was surprised that he was in the movie.

Tim: Well yeah, this is way before that ever happened. Yeah.

Danny Johnson: It was before, yeah, yeah.

Laramy: This is before yeah, this is a whole decade almost.

Tim: Yeah. And I'm like, I don't even know if like I'm sure I was watching football with my dad even when this movie came out. I don't know if he was necessarily even a commentator at that point. It was probably like a couple of years after that where he was kind of became more famous or known for being on

Danny Johnson: Mm-hmm.

Tim: on there. But but yeah. So all right, moving right along. A name that I would not recognize, but George Firth as Arthur J. Foyt, the incident the

Laramy: Yeah.

Tim: the uptight and main antagonist of the film. I love they can't remember she can't remember his name. That was one of my favorite running gags. he appeared in many feature films, most memorably The Boston Strangler, Butch Castie and the Sundance Kid. He was in Blazing Saddles, Shampoo, God, The Man with Two Brains, and Bulworth. he was a decent antagonist, I guess. Just that kind of

Danny Johnson: Yeah, I didn't think it was the best that was the best casting, but

Tim: No, no. My favorite scene with him is when he gets when they back the ambulance into the phone booth and he gets stuck in the phone booth. That was one of my f was the ladies' van? Okay. I thought it was the ambulance. 'Cause it was yellow and or orange and white, so but yeah.

Danny Johnson: Yeah. I thought it was the ambulance, it was just the lady, the lady who was late for her flight. Yeah. Look looked like it, yeah. Mhm. Yeah,

Laramy: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Danny Johnson: I thought the same thing and then I like, How's that gonna tie this in? And then some lady gets out. She's like, I'm late for my flight I'm the

Laramy: Yeah, she gets out, yeah.

Tim: yeah, that's true.

Laramy: He tries to get her to move and she just says, I'm late for my flight and takes off.

Tim: Yeah. I'm no lady. Or what do you say? I forget whatever quarter quarter quarter quarter quarter quarter quarter quarter quarter quarter quarter

Danny Johnson: Madam. I'm no madam.

Tim: quarter lady. I don't live in an apartment, I live in a house.

Danny Johnson: I wonder if kids if kids watch this today, like what is this guy going into this box to make a phone call for?

Laramy: Ha ha ha.

Tim: yeah.

Danny Johnson: All these quarters in your pocket or dimes

Tim: Mm-hmm.

Danny Johnson: started. That's where the phrase drop a dime came from. There used

Tim: N yeah.

Laramy: Correct.

Danny Johnson: to be a dime. If you give me a call, it's drop a dime

Tim: Mm-hmm.

Danny Johnson: into the payphone. You'll

Tim: Taking us way back, Danny.

Danny Johnson: occasionally see a payphone

Laramy: Mm.

Danny Johnson: like the corner lot of a gas station lot. And let me tell you something. If you ever see someone on that payphone, their night is not going well.

Tim: Ha ha.

Danny Johnson: No one's using a payphone voluntarily. Something happened.

Laramy: No.

Tim: Yeah.

Laramy: Yeah.

Tim: Either that or they they need a they need a line that cannot be traced. That's what's probably happening. man. All right. Then we got Jackie Chan and Michael Hugh as the drivers of the Subaru. Of course, we've already talked about Jackie Chan. I mean, if you don't who Jackie Chan is, where have you

Laramy: Legend.

Tim: been? but this was his first American role. And then Michael Hugh, was the eldest of the four Hugh brothers, Ricky, Sam, and Stanley, who are prominent figures in the Hong Kong entertainment industry during the 70s and 80s. he's considered by many to be one of the foremost comedians in the Hong Kong film industry. Jackie Chan splitting the crotch in a jumpsuit at the end of the fight when he does the split kick happened for real. He did improvise the cover up and quick exit.

Laramy: That's that's classic Jackie Jan.

Tim: Yeah, yeah. I'm sure he planned it. He probably didn't tell Needham that's what he was gonna do, but yeah. yeah. for sure. Yeah, that classic Jackie Chan, yeah.

Laramy: Even if he didn't though, like the the the way he sells it is just classic Jackie Chan. Yeah.

Tim: it's funny watching that fight scene now because I've seen so many Jackie Chan movies since then. Like of course he's a great martial artist, but you could tell he's with American stunt men

Laramy: Yeah. Yes.

Tim: who are like five feet away from where his kicks are gonna land.

Laramy: Yes. There were a couple of those kicks where I was like, that wasn't even close.

Tim: It's like it was the wind from the kick that knocked him over.

Laramy: And he's Yeah, and he's so slow in this movie compared to his other

Tim: Mm-hmm. yeah.

Laramy: movies.

Tim: Yeah. Chan movie you saw. Let's kinda go a little off off topic here for a second. Does anybody remember?

Laramy: Which one?

Danny Johnson: Say that again.

Tim: What was the first Jackie Chan movie you saw?

Laramy: It was Rumble in the Bronx.

Tim: Okay.

Laramy: Yeah. And obvious actually it was this one, but I didn't know who he was. So so yeah.

Tim: R right. Okay, yeah, yeah. Yeah, when you knew who Jackie Chan was, yeah. Let me rephrase rephrase the question, yeah. So

Danny Johnson: Right.

Laramy: No, it was Rumble in the Bronx when he had his big like resurgence in America.

Tim: Mm.

Laramy: Yeah.

Danny Johnson: Yeah, mine I think I don't know, when he he was with Chris Tucker. What was the name of those movies? Yeah, probably.

Tim: Yeah, Rush Rush Hour. Yeah.

Laramy: Rush hour.

Tim: Rush Hour was my was the first one that I knew who Jackie Chan was. but I did go back

Danny Johnson: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Tim: and watch like I've seen Rumble and LeBronx. I seen The Legend of Drunken Master, like when they started bringing all of his like, you know,

Danny Johnson: Mm.

Tim: dubbed movies over. I watched a lot of Alright, then we got Jamie Farr as the chic. Of course, he's known for playing Corporal Maxwell Klinger in the sitcom MASH. He's the only character to appear in all three Cannonball Run movies. And yes, there is a Canon. Yes.

Laramy: There's a third one?

Tim: And it's called Speed Zone. but

Laramy: All right.

Tim: they couldn't get the rights to call it Cannonball Run 3, but it is it is considered a Drix sequel. and then we've got Mel Tillis and Terry Bradshaw as Mel and Terry, because why give them other names when they're playing themselves? Yeah.

Laramy: No. They're they're barely in the movie.

Danny Johnson: Right. Right.

Tim: Mel Tillis was a well-known country singer and songwriter, and was also well known for his stutter, which he uses very effectively for comedic effect in the movie.

Danny Johnson: Yeah.

Tim: And of course, the blonde bomber, known as Terry Bradshaw, won four Super Bowls. Becoming the first quarterback to win three and four Super Bowls and led the Steelers to eight AFC Central Championships. And of course, now he is a commentator on the Fox sports. but he's been in other movies. Yeah. Yeah. It's funny to see

Danny Johnson: Mm. Yeah, he did his he did his role, he did his thing, you know.

Tim: him as like a young, kind of like in like I've seen him so much now on on Sunday mornings. I'm like, when is this guy gonna retire? I mean, you I love Terry, but like he's

Danny Johnson: Yeah.

Tim: he's been in the game a long time. So,

Danny Johnson: Yeah, yeah.

Laramy: Mm-hmm.

Tim: Director Hal Needham and producer Albert Ruddy liked the chemistry of Brad Shaw and Tillis so much that after the movie they tried to sell a pilot to ABC featuring their characters. The head of the network loved the idea, but the day before the meeting was to be held to discuss it, the head of the network was fired and the project was canceled.

Danny Johnson: Oof.

Tim: Welcome to Hollywood.

Laramy: What could have been

Tim: Yeah. I did like them together. They were funny, so

Laramy: Yeah. I I always wondered though, I get that they had to introduce like yeah, and there are these other cannonballers, like characters

Tim: Right.

Laramy: we're not even going to introduce. But there's the one team in which the dude is lifting the van.

Tim: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Laramy: Why not make that Terry Bradshaw's character?

Tim: Yeah. I didn't put him on the list, but he was a f he was a football player as well. So yeah. he was

Laramy: yeah. Was he actually lifting the van? Do you know that?

Tim: I did not look that up. I I I

Laramy: Okay.

Tim: want to say he probably wasn't. I'm sure he wasn't for like

Laramy: I would yeah, I I would assume but

Tim: many reasons, but who knows with how I'll need him. There's no telling.

Danny Johnson: Right.

Tim: So but yeah. but yeah, I love the the you know, we got enough beer. we got enough ice for this beer. You got any food? He's got one bag of chips.

Laramy: Yeah, we got We got it as snacks. Yeah.

Danny Johnson: Yeah. Yeah.

Tim: How long is this drive? Yeah. I thought it was like pork rinds or something. Yeah, yeah.

Danny Johnson: It was slim it looked like beef jerky or slim gym or something like that. Yeah. maybe. Maybe.

Laramy: I thought it was pork rinds, yeah.

Tim: And then they they're starting the race. When do we stop? Eight hours. I gotta use the bathroom.

Laramy: Bathroom. Yeah.

Danny Johnson: I love all the drinking and driving in this movie.

Laramy: I let yeah.

Tim: for sure. yeah, yeah.

Laramy: I even when he opens the door to punch the card at the very beginning and just all these cans just pour out.

Tim: Yeah, all the beer beer kit right.

Danny Johnson: Yeah.

Tim: Right. Yeah. The mothers against drunk driving would be very mad at them. So That's my dad joke for the day. That

Danny Johnson: Let's get to the ladies in the lam was it Lambo?

Tim: yeah, here we go. Adrienne Barbeau and Tara Buckman as Marcy Thatcher and Joe Rivers, who are given names in the credits but never called by their name in the movie. but the same names were given to two other females in Cannonball Run 2. So that's its own little controversy, but anyway.

Laramy: All right.

Tim: we've covered Adrian Barbeau in our Swamp Thing, Creep Show, and Escape from New York episodes. So I won't go back over her, but she's pretty well known. but Tara Buckman, I did not really know, she played Officer Brandy Ames and the Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo TV series. she was also made many guest appearances in 70s and 80s shows such as The Rockford Files, Kojak, Chips, The Hardy Boys Mystery, Quincy E. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, and Brave New World.

Danny Johnson: Which one I don't

Laramy: All right.

Danny Johnson: know them by name, so which one's the the blonde, which

Tim: A

Danny Johnson: one?

Laramy: A

Tim: Adrian Barbo is

Laramy: Adrienne Barbeau was in the purple with the the brunette, the curly curly hair. John Carpenter's ex wife.

Tim: Dark hair. Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Danny Johnson: Okay. Yeah. And then the state trooper, do we know who she is?

Tim: The yeah, okay, Laramie, I know you know who the state trooper is. That's Valerie Perine has a cameo as a state trooper because she played Miss Tess Bucker from super

Laramy: This Tesmaca?

Tim: from Superman and Superman two.

Danny Johnson: I like it the even this is definitely an eighties movie. Even the stay trooper has cleavage, you know what mean?

Tim: Yeah yeah.

Laramy: Yes.

Tim: Let me guess you've got a license tucked in some tucked in back

Danny Johnson: Yeah.

Tim: in there somewhere. Yeah. Yeah.

Laramy: Mm.

Tim: But yeah, Adrian Barboshi was married to John Carpenter in the

Laramy: John Carpenter. Mm-hmm.

Tim: late 70s, early eighties. So that's why she's in several of his several of his movies. So or her voice is in a couple of his movies as well. So all right, then we're pretty much in cameo. well, not a few cameos. So of course you've got Peter Fonda for his cameo playing the same character he was an easy writer. Bert Convey is the wealthy but board executive Bradford Compton. I knew him as a TV game show host, which he co-created and co-produced with Burt Reynolds, Win, Loser, Draw, which like was one of my favorite game shows as a kid. So

Laramy: I love that show. Yeah.

Tim: yeah, let's make Pictionary into a game show. so they got paid for that. Jack Elam was Dr. Nicholas Van Helsing. Yes, the same name as the famous vampire hunter, but this one is a proctologist. I really just used my finger. best known for his numerous roles as villains in Western films and later in his career comedies, often spoofing his villainous image. His most distinguished physical quality was his misaligned eye, which, yeah, so yeah, yeah, yeah.

Danny Johnson: And the music that play the organ that plays behind it. Mm.

Laramy: Yeah, I love the the Yeah.

Tim: No, I love the scene where they where Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. pull him over to bless him. He opens up the back and sees Far Faso, I want to bless her. Like, no, father. Yeah, and

Laramy: bless her. Yeah.

Tim: then he sees the sees the doctor. He's like, please bless him. We need all the help we can get. He was like,

Laramy: Mm-hmm.

Tim: he's like, just give him a sign or something. He just kind of throws his hand. Like, he doesn't even do the full

Danny Johnson: Yeah.

Tim: sign of the cross. He just like does like a partial.

Danny Johnson: Yeah.

Tim: gosh, that's so funny. yeah.

Danny Johnson: Doctor was the best.

Laramy: I like also the the running joke of I don't tell me where you got him from. Yeah. Yeah. But

Tim: Yes, whatever you do, don't tell me where you found him. Yeah, where you got him from. Yeah.

Laramy: he always like is leading towards something. He goes, when I picked him up, all the animals that no don't tell me where you got

Tim: and then I love in the fight scene where him and Dean Martin he got the shot. He's like, Is it taste good? Yeah, can you trade that up? I

Laramy: Yeah. Can you drink that? Yeah.

Tim: don't know, never tried. And he squeezed in his mouth. It's pretty good. man. two guys I would not have known, but Rick Avials. Avials? Rick Aveals and Alfie Wise's mad dog and Batman. the tow truck drivers who jumped the train flat car. Rick Iveals. Iveals was an American stand-up comedian, which I kinda remember that. He was also an actor, best remembered for his role as Willy Lopez in the film Ghost. So he was the yeah,

Laramy: yeah yeah.

Tim: with Demi Moore. Yes. Yeah, they did. And the yeah,

Danny Johnson: Was the comedian was he an impressionist? 'Cause I f kinda feel they force the Nixon thing in the movie, yeah.

Tim: he did he did a few impressions. I cause I kinda I like when I see him doing the impression, like I vaguely remember seeing like some old stand up clips of him. But the other guy, Alfie Wise, he's appeared in like a lot of Burt Reynolds movies like Hooper,

Danny Johnson: Mm-hmm.

Tim: Hot Stuff, Smoking the Bandit, City Heat, Stroker Ace. so that's kind of one of Bert's friends. and then the the screenwriter, Brock Yates, he plays the race organizer who announces the roles, the rules at the starting line. So that was his cameo.

Danny Johnson: interesting.

Laramy: Okay.

Tim: And of course, director Neil, I was coming, I was calling Neil. Hal Needham shows up in the movie four times. First as the EMT in the back of the ambulance, then as the voice of the cop in the speed trap, then the truck driver who calls Roger Moore on the C B, and finally he's at the very end of the bloopers when he comes in and like calls it a rap. So I think I covered the cat the cat as best I could and as fast as I could. Anybody that I left out

Laramy: I don't think so.

Tim: that you want to talk about? Or does

Danny Johnson: Nope.

Tim: Danny wanna talk about Ferra Fawcett again?

Laramy: Ha ha

Danny Johnson: Yes, my two favorite parts of the movie, Farrah Fawcett and the Doctor. I love the Doctor.

Tim: Yeah. Yeah.

Laramy: I thought you were just gonna say Farrah Fawcett was your two favorite parts of the movie. So

Danny Johnson: That f big feathered hair, the

Tim: Did I mention she loves trees? All right. So

Danny Johnson: Yeah.

Tim: let's talk about iconic scenes. So Laramie, I'll let you go first. If somebody says cannonball run, what's the first scene that pops in your head?

Laramy: because of where I live, it is the the plane landing on the street. because that

Tim: Yes. Please tell us

Laramy: yes, because that is my hometown. and anytime you go to anything here in my hometown, that clip it usually gets played. 'cause yeah, that Covington,

Tim: Yeah. Covington, Georgia. Yeah.

Laramy: Georgia, that is our our town square. So yeah, same place that is now more known as Mystic Falls from Vampire Diaries. It was Sparta, Mississippi and in the heat of the night. it's been in a l many, many, many other things, but yeah, cannonball run. They are landing that right on our square. and what's great about it is is you can clearly tell how it was all set up and you can see the people standing there watching the stunt. And then yes, there's even

Tim: Taking pictures.

Laramy: there's even a Newton County Sheriff's Deputy. I saw the the uniform in the background. so that that's that's what comes to mind for me. I will also mention that then when you see them taking off in the ambulance after they crash, that is actually down highway two seventy eight here in Covington too, 'cause I recognize the the stores you can see on the side.

Tim: yeah.

Laramy: so yeah, so both so for me it's it's the plane landing because that's my hometown.

Tim: I wanna know was like the store he went and bought the beer in, is that still there? Was that a real store there or they'd film that somewhere else? Or do you know?

Laramy: So I I've gotta go back and watch it. I think it I think it was an actual building. I don't think it was like a convenience store like that. Yeah.

Tim: Okay. They just made it that for the movie?

Laramy: but I also am not a hundred percent that it is where it appears to be when you see the plane land. You understand what I'm saying? Yeah.

Tim: Gotcha. Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

Laramy: because based off of where he lands the plane, at least as of in my lifetime.

Tim: Ha ha ha.

Laramy: Even though this was filmed like right as I was born. But there isn't s there isn't something there that he could have run into. So,

Tim: Gotcha.

Laramy: 'cause right about where he landed is actually my barber shop. That's actually where I get my haircut.

Tim: Ha ha ha.

Laramy: so

Tim: Did I ever tell you about the time they landed a plane in the square? You hear you hear that around town every once in a while, so

Laramy: That and them jumping the general E over at Emory College in Oxford right next to us. Yeah.

Tim: Yeah. I think I read it was the that they filmed the first four episodes or like the first season we're filmed in Covington. Yeah. So

Laramy: Yeah, it's like the first half of the first season or something. Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Tim: what about you, Danny? What's when somebody says Cannonball Run, what's the first scene that you think about?

Danny Johnson: Well, I think of more of the f funny funny moments and you already mentioned it, the doctor with do you drink that stuff? And it's

Tim: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Danny Johnson: what I f I mean what I found funny was he he doesn't say like no you can't do that or you you shouldn't do that. It has to be he

Tim: Yeah.

Danny Johnson: just turns and squirts it in his mouth. And

Laramy: Mm.

Tim: Right, right.

Danny Johnson: I d I seeing that scene today I remember laughing out loud when I watched it the first time. So

Tim: Ha ha ha

Danny Johnson: that stuck with me personally. Just that funny moment.

Tim: Yeah. I cut.

Danny Johnson: But there's not too many like standout like action packed kind of po

Tim: Yeah.

Danny Johnson: scenes that kinda stand out and make it i you know, sort of an iconic moment. It was more

Tim: Yeah.

Danny Johnson: and as a comedian I just you know, I look for the funny anyway, so

Tim: yeah. I think we talked about the beginning. My iconic for is the bloopers at the end. Like that was the first movie I

Danny Johnson: Mm.

Tim: remember like, they're gonna show f you know, it's gonna show bloopers like during why actually

Danny Johnson: Yeah.

Tim: watching the credits of a movie and enjoying like not

Danny Johnson: Right.

Tim: reading any of the credits, just watching them like be goofy and making mistakes and stuff. So, which is always

Danny Johnson: Yes. Yeah.

Tim: like my favorite. Yeah.

Laramy: I always love that. Yeah.

Tim: So all right. So what about favorite scenes? Talk about any other I know we've kind of mentioned a few already, but anything we haven't talked about yet that you consider your favorite scenes?

Danny Johnson: Not that we haven't talked about no. Yeah, no, I can't think I I l I mean I like

Laramy: Yeah.

Danny Johnson: the ending scene where they're finishing the race. it is a

Laramy: Yeah.

Danny Johnson: little silly that Bert tackles everybody in one fell jump. I don't mean to spoil it for those

Tim: Yes. He he he ta yeah yeah. He tackles all the stunt all all the yeah. He

Laramy: Ha ha ha. th if you hadn't seen this forty five year old movie.

Tim: he's tackling all the stunt men of the A-list stars that are running down the street. I think when I rewatched this the first time like ten years ago, I completely forgot that Captain Chaos was a character in the movie. Like I just I hadn't put that together until he he showed up. And once again I think that I thought that was in the second one, not in the first one. So

Danny Johnson: Do you want me to let me share you? This is embarrassing. I forgot about Captain Chaos too. And in the beginning of the movie, he's talking about his hamster. Right?

Tim: Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah.

Danny Johnson: And he when he first mentions, right around the ham story first mentions him, you know, the third person, he holds,

Tim: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Laramy: Him, yeah.

Danny Johnson: he kind of touches this yellow pocket on his jumpsuit.

Tim: Yeah, yeah.

Danny Johnson: So before I knew Captain about Captain Chaos, I thought that it him was the hamster in his pocket.

Tim: Ha ha

Danny Johnson: He just carries it around and Bert's like, you know, JJ's the character that Bert plays is all annoyed about this animal in his pocket. That's what I literally thought until Captain Chaos showed up. I was like, What an idiot I am

Tim: Mm-hmm. No, that that that makes sense. That's a good it's probably a good red herring for those that for the first time watching it. So man.

Laramy: I can't help as one as kind of a the comic book guy, but two as a father of of young children. I really would love to know if Dave Pilke

Tim: Mm-hmm.

Laramy: was was thinking of this character when he created Captain Underpants. Not not just because yes, it it's

Tim: Yeah, that's yeah, yeah.

Laramy: it's it's a guy who thinks he's a superhero.

Tim: Mm-hmm.

Laramy: but it's also the fact that every time he becomes Captain Chaos, he does the dun dun dun.

Tim: Mm-hmm.

Laramy: And of course, Captain Underpants, it's the tra la la. So I I

Tim: That makes a lot of sense.

Laramy: really would like to probe into finding out if Dave Pilke

Tim: Ha ha ha.

Laramy: was a fan of Cannonball Run.

Tim: Buried in a subconscious somewhere, he probably like, I didn't even realize

Laramy: Yeah, c I mean because he

Tim: that. Yeah.

Laramy: because he already has shown because the name of the school in the Captain Underpants movies is the Jerome Horowitz Elementary School, which is Curly from the Stooges.

Tim: Mm-hmm.

Laramy: so there's already some comedic influences in there. So

Tim: Yeah. Yeah.

Laramy: I I would really like to know if maybe even if he did it, you know, subconsciously, like it's not that he It actually is a connection, but

Danny Johnson: It is sort of humorous that he's so wrapped up in Captain Chaos and it's such a big part of his personality that it at the end of the movie it takes him a total of three seconds to change and commit to Captain America. Or whatever it is, yeah. The bloopers, yeah. Yeah. But but he just gave it up just like that. I was like, okay, I guess it makes sense.

Tim: Yeah. Captain USA. Yeah. In the in the blooper, yeah. It's like an episode like

Laramy: Captain USA. He says Captain America in the blooper at the end. Yeah.

Tim: that. Mm-hmm. Like I said, logic was not part of the the, you know,

Danny Johnson: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Tim: it was just how what what what's gonna make us laugh? yeah. I what I should have done, and I'm I may do like, you know, just for fun, maybe I'll do like a YouTube clip or something or TikTok, but I want a montage of like all the unnecessary stunts in this movie. Like everything that they did just to like like why crash the van into the police car to then have it blow up falling into the ravine or whatever? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Or why does why does Bert Convey

Danny Johnson: Yeah, the cops like, I'm gonna park over here where there's no guardrail right in in the section between the woods.

Tim: need to be introduced while Driving a motorcycle out of the back of a plane to parachute. Like I, you know, and I'm like, but it's how and I think it's Hal Needham. That's just that's it was his

Danny Johnson: Yeah.

Tim: excuse to like, I wanna try these crazy stunts and have a reason that's not a real reason. Or

Danny Johnson: There was a lot of continuity issues in that movie too. There was a lot of when they cut

Tim: yeah. yeah.

Danny Johnson: back the drink is a different color or

Laramy: Yeah.

Tim: yeah.

Danny Johnson: the shirt is a different you know, it's it's v it's interesting to well I guess I I noticed that more, but

Tim: there yeah. There's one scene with the late the the lady drivers, Adrian Barbeau and the other lady,

Danny Johnson: Mm-hmm.

Tim: where her shirt is zipped, then

Danny Johnson: Yeah.

Tim: they watch cars go by and it goes back to her and it's down, and then it comes back and it's zipped up again, and then she unzips

Danny Johnson: Right. And it's up. Yeah.

Tim: it. I'm like, that was obviously a continuity error right there. So not that I was looking

Danny Johnson: Yeah, yeah.

Tim: that hard, but I just

Laramy: I was about to say, how did you know that?

Tim: it's kinda kinda hard to miss. It's kinda hard to miss.

Danny Johnson: Yeah, I noticed that too, but I I dif I didn't wanna bring it up that I just noticed Yeah, it was like probably you know, twenty two takes cut together and they just forgot to

Tim: Yeah. Yeah. But yeah.

Laramy: Forgot, didn't care. It's one of the two.

Danny Johnson: I had an experience on set where I was just part of the background of a a pool party in the backyard and every cut, you know, our the drinks that we were holding were labeled

Tim: Mm-hmm.

Danny Johnson: and then she goes, you you 'cause we could sip it, take a little sip as iced tea or water or whatever and then sh they would measure it, like, you need a little bit more. I mean, they were really meticulous about, you know,

Tim: Mm-hmm.

Danny Johnson: making everything very fluid.

Tim: Yeah. This was not that movie. for sure. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Laramy: Albeit a lot of movies back then, especially comedies were not yeah.

Tim: No. I mean, that was expected to be like they they thought this would be played in the theater for, you know, six weeks, maybe make some money and that'd be it. That was you know, HBO was just, you know, just getting started and who they didn't realize it how big that was gonna be and what it's become now. So yeah. But But kind of going back to the ladies, like what go when I watched this movie two years ago, the innuendos and some of the language in this movie, I was like, as a kid, of course, went way over my head, but I know my parents had been squirming in their seats during some of the dialogue. Well, let's let's jump into let me give you a couple trivia things and we'll we'll kind of start wrapping this up. I love the opening. The cartoon in the 20th Century Fox logo was actually created by Hal Needham, who did a similar one for Cannonball Run 2 in 84. At first, Fox didn't appreciate the notion of wrecking their logo, but soon found it would be appealing to audiences if it were left in. And honestly, when when I saw it, I remembered that more from I thought that was from Smoke in the Bandit, not from Cannonball Run. many of the tactics in the film, like dressing as priests or pretending a healthy person is a medical patient, were pulled directly from real life strategies used to trick highway police during the actual cross-country races. So they did pull some of those things from that. and last little bit of trivia here. I don't know if you played this game or not. But the popular arcade game Outrun was inspired by Cannonball Run. Legendary

Laramy: Really?

Tim: game designer Yu Suzuki, created out creator of Outrun, thought it would be fun to turn the movie into a game. I mean, why not? It's a r you know, a racing game, so should be.

Laramy: Yeah. Well and

Danny Johnson: Yeah.

Laramy: in and the like overall if I remember right, the overall premise of that was you're racing across the United States. Yeah.

Tim: Country. Yeah. Yeah. Makes sense.

Laramy: Yeah, okay.

Tim: All right, box office, the cannonball run. sorry. Okay.

Laramy: Hold hold up, hold up, hold up, hold up, hold up, hold up. I was waiting 'cause I I I knew you had your trivia section. Are we not gonna talk about how the the theme song was written and sung by Ray Stevens?

Tim: Ray Stevens, the great comedy

Laramy: Yeah.

Tim: crooner. So yeah. Yeah, and this is I couldn't find any songs from this movie besides Lou Raw songs for my

Laramy: Lou Rawls, yeah.

Tim: for my my 80s flick flashback movie songs playlist, but yeah, good old Ray Stevens.

Laramy: But I found it so funny because when you see it in the credit, it says Cannonball, written

Tim: Mm-hmm.

Laramy: by R. Stevens, performed by Ray Stevens.

Tim: You get two credits that way. That way you get is double double you know, double double the

Danny Johnson: Right. Yeah. My st my stand-up

Laramy: I guess so, yeah. I think it's a different paycheck.

Danny Johnson: my stand up is written by Dee Johnson, performed by Danny Johnson. Right, right. Produced by Danny Johnson Comedy Productions. Right.

Laramy: By Danny John yeah. Good. Yeah.

Tim: Directed by comedian Danny Johnson, you know. L L C yeah.

Laramy: L

Tim: Hey, we can throw get that commission any way you can, buddy.

Danny Johnson: Well that's why I mean you in in all reality, that's why you see a lot of these executive producer credits. Ryan Seacriss

Tim: Mm-hmm.

Danny Johnson: is is an executive producer of the Kardashians, you know, of

Tim: Mm-hmm.

Danny Johnson: their show. He discovered them. He's not on set.

Laramy: No.

Danny Johnson: You know, he's just

Tim: Mm-hmm.

Danny Johnson: that's how they just dippy up the pay.

Tim: yeah.

Laramy: Well, yeah, to throw out another random one, the Unreal documentary series on Netflix about WWE, executive produced by Peyton Manning.

Danny Johnson: yeah, he brought it to the table. If you get somebody's name attached to something, it'll go further and they'll get paid, so

Tim: Yeah, yeah. Mm-hmm. Get a little get a little piece. Little piece

Danny Johnson: Mm-hmm.

Tim: of the pie. So all right, box office. All right.

Laramy: Let's have it.

Tim: Box office. The cannonball run opened on June nineteenth, nineteen eighty one, engrossed eleven million dollars in its opening weekend, the fourth highest opening of all time, but this was not enough to beat. Superman 2 that opened the same weekend

Laramy: Yes.

Tim: with a record-breaking $14 million. But the film did go on to gross $72 million in the United States and Canada, making it the sixth highest grossing film of 1981 behind Raiders of the Lost Ark on Golden Pond, Superman 2, Arthur, and Stripes.

Danny Johnson: Arthur.

Tim: Yeah.

Laramy: All right. Yeah.

Tim: Another movie that couldn't be made today.

Danny Johnson: Right, right.

Laramy: I mean i it was a few years ago though.

Tim: and Stripes, probably. Well, it shouldn't have been. It was terrible.

Danny Johnson: What was the budget? Did they go into what the budget was for that movie?

Tim: Ooh, it was not very much. I did yeah.

Danny Johnson: Couple hundred grand.

Tim: Yeah, it was I I don't I don't think I pulled it up, but I know it wasn't it w I mean the budget was the cast. I mean they what they had to pay the cast.

Danny Johnson: Right, right, right.

Tim: That's really where the budget was, but it I'm sure it made back

Danny Johnson: Mm-hmm.

Tim: made back that money. So all right, now it's that big No,

Laramy: The budget was the alcohol. And they had to purchase

Danny Johnson: It wasn't the special effects.

Tim: no. It was the party at the end where they're just popping champagne bottles all over each other. Like it doesn't matter if we won, we're just gonna party at the end. another helicopter shot at the end. So as it fades out. So all right, now it's time to take a look at how well this 80s flick holds up today. It's the rewatchability and nostalgia meter. It's our way of measuring how enjoyable a movie is for repeat viewings, along with the waves and nostalgia it brings. Here's how it works: it's a one to ten scale. Any number between one and ten will do, but here are a few parameters to help you decide. At the bottom of the meter is a number one. It means I saw it once and that was enough. At five in the middle is a good rewatch every couple of years. And at the ten up the top is a ten, highly rewatchable and full of nostalgia. Danny, where does Cannonball Run rank for you on the rewatchability and nostalgia meter?

Danny Johnson: Gonna have to say a four. I

Tim: wow.

Danny Johnson: yeah, I don't know

Laramy: Wow.

Danny Johnson: that I would rewatch it again. I would just I would scroll to Smoky and the Bandit. You know, if I was if I needed a Bert fix, you know, I would choose

Tim: Yeah, okay, I can see that. Yeah, yeah.

Danny Johnson: that one. So there's and it it maybe if he didn't have other hits, but f to

Tim: Mm-hmm.

Danny Johnson: me this one was tough to rewatch. It was like, all right, the race, the race, the cameo, the cameo, the joke, the joke. I was like, All right, alright.

Tim: Mm-hmm.

Danny Johnson: But I can watch a Stephen Sagar movie over and over again.

Tim: Ha.

Danny Johnson: So I'm not exactly the elite connoisseur of film that we all

Tim: no. It no. Hey, it's it's it this is what this part is. It's just it's it' where it rings for you. There's no there's no right

Danny Johnson: Right.

Tim: or wrong answer. So what about you, Laramie?

Laramy: I I'm gonna go a little bit higher. I'm I'm probably gonna say let's say five point five.

Tim: Okay.

Laramy: I and I think that's more because of nostalgia, more so than rewatchability. 'cause

Tim: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah.

Danny Johnson: Mm-hmm.

Laramy: I agree, rewatchability is not great. 'cause yeah, it is just kind of like, that was fun. and y you don't want to just immediately put and again, like I said, you know, you you were shocked that I didn't already own it.

Tim: Ha ha ha.

Laramy: and not that it again, it's not that it's not a movie I I I dislike. It's just it's not one that I'm just like chomping at the bit to to watch again.

Tim: Mm-hmm.

Laramy: but I I but I'm also a fan of those type of movies. Like I like I'm a fan of It's a Mad Mad, Mad Mad World,

Tim: Mm.

Laramy: The Great Race, classic Blake Edwards,

Tim: Mm-hmm.

Laramy: and even more recently, Rat Race, from the early two thousands.

Tim: Yeah, rat race is funny.

Laramy: So yeah, I'm a I'm a big fan of those. I even I didn't know if you would bring this up. I know I mentioned it to you back a few weeks ago. I even watched USA did Cannonball Run 2000 or 2001. Yeah,

Tim: yeah. Yeah. Yeah, we did talk about that, yeah.

Laramy: it was like six episodes of a reality show based off the Cannonball Run, which I think is on Tubi. so I think you might can can watch it anybody who's curious. So I'm a fan of this like that kind of type of of movie, but

Tim: Mm-hmm.

Laramy: But yeah, the rewatchability kinda isn't really there for me. So so yeah, but I I'm I'm gonna give it a five point.

Tim: Okay. I'm gonna go higher. It's not a it's not a nine or a ten. I don't know, no nobody get excited. but I'm gonna give it like a seven. And I think, like you said, Laramie, it's more the re the nostalgia, because this was just a movie that I mean, when I see it, it automatically takes me back to being a kid, sitting at home, watching it on HBO, like one of those movies I just watched over and over and over again. I remember looking forward to the fight scene with Jackie Chan. That was one of my favorite

Laramy: Mm-hmm.

Tim: scenes to get to. Watching, you know, well, I talk I I joke about how. unnecessary the stunts were, but as a six, seven-year-old kid, like that's what you live for, is like see stuff get blown up and

Danny Johnson: Yeah.

Tim: wild and crazy things. So yeah, rewatchability is probably not as high, but the nostalgia is pretty high for me. So I'm gonna give it a seven for me. So but

Danny Johnson: Okay.

Tim: yeah. All right. Well dan

Danny Johnson: You know, there's a movie c David Carradine movie called Cannonball. I don't know what it's about, but when I was searching today to find to watch it, I was like, What is this?

Tim: Cannonball, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. There's that one and there's another movie that came out that were also like loosely based on the race, but not that is more that that one's more of like an action, which there I read this somewhere, but I couldn't I just didn't think that was 100% accurate. But supposedly the original Cannonball run was supposed to be written for Steve McQueen and was going to be more of an action movie. But then when he was too sick and was about pat pass away, they gave it to Burt Reynolds, who then wanted to be a comedy. But knowing how ne how Need I'm like, it was gonna be a comedy anyway. So but but yeah, so

Danny Johnson: Yeah, yeah. If I if I didn't find Canonball this one on YouTube I was gonna watch the carradine wanna be totally unprepared for this podcast. Burt Reynolds, when did he come into the movie?

Tim: Yeah. That would have been fun. I watched the wrong movie. yeah.

Laramy: Ha ha ha. Yeah.

Tim: That would have been great. All right. Well, thank you to Danny and Laramie for joining us. So, Danny, tell us about what you got going on. No, you've got you've got some stand-up specials that are on dry bar comedy, YouTube.

Danny Johnson: yeah. Mm-hmm.

Tim: You're doing a YouTube series now about things that bother you? Is that what I what I'm under

Danny Johnson: Yeah, called Every my my second YouTube s my second special is called Everything Bothers Me. It's on YouTube. And we just crossed over two hundred and twenty four thousand views, which is nice. And

Tim: Mm-hmm.

Danny Johnson: so I did a p I guess a a take off of that or spin off of that as a YouTube weekly YouTube series called Everything Bothers Me, where I just it doesn't take me long to

Tim: Ha ha ha.

Danny Johnson: think of three things that bother me and I just take a couple minutes and rant about it. And that's doing fairly well. But you can go to Danny Johnson dot com and all my links are there to my social media. All my social medias are the same, Danny Johnson comedy. And yeah, check out the special and check out my tour dates and Thanks for having me.

Tim: yeah. Yeah, man. Glad always glad to have you. Please come back and do more with us. But yeah, definitely check out Danny's specials. They're hilarious. follow him on social media. Lots of

Danny Johnson: Thank you.

Tim: good clips. Laramie, what you got going on at Moving Panels Podcast?

Laramy: Yeah, so we're starting up year seven of moving panels. so gotta you know, in the works of planning out the the stuff we're gonna do. I I'm actually I I can go ahead and tell you that when Halloween rolls around, I'm gonna go back to a movie that I have never seen. So this would be and that is the original nineteen seventy two, I think, maybe seventy four, I don't know the exact date. Tales from the Crypt movie.

Tim: okay.

Laramy: Which I found out it's an anthology movie and I found out that every story is actually from the Tales from the Crypt comic.

Tim: Okay.

Laramy: So so so looking forward to that. But yeah, going in going into year seven and also over on King Size should have a couple of episodes coming out pretty soon there as well with Steven's birthday approaching.

Tim: Nice. All right. Well, definitely check out moving panels. Check out Danny Johnson. But that's a wrap on another trip through the greatest decade of cinema. If we sparked a memory or helped you rediscover a classic, please head over to Apple Podcast. Leave us a five-star review. It helps the show reach more fans like you. Make sure you're always in the loop for our next deep dive. Hit that follow or subscribe button. And if you want to help keep the show running, consider becoming a partner over at buymeacoffee.com. For more 80s goodness, our digital headquarters is always open at 80sflickflashback.com. And while you're there, check out our T public store for original designs and movie inspired merch. Thank you, Laramie. Thank you, Danny, for joining. Thank you all for listening for 80s flick flashback. I'm Tim Williams. Victor, that's two priests driving a Ferrari. When's the last time you saw Two Priests drive a Ferrari? What are they doing? Taking home the bingo money?