Smokey Bites the Dust

SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT PART 3 (1983)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

In the last few months, I have watched Jackie Gleason at his very best as the irascible busdriver Ralph on TV's classic series "The Honeymooners." Every time I watch, I never tire of seeing Ralph's wild antics, bizarre schemes, fighting with Norton or enduring fat jokes and being one-upped by his wife Alice. But in the 1980's, with the exception of "Nothing in Common" with Tom Hanks, Jackie Gleason was badly used and showed little of his blazing, larger-than-life charisma that made him such a star in his prime. 1983 might have been the unkindest year for Gleason having starred in two rotten sequels. One was the lifeless "The Sting II." The other was the far more execrable "Smokey and the Bandit Part 3," a truly moronic and wasteful use of celluloid. You know it is bad when Burt Reynolds doesn't even agree to star in it, except for a useless cameo at the end (I don't mean to ruin it for anyone).

According to Leonard Maltin's Movie and Video Guide, the initial preview screenings for this movie showed Jackie Gleason as Sheriff Buford T. Justice and as the Bandit, hence the original title of the film was "Smokey is the Bandit." Then they changed it completely with Jerry Reed as the Bandit since the audiences were initially confused. True or not, it deserves further investigation into what might have been. (UPDATE: Apparently, this is no hoax - it is true. Check out the picture below).

Smokey is the Bandit

I wish not to spend more time on "Smokey and the Bandit Part 3" except to say that Jerry Reed is indeed the Bandit, overplaying it without the smooth charm of Burt Reynolds. All the gags fall flat on their face and there is not one chuckle to be had from any of this - Burt and Sally Field are sorely missed. Jackie Gleason has a nifty scene at the beginning where he is dressed as a general in front of an American flag (just like in the opening moments of "Patton") and talks about his past adventures trying to capture the elusive Bandit. The audience is barely awake listening to this man. Nuff' said.