The Cannonball Run (1981)

Director:

Hal Needham

Writer:

Brock Yates (written by)

Release Date:

19 June 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy

Tagline:

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

Plot:

A wide variety of eccentric competitors participate in a wild and illegal cross-country car race.

Plot Keywords:

Race | Car | Cross Country | Racer | Car Race

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Burt Reynolds	...	J.J. McClure
Roger Moore	...	Seymour Goldfarb, Jr.
Farrah Fawcett	...	Pamela Glover
Dom DeLuise	...	Victor Prinzim / Captain Chaos
Dean Martin	...	Jamie Blake
Sammy Davis Jr.	...	Morris Fenderbaum
Jack Elam	...	Doctor Nikolas Van Helsing
Adrienne Barbeau	...	Marcie Thatcher, Lamborghini Babe #1
Terry Bradshaw	...	Terry
Jackie Chan	...	Jackie Chan, Subaru Driver
Bert Convy	...	Bradford Compton
Jamie Farr	...	The Sheik
Peter Fonda	...	Chief Biker
George Furth	...	Arthur J. Foyt
Michael Hui	...	Subaru Engineer
Bianca Jagger	...	Sheik's Sister
Molly Picon	...	Mrs. Goldfarb
Jimmy 'The Greek' Snyder	...	The Greek
Mel Tillis	...	Mel
Rick Aviles	...	Mad Dog
Warren Berlinger	...	Shakey Finch
Tara Buckman	...	Jill Rivers, Lamborghini Babe #2
John Fiedler	...	Desk Clerk
Norman Grabowski	...	Petoski
Joe Klecko	...	Polish Racing Driver
Grayce Spence	...	Chair Person
Robert Tessier	...	Biker (as Bob Tessier)
Alfie Wise	...	Batman
Johnny Yune	...	TV Talk Show Host
Lois Hamilton	...	Seymour's Girl (as Lois Areno)
Simone Burton	...	Seymour's Girl
Finele Carpenter	...	Seymour's Girl
Susan McDonald	...	Seymour's Girl
Janet Woytak	...	Seymour's Girl
Ben Rogers	...	Pennsylvania Patrolman
James C. Lewis	...	Missouri Patrolman (as Jim Lewis)
Fred Smith	...	California Patrolman #1
Roy Tatum	...	Connecticut Patrolman
Dudley Remus	...	New Jersey Patrolman #1
Hal Carter	...	New Jersey Patrolman #2
Brock Yates	...	Organizer
Kathleen M. Shea	...	Starting Girl
Nancy Austin	...	Phone Booth Lady
Vickie Reigle	...	Car Hop
Bob Stenner	...	California Patrolman #2
Ken Squier	...	California Patrolman #3
Samir Kamoun	...	Sadouin
John Megna	...	Arthur Rose
Linda McClure	...	Dour Lady
Laura Lizer Sommers	...	Lady in Distress
Richard Losee	...	Trans Am Driver
Richie Burns Wright	...	Farmboy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dave Mungenast Sr.	...	Kicked by Jackie Chan (uncredited)
Hal Needham	...	Ambulance EMT (uncredited)
Valerie Perrine	...	Female Cop Pulling Over Lamborghini Babes (uncredited)

Directed by
Hal Needham

Writing credits
Brock Yates		(written by)

Produced by
Raymond Chow	....	executive producer
David Hamburger	....	associate producer
Andre Morgan	....	executive producer
Albert S. Ruddy	....	producer

Original Music by
Al Capps

Cinematography by
Michael C. Butler		(director of photography) (as Michael Butler)

Film Editing by
Donn Cambern
William D. Gordean

Art Direction by
Carol Wenger

Set Decoration by
Rochelle Moser

Costume Design by
Norman Salling

Makeup Department
Gabriel Borgo	....	hair stylist (as Gabe Borgo)
Edwin Butterworth	....	makeup artist (as Ed Butterworth)
Tom Ellingwood	....	makeup artist

Production Management
David Hamburger	....	unit production manager
Andre Morgan	....	production supervisor (as André Morgan)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Frank Bueno	....	second assistant director
Bill Coker	....	first assistant director
Marty Eli Schwartz	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Jerry Graham	....	property master
Gary F. Kieldrup	....	assistant property master (as Gary Kieldrup)
Drew Struzan	....	poster artist

Sound Department
Milton C. Burrow	....	sound supervisor (as Milton Burrow)
Neil Burrow	....	sound effects editor
Scott Burrow	....	assistant sound effects editor
Gordon Davidson	....	sound effects editor
Jay Engel	....	dialogue editor
David M. Horton	....	sound effects editor
Rick Kline	....	sound re-recording mixer
Glen Lambert	....	boom operator
Donald O. Mitchell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bill Nicholson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Robert A. Reich	....	sound effects editor
Jack Solomon	....	sound
Jim Yant	....	sound effects editor (as James Yant)
Donald C. Rogers	....	technical director of sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Gregg Bond	....	special effects prop artist
Cliff Wenger	....	special effects (as Cliff Wenger Sr.)

Stunts
Bobby Bass	....	stunt coordinator
Richard Epper	....	stunts
Scott Hamilton	....	stunt double
Terry James	....	stunts
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	stunt double: Dean Martin
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	stunt driver
Gene Witham	....	utility stunts
May Boss	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gilbert B. Combs	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mike De Luna	....	stunts (uncredited)
Eurlyne Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jeannie Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Allan Graf	....	stunts (uncredited)
James M. Halty	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bennie Moore	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jimmy Nickerson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Brad Orrison	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mark Orrison	....	stunts (uncredited)
Regina Parton	....	stunts (uncredited)
Heidi Von Beltz	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Dick Colean	....	camera operator
Kyle T. MacDowell	....	electrician

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Darryl M. Athons	....	costumer: men
Kathy O'Rear	....	costumer: women
Don Vargas	....	costumer: men

Editorial Department
William J. Meshover	....	assistant film editor (as William Meshover)
Steve Mirkovich	....	assistant film editor
Janice Parker	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
L. Dummill	....	composer: song "Beauty's Theme"
Snuff Garrett	....	music supervisor
Grover B. Helsley	....	music mixer (as Grover Helsley)
Larry Henley	....	composer: song "Love in the Air" (as L. Henley)
Jim Henrikson	....	music editor (as James Henrikson)
J. Hurt	....	composer: song "Love in the Air"
J. Slate	....	composer: song "Love in the Air"

Transportation Department
Mike Doyle	....	transportation captain (as Michael Doyle)
Howard A. Small	....	transportation coordinator (as Howard Small)
Roger Wooge	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Maureen O. Beall	....	production coordinator (as Maureen Osborne-Beall)
Stanley Brossette	....	unit publicist
Lyle Christensen	....	car fabricator
Chris Karamanos	....	caterer
Jim McCarthy	....	production accountant
Adele Nadel	....	assistant to producer
Art Sarno	....	unit publicist
Kathleen M. Shea	....	assistant to director
Doris Spriggs	....	assistant: Roger Moore
Dorothy Vitale	....	nurse
Chip Vucelich	....	production assistant
Hope Williams	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Golden Harvest Company (presents) (as Golden Harvest)
• Eurasia Investments

Distributors

• Media Asia Distribution (1981) (worldwide) (theatrical) (as Media Asia Distribution Ltd.)
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1981) (USA) (theatrical)
• Tobis Filmkunst (1981) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• CBS/Fox Video (1983) (UK) (video) (laserdisc)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1983) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (1981) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Manga Films (2001) (Spain) (DVD)
• Vestron Video (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Unique Movie Cars  picture cars

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA | Hong Kong

Language:

English | Cantonese | Japanese | Arabic

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Netherlands:12 (original rating) | Netherlands:6 (re-rating) | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (1982) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

King Harbor, Redondo Beach, California, USA

Company:

Golden Harvest Company

Trivia:

Bert Convy's final feature film.

Goofs:

Continuity: Near the beginning the red Hawaiian Tropic stock car that Mel and Terry drive is a Chevy Chevelle/Malibu. After it's painted grey it's a Chevy Monte Carlo.

Quotes:

[J.J. is pissed that Captain Chaos has disappeared]
J.J. McClure: When you don't want him he's around! When you want him he's not around! I'm gonna go get a beer!
Captain Chaos: DA-DA-DUM!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Death Proof (2007)

Soundtrack:

Cannonball

Cannonball Run rules!!!

Captain Chaos, The Rat Pack, Terry Bradshaw and Mel Tillis! Burt, Roger Moore, and Mr...um...Foyt! Some say this isn't a masterpiece, there are no digital effects or Oscar nominated performances. Please! It's just fun watching some of the greats who have passed on and some others who were in their prime having a blast doing a movie that makes little sense and that's just the way I like it. I promise you will laugh and you won't know why, but you won't care! Great movie for anyone who wants to have a beer with his friends and watch a funny, pointless, silly movie. Unfortunately, I also recommend Peter Jackson's King Kong for the same reasons.