Smokey and the Bandit Movie to Be Played in Lake Charles Theater

With just a budget of 3.5 million dollars, "Smokey and the Bandit" was a film that did really well for its script being written on a legal pad and most of the dialogue in the movie being adlibbed. The saving grace for the movie was that one of the hottest up-coming actors of the time agreed to be the star in it. Burt Reynolds didn't pull any punches when looking at the script. He even made a statement to the effect that it was the worst script he had ever read.

Despite no script, a star that was being paid $1mil, and a budget cut, the movie pressed on. Little did they know that it would be one of the most iconic cult movies to be produced. It skyrocketed CB radio sales, Sally Field's career, and made the biggest hit song for a country artist. The movie itself went on to make over $2.6m on its first weekend and would gross over $126M overall. It was the second-highest-grossing movie during that time.

Now, we can relive that opening night in 1977 on Memorial Day Weekend right here in Lake Charles. Cinemark in Lake Charles is airing the 45th anniversary of the original movie for two shows on May 28. You can catch a 4:00 pm show, a 7:00 pm show, or both!