Bye Bye Bandit

Burt Reynolds
1936 - 2018

And so it is that we say goodbye to the Bandit. Actor Burt Reynolds passed away yesterday at the age of 82.

Best known for his roles in Smokey and the Bandit, Deliverance and the Longest Yard, Reynolds first came on the scene way back in 1962, playing as "half-breed" blacksmith Quint Asper. Just like in Westside Story, if you had black hair and the slightest hint of olive in your skin you were automatically a Shark, or in Burt’s case a “half-breed.” That’s not offensive in the least. But I digress.

My memories of Burt (besides the wild parties in the grotto at Playboy Mansion) revolve mostly around the movies Deliverance and of course Smokey & the Bandit (Sally Field was such a doll back in the day). But the eerie thriller about a rafting trip gone wrong (also known for adding the phrase “squeal like a pig” to America’s pop culture, and for the funny looking Cajun kid who played an ass-kicking banjo) Burt makes a rare career appearance as a serious hombre; a bow-packing, arrow-slinging, mountain man killer. But then Burt hurts his leg crashing through some rapids and spends the rest of the movie on his back, screaming or moaning, with a hunk of bone and/or disgusting looking meat sticking out of his leg. Gross, right? I know.

In an interview with CNN, Reynolds said "I took the part that was the most fun. ... I didn't take the part that would be the most challenging." A decision he later regretted. Did you know that Reynolds supposedly turned down the role of Han Solo in Star Wars? I didn’t. But I’ll tell you what, I think Burt could have played the hell out of that role. He should have done Star Wars instead of Semi-Tough or Gator. Hindsight is a bitch.

Burt went through some very public relationships with the likes of Dinah Shore, the lovely Sally Field (I’m convinced that Burt’s downfall, both professionally and personally, can be traced to his breakup with Field), and his marriage and acrimonious public split with WKRP’s famed bombshell, Loni Anderson.

Burt appeared in a shitload of movies and teevee shows, most of which were utterly forgettable (remember Sharky’s Machine? I do. Saw it in the theater in fact. But then it was 1981 so what other choice did I have? We got our first VCR in 1983 and it cost $700 and the only place to rent movies was at a local TV repair shop). Regardless, I’ve always been a fan. Burt always seemed like he was having fun, which let’s face it, is a pretty good quality to possess.

Godspeed, Bandit. Keep the rubber side down and the bugs off your glass.