VINTAGE FILM Smokey and the Bandit

Once upon a time, Coors beer was a contraband delicacy (not unlike Mexican Coca-Cola today) that was smuggled across borders (and even into the White House) by purists who craved the taste of its all-natural ingredients. Such are the cultural nuggets to be found in Smokey and the Bandit, a rowdy redneck romp loved by most critics and more than a million Facebook fans (it was also a publicly acknowledged favorite of the late, great Alfred Hitchcock). A mid-career hit for its established stars (Fields and Reynolds), it was the Pontiac Trans Am T-top that was boost into stardom by Smokey – after the film hit theatres, it started outselling the Camaro.