The Cannonball Run (1981) - ripper car movies

Although it was the third film to be inspired by journalist Brock Yates’s real-world cross-country ‘Cannonball Run’ – the previous two being Cannonball and The Gumball Rally, both from 1976 – 1981’s The Cannonball Run is by far the best known (and was written by Yates himself). Director and stuntman Hal Needham and his good buddy Burt Reynolds were responsible for several road-going action/comedy films of the era, but what helped make this particular example a box-office smash was the brace of big-name stars featured alongside Reynolds.

The film’s premise is simple: a motley crew of racers embark on an illegal road race from New York to California, attempting to elude both the law and sabotage from other teams along the way.

Burt Reynolds plays thrill-seeker JJ McClure, who hatches a cunning plan with his mate Victor (Dom DeLuise) to disguise themselves as paramedics in a potent, 440 big-block-powered Dodge ambulance. They soon team up with tree-loving spunk Pamela (Farrah Fawcett) as their ‘patient’, and the loopy, hypodermic needle-wielding proctologist, Dr Nikolas Van Helsing (brilliantly portrayed by Jack Elam and his real-life lazy eye).

Before long, the group are having to fend off dirty tricks by a rival team of drunken ‘priests’, Jamie and Morris (rat packers Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr, respectively) in their Ferrari. Meanwhile, troublesome do-gooder Arthur J Foyt (George Furth, whose character is a play on the name of real-life racer AJ Foyt,) uses all the political moves at his disposal to try and stop the race.

Also along for the thrills are Roger Moore as English gent Seymour Goldfarb Jr, who is in turn pretending to be Roger Moore; Jamie ‘Klinger’ Farr as the crazy Sheik Abdul Ben Falafel in his hot Rolls-Royce; and a young Jackie Chan in a wild, gadget-packed Subaru. However, my personal favourites ever since my first viewing as an eight-year-old would have to be Marcie and Jill (Adrienne Barbeau and Tara Buckman, respectively) in their tight, shiny jumpsuits. Piloting a sweet Lamborghini Countach, these ladies well and truly can’t drive 55.

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VERDICT: 4/5

Fusing skits, cool cars, stunts and the odd cameo, The Cannonball Run is a fun, quick-paced, action-packed affair, with plenty of one-liners that should see you cracking a broad smile. Highlights include the random appearances of a pair who appear to be wheelstanding their Harley the whole way, and the cop car spinning out at serious warp speed in Seymour’s oil slick.