The Cannonball run

Released; 1981

Location; Decatur and Covington Georgia and Redondo beach California USA.

A star studded race from sea to shining sea based on the real illegal cross country races of the 1970’s. The Cannonball run had a cast list that read like a Hollywood phone book.

The film starred, to name a few, Burt Reynolds, Farrah Fawcett, Sammy Davis Jnr, Dean Martin, Roger Moore and Jackie Chan and was directed by Hal Needham.

When I was growing up I was obsessed by any movie with the Burt Reynolds and Hal Neeham team (The Cannonball run, Smokey and the Bandit, Hooper, Stroker ace) and when my holiday of 2017 took me through Atlanta Georgia I started looking into film locations of the area.

To my absolute delight I found that as well as being able to visit the Smokey and the Bandit locations in Jonesburgh (see the Smokey and the Bandit page for more information) I was going to be able to join the route and see the start line of my favourite car race movie.

This is not a comprehensive list of locations from the movie (I hope someday to have the chance to complete the set) but it features the start line which is a major scene and one of the funniest scenes from the movie where Sammy Davis Jnr and Dean Martin are stopped by a sherriff for being suspected flashers. An Accusation made by Bert Reynolds character J.J.Mclure.

UPDATE. In March 2019 I found myself in California and on my way to spending a night on the Queen Mary at Long Beach I was able to stop off at the Portofino Inn, Redondo beach which was the location of the finish line from the film and from the actual Cannonball run race. So glad I was able to visit both the start and finish line locations and the pictures are now added to the set for you to see.

Screen shots from the film remain property of the film makers.

The Cannonball run

Released; 1981

Location; Decatur and Covington, Georgia and Redondo beach California, USA.

A star studded race from sea to shining sea based on the real illegal cross country races of the 1970’s. The Cannonball run had a cast list that read like a Hollywood phone book.

The film starred, to name a few, Burt Reynolds, Farrah Fawcett, Sammy Davis Jnr, Dean Martin, Roger Moore and Jackie Chan and was directed by Hal Needham.

When I was growing up I was obsessed by any movie with the Burt Reynolds and Hal Neeham team (The Cannonball run, Smokey and the Bandit, Hooper, Stroker ace) and when my holiday of 2017 took me through Atlanta Georgia I started looking into film locations of the area.

To my absolute delight I found that as well as being able to visit the Smokey and the Bandit locations in Jonesburgh (see the Smokey and the Bandit page for more information) I was going to be able to join the route and see the start line of my favourite car race movie.

This is not a comprehensive list of locations from the movie (I hope someday to have the chance to complete the set) but it features the start line which is a major scene and one of the funniest scenes from the movie where Sammy Davis Jnr and Dean Martin are stopped by a sherriff for being suspected flashers. An Accusation made by Bert Reynolds character J.J.Mclure.

UPDATE. In March 2019 I found myself in California and on my way to spending a night on the Queen Mary at Long Beach I was able to stop off at the Portofino Inn, Redondo beach which was the location of the finish line from the film and from the actual Cannonball run race. So glad I was able to visit both the start and finish line locations and the pictures are now added to the set for you to see.

Screen shots from the film remain property of the film makers.

Then and now gallery

(Click for larger image)