The Cannonball Run - actors, characters and roles

All actors and their roles in the film "The Cannonball Run"
The Cannonball Run (1981)
Timing: 1:35 (95 min)
The Cannonball Run - TMDB rating
6.122/10
593
The Cannonball Run - Kinopoisk rating
6.715/10
11980
The Cannonball Run - IMDB rating
6.2/10
44000

Actors and characters

Photo Burt Reynolds #45664Photo Burt Reynolds #45665Photo Burt Reynolds #45666Photo Burt Reynolds #45667

Burt Reynolds

Burt Reynolds
Character J.J. McClure
Photo Roger Moore #62504Photo Roger Moore #62505Photo Roger Moore #62506Photo Roger Moore #62507

Roger Moore

Roger Moore
Character Seymour
Photo Dom DeLuise #79209

Dom DeLuise

Dom DeLuise
Character Victor
Photo Dean Martin #81319Photo Dean Martin #81320Photo Dean Martin #81321Photo Dean Martin #81322

Dean Martin

Dean Martin
Character Jamie Blake
Photo Sammy Davis Jr. #81329Photo Sammy Davis Jr. #81330Photo Sammy Davis Jr. #81331

Sammy Davis Jr.

Sammy Davis Jr.
Character Fenderbaum
Photo Jack Elam #59850Photo Jack Elam #59851Photo Jack Elam #59852Photo Jack Elam #59853

Jack Elam

Jack Elam
Character Doctor
Photo Jackie Chan #7912Photo Jackie Chan #7913Photo Jackie Chan #7914Photo Jackie Chan #7915

Jackie Chan

Jackie Chan
Character Subaru Driver #1
Photo Bert Convy #91742

Bert Convy

Bert Convy
Character Brad
Photo Jamie Farr #53796Photo Jamie Farr #53797Photo Jamie Farr #53798

Jamie Farr

Jamie Farr
Character Sheik
Photo Peter Fonda #90441Photo Peter Fonda #90442Photo Peter Fonda #90443

Peter Fonda

Peter Fonda
Character Chief Biker
Photo George Furth #84148Photo George Furth #84149

George Furth

George Furth
Character A.F. Foyt
Photo Michael Hui #91743Photo Michael Hui #91744Photo Michael Hui #91745Photo Michael Hui #91746

Michael Hui

Michael Hui
Character Subaru Driver #2
Photo Bianca Jagger #91748Photo Bianca Jagger #91749

Bianca Jagger

Bianca Jagger
Character Sheik's Sister
Photo Molly Picon #91750Photo Molly Picon #91751Photo Molly Picon #91752Photo Molly Picon #91753

Molly Picon

Molly Picon
Character Mom Goldfarb
Photo Jimmy Snyder #91754Photo Jimmy Snyder #91755
Jimmy Snyder
Character "The Greek"
Photo Mel Tillis #78299Photo Mel Tillis #78300

Mel Tillis

Mel Tillis
Character Mel
Photo Rick Aviles #54207Photo Rick Aviles #54208

Rick Aviles

Rick Aviles
Character Mad Dog
Photo Warren Berlinger #91756Photo Warren Berlinger #91757

Warren Berlinger

Warren Berlinger
Character Shakey Finch
Photo Tara Buckman #91758Photo Tara Buckman #91759

Tara Buckman

Tara Buckman
Character Jill
Photo John Fiedler #27151

John Fiedler

John Fiedler
Character Desk Clerk
Photo Joe Klecko #91435

Joe Klecko

Joe Klecko
Character Polish Racing Driver
Grayce Spence
Character Chair Person
Photo Alfie Wise #91763
Alfie Wise
Character Batman
Photo Johnny Yune #91764
Johnny Yune
Character TV Talk Show Host

Lois Hamilton

Lois Hamilton
Character Seymour's Girl
Simone Burton
Character Seymour's Girl
Finele Carpenter
Character Seymour's Girl
Susan McDonald
Character Seymour's Girl
Janet Woytak
Character Seymour's Girl
James C. Lewis
Character Missouri Patrolman #1
Fred Smith
Character California Patrolman #1
Roy Tatum
Character Connecticut Patrolman
Photo Dudley Remus #91437
Dudley Remus
Character New Jersey Patrolman #1
Hal Carter
Character New Jersey Patrolman #2

Brock Yates

Brock Yates
Character Organizer
Photo Kathleen M. Shea #43797
Kathleen M. Shea
Character Starting Girl
Nancy Austin
Character Phone Booth Lady
Vickie Reigle
Character Car Hop Waitress
Bob Stenner
Character California Highway Patrolman #2
Ken Squier
Character California Highway Patrolman #3
Samir Kamoun
Character Bedouin
Photo John Megna #27957Photo John Megna #27958
John Megna
Character Arthur Rose
Linda McClure
Character Dour Lady
Photo Laura Lizer Sommers #91765
Laura Lizer Sommers
Character Lady in Distress
Photo Richard Losee #91766
Richard Losee
Character Trans Am Driver
Richie Burns Wright
Character Farmboy
Photo Hal Needham #84164

Hal Needham

Hal Needham
Character Ambulance EMT (uncredited)
Photo Valerie Perrine #54457

Valerie Perrine

Valerie Perrine
Character Female Cop Pulling Over Lamborghini Babes (uncredited)
Steve Dressler
Character Race Car Assistant (uncredited)
Dave Mungenast
Character Man Kicked by Jackie Chan (uncredited)
Tim R. Worley
Character Missouri Passerby (uncredited)

Lori Randolph

Lori Randolph
Character Little Girl in Crowd (uncredited)
Ben Rogers
Character Pennsylvania Patrolman

Lori Randolph

Lori Randolph
Character Little Girl in crowd (uncredited)

What's left behind the scenes

  • Don Rickles was originally planned for the role of Fenderbaum, which later became the role of Sammy Davis Jr..
  • The ambulance used in the film is a real vehicle built by Hal Needham and Brock Yates and which participated in an actual 'cannonball run' race.
  • Producers requested permission from the Governor of Georgia to close off the center of a small town for the landing of an airplane. The police cordoned off the area, and this barrier can be seen on screen.
  • The Ferrari 308 used in the film belongs to director Hal Needham.
  • Each time Roger Moore appears in this film, he has a new girl with him. They are all voiced by June Foray.
  • The first patrolman in this film to stop Adrienne Barbeau and Tara Buckman was Burt Reynolds’ stunt double.
  • A cameo role for the director: the man behind the ambulance.
  • Cameo role of Brock Yates: the film's screenwriter appears as a race organizer.
  • Jackie Chan, playing a minor role in this film, was very upset that his character was Japanese, while he himself is Chinese.
  • In one of the early scenes of this film, Dom DeLuise's character says, “Maybe we can get a black Trans Am,” and Burt Reynolds’ character replies, “No, that’s already been done.” This is a reference to the film *Smokey and the Bandit* (1977), which starred Reynolds and was directed by Hal Needham. DeLuise starred alongside Reynolds in the sequel, *Smokey and the Bandit II* (1980).
  • The film was based on a series of real races started by Brock Yates in *Car & Driver* magazine. The fifth and final race was in 1979.
  • Victor (Dom DeLuise) told J.J. (Burt Reynolds) that having a doctor on board was very good, in case someone got “malaria.” This is another reference to *Smokey and the Bandit II* (1980), where Dom plays a doctor who treated a patient with malaria and is picked up by Burt.
  • One of Jackie Chan's first appearances in an American film. Inspired by Hal Needham's idea of including bloopers at the end of the film, Chan establishes a tradition of doing the same in most of his movies.
  • Stuntwoman Heidi von Beltz was injured during a stunt when the car she was driving (doubling Roger Moore's Aston-Martin driver in this race) lost control and crashed. The driver and a second stunt performer sustained minor injuries, while Heidi suffered paralysis in her lower limbs.
  • The film was originally planned as an action movie starring Steve McQueen. After his death, the lead role went to Burt Reynolds, and the film became a comedy.
  • To gather material for the film, Brock Yates participated in the final Cannonball Run in 1979. This step cost him his position as an editor at 'Car & Driver' magazine.
  • At the end of the film, during the big race to the finish line, a black Trans Am appears. The driver of the car is visible in the pedestrian race scene. He is wearing a jacket that Burt Reynolds wore in 'Smokey and the Bandit 2' (1980).
  • A short scene featuring two animated cars destroying the 20th Century Fox logo was created by Hal Needham, who did something similar for another studio when making “Smokey and the Bandit” (1977). Fox studio didn't appreciate the idea of destroying their logo, but soon realized they would have to talk to the public if it didn't happen.
  • The character Dom DeLuise’s Victor Prinzi was named after Vic Prinzi – a friend and college football teammate of Burt Reynolds at Florida State University. Reynolds played halfback at the university until an injury forced him to quit football. Prinzi was a defensive back.
  • The film was based on a series of real races started by Brock Yates in "Car & Driver" magazine. The fifth and final race was in 1979.
Did you like the film?

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