R.I.P. Burt Reynolds

    I was stunned to hear of the passing of Burt Reynolds, a true American icon. I imagine you'll be seeing a lot of this particular photo for a while, as without a doubt SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT remains the definitive Burt Reynolds movie. As a charismatic television actor, Reynolds made the most of supporting roles which eventually lead to feature casting. In short order, he became the biggest star in the world, to the 70's what John Wayne had been to the 50's. Though a movie star in the truest sense, Reynolds retained a regular-guy presence with his easy manner and self-spoofing humor. It's probably because of this that it's often overlooked just how good of an actor he really was. Reynolds and director Hal Needham spearheaded a southern-fried brand of comedy, cars, and big stars with their runaway hit SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT. This kicked off a wave of similar films, of which Burt remained the genre's most prominent star. He even played the Bandit again in a (still funny, but less charming) sequel. The genre reached it's zenith with the all-star road comedy THE CANNONBALL RUN, which again teamed Reynolds with his dear friend Dom DeLuise. Reynolds landed a historic five million dollar salary for the film, and returned for CANNONBALL RUN II, the hysterical follow-up. Though he continued to headline, some critics felt Reynolds' best days were behind him as he starred in a string of action comedies like COP AND A HALF. He enjoyed a nice uptick by voicing the main character of the Don Bluth animated hit ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN before settling into the character actor phase of his career (though the 21st Century still found him headlining the occasional picture). Always a stud, he became emblematic of the macho American male even through his later years. After leaving Sally Field, Burt married Loni Anderson, creating a truly iconic pairing of Dream Man and Dream Woman. Because his films were so appealing to American audiences, they, and he, have largely been the subject of disdain from critics large and small. The public loved them, though, and the public loved Burt. What's more, fans got the impression that Burt genuinely loved them. A gigantic star, Reynolds never came across as pretentious. Even at his most suave, he was a regular guy, and that won him fans of both sexes. His trademark laugh will be missed. God bless you, Bandit, and thanks for everything.