<P> Director Hal Needham originally planned the film as a low - budget B movie with a production cost of $1 million, with Jerry Reed as the Bandit . It was not until Needham's friend Burt Reynolds read the script, and said he would star, that the film was aimed at a more mainstream release; Reed would now portray Bandit's friend Snowman (Reed would eventually play the Bandit in Smokey and the Bandit Part 3). At that time Reynolds was the top box office star in the world . In the original script Carrie was called Kate while Big Enos and Little Enos were called Kyle and Dickey . Bandit's car was a second generation Ford Mustang and the prize for completing the run was a new truck rather than $80,000 . </P> <P> Burt Reynolds revealed in his autobiography that Needham had written the first draft script on legal pads . Upon showing it to his friend, Reynolds told Needham that it was the worst script he had ever read but that he would still make the movie . Most of the dialogue was improvised on set . </P> <P> Universal Studios bankrolled Smokey and the Bandit for $5.3 million, figuring it was a good risk . Just two days before production was to begin, Universal sent a "hatchet man" to Atlanta to inform Needham that the budget was being trimmed by $1 million . With Reynolds' salary at $1 million, Needham was left with only $3.3 million to make the film . Needham and assistant director David Hamburger spent 30 hours revising the shooting schedule . </P> <P> "Buford T. Justice" was the name of a real Florida Highway Patrolman known to Reynolds' father, who was once Police Chief of Riviera Beach, Florida . His father was also the inspiration for the word "sumbitch" used in the film, a variation of the phrase "son - of - a-bitch" that, according to Reynolds, he uttered quite often . </P>

Where does smokey and the bandit take place