| The Cannonball Run | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster by Drew Struzan | |
| Directed by | Hal Needham |
| Written by | Brock Yates |
| Produced by | Albert S. Ruddy |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Michael Butler |
| Edited by | Donn Cambern William D. Gordean |
| Music by | Al Capps |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | 20th Century-Fox (United States)[a] Golden Harvest (Hong Kong) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 95 minutes |
| Countries | United States[1] Hong Kong[2] |
| Languages | English Cantonese |
| Budget | US$16–18 million[3] |
| Box office | US$160 million[4] |
The Cannonball Run is a 1981 American action-comedy film[5] directed by Hal Needham, produced by Hong Kong firm Golden Harvest, and distributed by 20th Century-Fox. Filmed in Panavision, it features an all-star ensemble cast, including Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Roger Moore, Farrah Fawcett, Jackie Chan, and Dean Martin. The film is based on the 1979 running of the Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, an actual cross-country outlaw road race beginning in Connecticut and ending in California.
It was the sixth-highest-grossing domestic film of 1981 and became the first installment of the Cannonball Run trilogy. It was followed by Cannonball Run II (1984), which was far less successful at the box office and with critics. This film and its 1984 sequel were the final film appearances of actor Dean Martin. It also featured Jackie Chan in his second Hollywood role. Cannonball (1976), The Gumball Rally (1976) and Speed Zone (1989) were three other motion pictures based on the actual Cannonball Run outlaw road race. Jamie Farr reprised his Cannonball Run and Cannonball Run II character "Sheik Abdul Ben Falafel" in a cameo in the latter film.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
- ^ "The Cannonball Run (1981)". Allrovi. Archived from the original on 2019-06-06. Retrieved 2020-04-16.
- ^ "Cannonball Run". BFI Film & TV Database. London: British Film Institute. Archived from the original on January 29, 2009. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
- ^ Solomon, Aubrey (1989). Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History. Scarecrow Press. p. 259.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Zhangwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "The Cannonball Run (1981) - Hal Needham". AllMovie.com. Archived from the original on 2019-06-06. Retrieved 2020-04-16.