THE ORIGINAL ENGAGEMENTS
Listed here for historical reference and nostalgia for those who saw Smokey and the Bandit early in its release are the theaters in which the movie opened during its first two weeks of release.
A distribution/exhibition overview: Smokey and the Bandit initially opened exclusively at the fabled Radio City Music Hall in New York City, opening there on May 19th, 1977, in what could be described as an out-of-place, pre-release booking. A week later on the 27th, Universal opened the movie in a massive “regional saturation” release throughout the South and Southwest. This portion of the launch booked theaters in towns of all sizes but was restricted to thirteen states and was designed to capitalize on the Southern theme and setting of the movie and star Burt Reynolds’ popularity in that region. That, and the fact Universal believed the movie would have performed poorly nationwide if it didn’t generate positive word of mouth from the early playdates. (Additional Southern openings, primarily in small towns, continued throughout June and early July of ’77.)
In what was a fairly slow rollout nationally, the major markets in the rest of North America finally started to play the movie during July ’77. These aren’t included in the reference listing below, but to illustrate the rollout, some of the major market openings included: July 15th (Boston), July 22nd (Toronto, New York City expansion), July 29th (Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Louisville, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, St. Louis, San Diego, San Francisco, Washington DC), August 12th (Detroit) and August 19th (Seattle).
And, here were the May 27th openings of Smokey and the Bandit…
ALABAMA
- Albertville — Mall Twin
- Anniston — Cheaha
- Auburn — Tiger
- Birmingham — Eastwood Mall Twin
- Birmingham — Five Points West Twin
- Cullman — Martin Twin
- Decatur — Gateway Twin
- Dothan — Northside 4-plex
- Enterprise — College
- Fort Payne — DeKalb
- Gadsden — Agricola
- Huntsville — Alabama
- Mobile — Village 4-plex
- Montgomery — Martin Twin
- Muscle Shoals — Cinema Twin
- Phenix City — Phenix Twin
- Scottsboro — Holiday
- Selma — Cahaba Twin
- Tuscaloosa — Capri
ARKANSAS
- Benton — Twin
- Blytheville — Malco Twin
- El Dorado — El Dorado Triplex
- Fayetteville — Malco Twin
- Fort Smith — Phoenix Village Twin
- Hot Springs — Malco Twin
- Jacksonville — Flick Twin
- Jonesboro — Plaza Twin
- Little Rock — Cinema City 4-plex
- Little Rock — Four 4-plex
- Marianna — Gene Boggs Twin
- Pine Bluff — Broadmoor Twin
- Russellville — Picwood Twin
- West Helena — Gene Boggs Twin
FLORIDA
- Altamonte Springs — Altamonte Mall Twin
- Arcadia — Arcadia Twin
- Bartow — Bartow Mall
- Boca Raton — Boca Mall 6-plex
- Bradenton — Bayshore Twin
- Bradenton — Skyway Drive-In
- Brandon — Brandon Twin
- Brooksville — Brooksville Twin
- Clearwater — Carib
- Coral Gables — Riviera Twin
- Dania Beach — Hi Way Drive-In
- Daytona Beach — Bellair Plaza Twin
- Daytona Beach — Sunshine Mall Twin
- Delray Beach — Delray Drive-In
- Englewood — Palm Plaza Twin
- Fort Lauderdale — Sunrise Twin
- Fort Myers — Edison Mall
- Fort Pierce — Village Twin
- Fort Walton Beach — Palm
- Gainesville — Royal Park 4-plex
- Hallandale Beach — Diplomat Mall Twin
- Hollywood — Plaza Twin
- Jacksonville — Cedar Hills
- Jacksonville — Expressway Mall Twin
- Jacksonville — Main Street Drive-In
- Jacksonville — Northside Twin
- Jacksonville — Southside Drive-In
- Jacksonville — Village Twin
- Key West — Cinema Twin
- Lake City — Cinema 90 Twin
- Lakeland — Polk
- Lauderdale Lakes — Lakes 6-plex
- Leesburg — Vista
- Margate — Margate Twin
- Melbourne — NASA
- Merritt Island — Merritt Twin
- Miami — Concord Twin
- Miami — Coral Way Drive-In
- Miami — Cutler Ridge Twin
- Miami — Miami Drive-In
- Miami — Omni 6-plex
- Miami — Thunderbird Twin
- Miami Beach — Surf
- Naples — Gulfgate
- Neptune Beach — Neptune
- New Port Richey — Southgate Twin
- North Miami Beach — 170th Street Twin
- North Miami Beach — Golden Glades Drive-In
- North Palm Beach — Twin City Twin
- Ocala — Springs Twin
- Okeechobee — Braham
- Orlando — Colonial Drive-In
- Orlando — Orange Ave. Drive-In
- Orlando — Parkwood Twin
- Ormond Beach — Nova Drive-In
- Palm Springs — Dolphin
- Panama City — Florida Triplex
- Pensacola — Westwood 4-plex
- Pinellas Park — Pinellas Square Triplex
- Plant City — Plant Mall Twin
- Port Charlotte — Promenades Twin
- St. Augustine — Plaza Twin
- St. Petersburg — Crossroads Twin
- St. Petersburg — Mustang Drive-In
- Sanford — Sanford Plaza Twin
- Sarasota — South Trail
- Sebring — Southgate
- Stuart — Mayfair
- Tallahassee — Capitol Drive-In
- Tallahassee — Tallahassee Mall Twin
- Tampa — Eastlake Square Triplex
- Tampa — Hillsboro Drive-In
- Tampa — Horizon Park 4-plex
- Tampa — Twin Bays 4-plex
- Tampa — Varsity 6-plex
- Titusville — Miracle City Twin
- Venice — Jacaranda Plaza Twin
- Vero Beach — Plaza
- West Palm Beach — Palm Beach Mall 4-plex
- Winter Haven — Continental
- Winter Park — Park Twin
GEORGIA
- Albany — Martin
- Athens — Beechwood Twin
- Atlanta — Northlake Triplex
- Atlanta — Tara Twin
- Augusta — Daniel Village Twin
- Brunswick — Lanier Twin
- Carrollton — Village
- Chamblee — Northeast Expressway Drive-In
- Columbus — Columbus Square Twin
- Covington — Newton
- Dalton — Capri
- Decatur — Glenwood Drive-In
- Decatur — South Dekalb Twin
- Dublin — Martin
- Fayetteville — Fayette
- Fort Oglethorpe — Southgate Twin
- Gainesville — Sherwood
- Griffin — Parkwood Triplex
- Hinesville — Brice Twin
- Jonesboro — Arrowhead Triplex
- LaGrange — LaGrange
- Mableton — Mableton Twin
- Macon — Westgate Triplex
- Marietta — Town & Country Twin
- Milledgeville — Martin
- Moultrie — Colquitt
- Newnan — Alamo
- Rome — Village
- Savannah — Cinema Centre Triplex
- Statesboro — Georgia
- Thomasville — Ritz
- Tifton — Tift
- Valdosta — Cinema Twin
- Vidalia — Brice
- Warner Robins — Rama
- Waycross — Mall Twin
KENTUCKY
- Bowling Green — Martin
- Franklin — Martin
- Hopkinsville — 31 West Drive-In
- Murray — Cheri Triplex
LOUISIANA
- Alexandria — Don
- Baton Rouge — Broadmoor Twin
- Baton Rouge — North Park Twin
- Bogalusa — Trackside Twin
- Hammond — Ritz
- Houma — Southland Twin
- Monroe — Plaza
- Morgan City — Lake Twin
- New Orleans — Joy
- New Orleans — Plaza 4-plex
- Opelousas — Vista Village Twin
- Ruston — Village
- Shreveport — St. Vincent 6-plex
- Shreveport — Southpark Twin
- Slidell — Tammany Mall Twin
MISSISSIPPI
- Biloxi — Edgewater Plaza 4-plex
- Clarksdale — Showcase
- Cleveland — Cinema Twin
- Columbus — Malco Twin
- Greenville — Plaza
- Greenwood — Highland Park Twin
- Gulfport — Hardy Court Twin
- Hattiesburg — Avanti
- Jackson — DeVille
- Laurel — Northside Twin
- McComb — Twin
- Meridian — 8th Street
- Natchez — Tracetown Twin
- Oxford — Ritz
- Pascagoula — Towne
- Starkville — Cinema 12 Twin
- Tupelo — Malco Twin
- Vicksburg — Battlefield Twin
NEW MEXICO
- Albuquerque — Fox Winrock
- Clovis — Hilltop Twin
- Gallup — Aztec Twin
- Santa Fe — The Movies! Twin
- Silver City — Gila
NORTH CAROLINA
- Asheboro — Cinema Twin
- Asheville — Dreamland Drive-In
- Asheville — Merrimon Twin
- Boone — Chalet Twin
- Burlington — Park
- Chapel Hill — Carolina Twin
- Charlotte — Charlottetown Mall Triplex
- Charlotte — Eastland Mall Triplex
- Clinton — Cinema
- Concord — Carolina Mall Triplex
- Dunn — Plaza Twin
- Durham — Northgate Twin
- Elizabeth City — Carolina
- Fayetteville — Cross Creek Mall Triplex
- Gastonia — Diane Drive-In
- Goldsboro — Center
- Greensboro — Carolina Circle 6-plex
- Greensboro — Quaker Twin
- Greenville — Pitt
- Havelock — Cinema
- Henderson — Embassy
- Hendersonville — Carolina Twin
- Hickory — Thunderbird Drive-In
- High Point — Twin
- Jacksonville — Northwoods
- Kinston — Mall
- Laurinburg — Gibson
- Lenoir — Cinema Triplex
- Lincolnton — Century
- Lumberton — Cinema Triplex
- Morehead City — Cinema Twin
- Morganton — Studio Twin
- Mount Airy — Mayberry
- Nags Head — Colony House
- New Bern — Cinema
- Raleigh — Mission Valley Twin
- Roanoke Rapids — Cinema
- Rocky Mount — Cardinal Twin
- Salisbury — Center
- Sanford — Cinema Twin
- Shelby — Flick
- Southern Pines — Town & Country Twin
- Statesville — Newtowne
- Washington — Cinema Twin
- Wilmington — Oleander Twin
- Wilkesboro — College Park
- Wilson — Starlite Drive-In
- Winston-Salem — Haines Mall 4-plex
OKLAHOMA
- Ada — Gemini Twin
- Alva — Rialto
- Bartlesville — Eastland Twin
- Enid — Video Twin
- Guymon — Suburban
- Lawton — Vaska
- McAlester — Cinema 69 Twin
- Muskogee — Muskogee Twin
- Norman — Heisman 4-plex
- Oklahoma City — 14 Flags Drive-In
- Oklahoma City — French Market Twin
- Oklahoma City — Reding 4-plex
- Pryor — Allred
- Sapulpa — Creek Hills
- Shawnee — Hornbeck Twin
- Stillwater — Aggie
- Tulsa — Boman Twin
- Weatherford — Vesta
- Woodward — Lakeside
SOUTH CAROLINA
- Aiken — Mark I
- Anderson — Osteen Twin
- Charleston — Ashley Plaza Twin
- Chester — Cinema Twin
- Clemson — Clemson
- Columbia — Miracle
- Conway — Holiday
- Easley — Colony Twin
- Florence — Crown
- Greenville — Tower
- Greenwood — Auto Drive-In
- Greer — Cinema Triplex
- Hartsville — Cinema
- Lancaster — Crown
- North Charleston — Charles Towne Square Twin
- Orangeburg — Camelot Twin
- Rock Hill — Cinema
- Spartanburg — Pinewood Twin
- Sumter — Wesmark Plaza Twin
- Union — Duncan
TENNESSEE
- Bristol — Holiday
- Chattanooga — Northgate Triplex
- Clarksville — Martin Twin
- Cleveland — Cinema Twin
- Columbia — Polk
- Cookeville — Princess
- Dyersburg — Martin Twin
- Gatlinburg — Gatlinburg
- Goodletsville — Rivergate Mall Twin
- Jackson — Paramount
- Johnson City — Mall
- Kingsport — Martin
- Knoxville — Cedar Bluff Twin
- Knoxville — Studio One
- Madisonville — Martin
- Maryville — Druid Hill Drive-In
- McMinnville — Park
- Memphis — Plaza Twin
- Memphis — Raleigh Springs Mall Twin
- Memphis — Whitehaven Twin
- Morristown — Princess
- Murfreesboro — Martin Twin
- Nashville — Martin
- Oak Ridge — Grove
TEXAS
- Abilene — Westgate Twin
- Alice — Sage
- Alvin — Town Plaza Twin
- Amarillo — Western Square Twin
- Arlington — Six Flags Mall Twin
- Austin — Highland Mall Twin
- Baytown — Brunson Twin
- Beaumont — Gateway Twin
- Big Spring — R/70
- Brownfield — Regal Twin
- Brownwood — Commerce Square Twin
- Brownsville — North Park Plaza Twin
- Bryan — Manor East Triplex
- Conroe — North Hills
- Copperas Cove — Cinema 76
- Corpus Christi — Cine 4-plex
- Corsicana — Cinema Twin
- Dallas — Esquire
- Dallas — Valley View Twin
- Del Rio — Rita Twin
- Denton — Fine Arts
- Dumas — Evelyn
- El Paso — Cielo Vista Mall Triplex
- Fort Worth — Wedgwood Twin
- Galveston — Galvez Plaza Triplex
- Gatesville — Town & Country Drive-In
- Greenville — Rolling Hills Twin
- Harker Heights — Showplace Triplex
- Harlingen — Morgan Plaza Twin
- Houston — Alabama
- Houston — Almeda 9-plex
- Houston — Champions Village Twin
- Houston — Gaylynn Triplex
- Houston — Greenspoint 5-plex
- Houston — Northwest 4-plex
- Houston — Woodlake Triplex
- Huntsville — Cinema Triplex
- Hurst — Belaire Twin
- Irving — Irving Mall Twin
- Kerrville — Plaza
- Killeen — Plaza
- Kingsville — Texas
- Lake Jackson — Lake Twin
- Laredo — Cinema Twin
- Lewisville — Cinema Twin
- Longview — Cargill Triplex
- Lubbock — Showplace 4-plex
- Lufkin — Cinema Twin
- Marshall — Cinema Twin
- McAllen — Cinema Twin
- Mesquite — Town East Twin
- Midland — Cinema 1
- Nacogdoches — Stephen F. Austin Center
- New Braunfels — Cinema Twin
- Odessa — Grandview
- Orange — Brown Twin
- Paris — Cinema Twin
- Port Arthur — Village Triplex
- Richmond — Lamar
- San Angelo — Sherwood Twin
- San Antonio — North Star Mall Twin
- San Antonio — South Park Mall 4-plex
- San Marcos — Holiday
- Seguin — Palace Twin
- Sherman — Cinema Twin
- Snyder — Cinema Twin
- Sugar Land — Palms
- Temple — Arcadia
- Texarkana — Cinema City Triplex
- Texas City — Tradewinds Twin
- Tyler — Cinema Twin
- Victoria — Playhouse 4-plex
- Waco — Cinema Twin
- Wichita Falls — Wichita
