This IS a Man's World, In Appreciation of Burt Reynolds

Burt Reynolds is a god among men and here’s why. First, let me say that I am a bit biased. As a product of the 1970s and living in a state that had fairly strict Blue Laws restricting virtually any means of amusement other than going to movies or going to open houses on Sundays. I spent many Sundays with Burt Reynolds in the late ’70s and early ’80s.

My first Burt Reynolds experience came in the form of the Smokey and the Bandit series and Cannonball Run movies. Burt Reynolds was a man’s man but sensitive enough to be approachable. Almost all of the movies I saw around this time he seemed to play the same lovable rogue with equal parts of naughty and good natured fun.

As I got older my exposure to him matured. I finally got to see what has to be an all time favorite movie of mine with my favorite soundtrack of all time, Sharky’s Machine. What’s not to love about a cop movie that’s got drugs, sex, prostitution, political corruption, a soundtrack with Sarah Vaughn and Chet Baker AND a blind Asian hooker. If you have not seen this movie you really should.

Now, I know you can’t talk about the man without mentioning Deliverance, but about all I can say about that is that the movie, at the time freaked the crap out of me. The only thing weirder is that at least as recent as the early ’90s  you could not go to a music store in Savannah, GA with seeing multiple versions of Dueling Banjos and the Deliverance soundtrack prominently displayed. I think that may have freaked me out a tiny bit more than the actual movie.

Later still, I got to see Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Paternity. I have such vivid memories of both films as a child. When Best Little Whorehouse came out some theaters in Texas were accepting chickens as payment as an homage to the real Chicken Ranch’s policy of accepting chickens as payment for services. Anytime I see Paternity I think of my aunt and her favorite bits. First, she likes to call my uncle… Pookie, just the way Buddy Evans’ trampy “date” does when she’s looking for him in a Lamaze class. Her other favorite bit is where he explains why he hates jerks who tell little kids about gravity, because before then he can do anything.

It wasn’t until years later that that I became aware of his early TV work in dozens of shows, particularly westerns as well as work on the sitcom Evening Shade. The late ’90s brought us a slew of cameos in the oddest films. Not very many of them, I am sorry to say were of much note, except to say that no matter how unimpressive some of the films may be, the scenes with him are always worth watching. Probably because he always seems to be having a good time.

Suffice it to say I was very excited to hear my favorite Burt will be in the summer season of Burn Notice… big woohoo to that.  Burt Reynolds and a good deal of his movies and TV shows have been and still are some of my fondest moments from my childhood and at least in my family, all time favorites. So, Mr. Reynolds from my mom, my aunt, and especially me, thanks.

xxoo