September 12 - September 18, 1976
A chronological look at the third week of principal photography for Smokey and the Bandit.
Introduction
Following a scheduled day off, production moved to the mountains of north Georgia, where the town of Helen became the backdrop for several memorable sequences. During the week, the crew filmed the Mississippi roadblock, the pond hopping sequence, scenes around downtown Helen, and the famous Kissing Bridge. Production concluded the week in the Atlanta area with filming at Redan Park and the Union 76 Truck Stop in Duluth.
Week at a Glance
| Day | Date | Filming | D/N | INT/EXT | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Mon, Sept. 13 | Mississippi Roadblock (Production) | D | EXT | Main |
| 13 | Tue, Sept. 14 | Pond Hopping (Production) | D | EXT | Main |
| 14 | Wed, Sept. 15 | Kissing Bridge (Production) | D | EXT | Main |
| Tooling Around Helen (Production) | D | EXT | Main | ||
| 15 | Thu, Sept. 16 | (Research in Progress) | Main | ||
| 16 | Fri, Sept. 17 | Football Field (Production) | D | EXT | Main |
| Funeral Procession (Production) | D | EXT | Main | ||
| 17 | Sat, Sept. 18 | Union 76 Truck Stop (Production) | D | EXT | Main |
Week 3 Map
(Interactive map coming soon.)
- 📍 Helen, Georgia
- 📍 Kissing Bridge
- 📍 Pond Hopping Location
- 📍 Redan Park
- 📍 Redan Community Cemetery
- 📍 Union 76 Truck Stop (Duluth)
Highlights
- Production relocated to Helen, Georgia.
- Several memorable mountain driving sequences were filmed.
- The famous Kissing Bridge sequence was completed.
- Football field stunt filmed at Redan Park.
- Funeral procession filmed at Redan Community Cemetery.
- Production wrapped the week at the Union 76 Truck Stop in Duluth.
Production Documents
This week's timeline has been reconstructed using original production scripts, surviving call sheets, behind-the-scenes photographs, newspaper archives, and interviews with cast and crew members.
Explore Week 3
- Mississippi Roadblock →
- Pond Hopping →
- Kissing Bridge →
- Tooling Around Helen →
- Football Field →
- Funeral Procession →
- Union 76 Truck Stop →
Navigation
← Week 2
Week 4 →
Related Sections
- Production Timeline Home
- Filming Locations
- Behind-the-Scenes Gallery (Coming Soon)
- Production Documents (Coming Soon)
