The Great Smokey Roadblock
Encyclopedia
The Great Smokey Roadblock is a 1977 comedy
road film written and directed by John Leone. It stars Henry Fonda
, Eileen Brennan
, John Byner
, Dub Taylor
and Daina House
. The film is also known as The Last of the Cowboys.
) gets his rig repossessed by the finance company. Deciding that it's time to make one last perfect cross country run, he escapes from the hospital and steals back his truck. Doing a favor for an old friend, madam Penelope (Eileen Brennan
), he picks up six prostitutes (Daina House
, Susan Sarandon
, Melanie Mayron
, Leigh French
, Mews Small and Valerie Curtin
) to bring them across the border. He heads off into the night with the police on his tail, and becomes a folk hero.
.
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
road film written and directed by John Leone. It stars Henry Fonda
Henry Fonda
Henry Jaynes Fonda was an American film and stage actor.Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor. He also appeared in 1938 in plays performed in White Plains, New York, with Joan Tompkins...
, Eileen Brennan
Eileen Brennan
Eileen Brennan is an American actress of film, television, and theater. Brennan is best known for her role as Doreen Lewis in Private Benjamin for which she received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She reprised the role in the TV adaption and won a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy...
, John Byner
John Byner
John Byner is an American actor, comedian, and impressionist who has had a lengthy television and movie career. His voice work includes the cartoon series The Ant and the Aardvark, in which the title characters are voiced by Byner's impressions of Dean Martin and Jackie Mason,...
, Dub Taylor
Dub Taylor
Walter Clarence Taylor, Jr. , better known as Dub Taylor, was an American actor who worked extensively in Westerns, but also in comedy from the 1940s into the 1990s.-Early life:...
and Daina House
Daina House
Daina House is a former model and actress. She was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for its January 1976 issue...
. The film is also known as The Last of the Cowboys.
Plot
While in the hospital, 60-year-old truck driver Elegant John (Henry FondaHenry Fonda
Henry Jaynes Fonda was an American film and stage actor.Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor. He also appeared in 1938 in plays performed in White Plains, New York, with Joan Tompkins...
) gets his rig repossessed by the finance company. Deciding that it's time to make one last perfect cross country run, he escapes from the hospital and steals back his truck. Doing a favor for an old friend, madam Penelope (Eileen Brennan
Eileen Brennan
Eileen Brennan is an American actress of film, television, and theater. Brennan is best known for her role as Doreen Lewis in Private Benjamin for which she received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She reprised the role in the TV adaption and won a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy...
), he picks up six prostitutes (Daina House
Daina House
Daina House is a former model and actress. She was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for its January 1976 issue...
, Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandon is an American actress. She has worked in films and television since 1969, and won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the 1995 film Dead Man Walking. She had also been nominated for the award for four films before that and has received other recognition for her...
, Melanie Mayron
Melanie Mayron
Melanie Joy Mayron is an American actress and director of film and television. Mayron is best known for portraying the role of photographer Melissa Steadman on the ABC drama Thirtysomething.-Biography:...
, Leigh French
Leigh French
-External links:...
, Mews Small and Valerie Curtin
Valerie Curtin
-Biography:Curtin was born in New York City, the daughter of radio actor Joseph Curtin. She is a cousin of TV comedian/actress Jane Curtin...
) to bring them across the border. He heads off into the night with the police on his tail, and becomes a folk hero.
Cast
- Henry FondaHenry FondaHenry Jaynes Fonda was an American film and stage actor.Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor. He also appeared in 1938 in plays performed in White Plains, New York, with Joan Tompkins...
as Elegant John - Eileen BrennanEileen BrennanEileen Brennan is an American actress of film, television, and theater. Brennan is best known for her role as Doreen Lewis in Private Benjamin for which she received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She reprised the role in the TV adaption and won a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy...
as Penelope - Austin PendletonAustin PendletonAustin Pendleton is an American film, television, and stage actor, a playwright, and a theatre director and instructor.-Life and career:...
as Guido - Robert EnglundRobert EnglundRobert Barton Englund is an American actor, voice-actor and director, best known for playing the fictional serial killer Freddy Krueger, in the Nightmare on Elm Street film series. He received a Saturn Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors in...
as Beebo Crozier - Dub TaylorDub TaylorWalter Clarence Taylor, Jr. , better known as Dub Taylor, was an American actor who worked extensively in Westerns, but also in comedy from the 1940s into the 1990s.-Early life:...
as Harley Davidson - John BynerJohn BynerJohn Byner is an American actor, comedian, and impressionist who has had a lengthy television and movie career. His voice work includes the cartoon series The Ant and the Aardvark, in which the title characters are voiced by Byner's impressions of Dean Martin and Jackie Mason,...
as Bobby Apples - Susan SarandonSusan SarandonSusan Sarandon is an American actress. She has worked in films and television since 1969, and won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the 1995 film Dead Man Walking. She had also been nominated for the award for four films before that and has received other recognition for her...
as Ginny - Melanie MayronMelanie MayronMelanie Joy Mayron is an American actress and director of film and television. Mayron is best known for portraying the role of photographer Melissa Steadman on the ABC drama Thirtysomething.-Biography:...
as Lula - Leigh FrenchLeigh French-External links:...
as Glinda - Mews SmallMews SmallMews Small is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles; as "Candy" in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and "Dr. Nero" in Sleeper....
as Alice - Daina HouseDaina HouseDaina House is a former model and actress. She was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for its January 1976 issue...
as Celeste - Gary SandyGary SandyGary Sandy is an American actor, who starred as program director Andy Travis on the television sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati....
as Charlie La Pere - Valerie CurtinValerie Curtin-Biography:Curtin was born in New York City, the daughter of radio actor Joseph Curtin. She is a cousin of TV comedian/actress Jane Curtin...
as Mary Agnes - Johnnie Collins III as Jimmy
- Bibi Osterwald as Annie McCarigle
Production
The Great Smokey Roadblock was filmed in 1974, but was held for release. Fonda had a number of illnesses during filming. Location shooting took place in Oroville, CaliforniaOroville, California
Oroville is the county seat of Butte County, California. The population was 15,506 at the 2010 census, up from 13,004 at the 2000 census...
.