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In 1971, the first real-life "Cannonball Run" launched from New York City with a professional race driver and Brock Yates, the son of an auto magazine editor (along with one of his friends). But it wasn't until the second race that things got crazy, when professional racer Dan Gurney drove the full 2863 miles in less than 36 hours - crossing America in a Ferrari at an average speed of 80 miles per hour, consistently exceeding the speed limit

by 45%.

The four legendary "outlaw races" ultimately inspired a "cult" comedy in 1981, and the producers filled the movie with the box office's top male stars. Racing across America were Burt Reynolds, Roger Moore (who at the time was still playing James Bond), and Peter Fonda, who had played the original Easy Rider. Along for the ride were Farrah Fawcett (the most famous of "Charlie's Angels") and Burt Reynolds' long-time sidekick Dom DeLuise. Even the Frank Sinatra's Rat Pack was represented with both Dean Martin ("Hold my drink!") and Sammy Davis Jr., and the movie features an early performance from a young Jackie Chan. (He was 27)

Adrienne Barbeau and Tara Buckman appeared as two shapely female drivers who hope to avoid parking tickets wearing low-cut spandex to charm any highway patrolmen. ("We all make mistakes, Miss, but 160?!") And Roger Moore made so many James Bond jokes that his contract was reportedly updated to preclude any future Bond-like performances outside the franchise.

But if this movie represents a male fantasy, the producer's tried to give it some authenticity. The original racer, Brock Yates, was hired to wave the flag in the movie that starts the race, and to write the movie's entire screenplay. ("Headquarters, we are still in pursuit of the black Lamborgini." "Car 42, you have BEEN in pursuit for two hours...") Director Hal Needham had also driven in the final real-life cross-country race in 1979, and filmed Burt Reynolds' original car-chase movie, "Smokey and the Bandit". They settled on delivering an "anything goes" formula, cutting from one racing team to the next, and including crowd-pleasing shots of the drivers racing to avoid police cars. At one point, one driver even stops to spray-paint a big red X over a speed limit sign.

The movie fills an hour and a half showing the various drivers using tricks to evade the police - and, of course, to sabotage the other drivers. Burt Reynolds warns a law-and-order police officer that Dean Martin isn't really the priest he's pretending to be. (While Reynolds' own crew pretends they're rushing a patient to the hospital who's unable to fly.) But in one genuinely moving scene, Reynolds' character remembers that his own father worked his entire life to save money for retirement - and then died before he was able to enjoy it. Yes, he's now participating in an illegal cross-country road race. But as far as these movies go, he at least has a good reason.

Popular comedic country singer Ray Stevens was tapped to sing the opening theme song. ("What do you do when you've done it all? Be anything you want to be. Move 'em out, let 'em roll. From sea to shining sea...") The movie never aimed to be anything more than corny movie fun, a good ol' rowdy road-race picture.

And taken solely on those terms - it succeeded.

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