I have to admit I liked Best Little Whorehouse, but then I’m a rabid Dolly Parton fan.
I had no idea Burt was in Smokey & the Bandit 3- I thought he sat that one out.
The incredible thing to me is that he was paid millions up front and pieces of the profits for these pieces of dreck and he wound up broke. That takes talent.
Yes: the pattern is that as his star descended, he was offered fewer and fewer decent properties.
As others have mentioned, Burt Reynolds went from #1 Box Office Star to #37 in one year.
I suppose Reynolds was really demoralized when he saw who finished ahead of him:
…
34) Jim Varney
35) Clint Howard
36) VCR Cleaner
37) Burt Reynolds
Reynolds did his share of lousy movies before Stroker Ace but at least they were commercially successful. In fact, before that movie, Reynolds seemed to have hit upon a foolproof formula for remaining the #1 box office draw by balancing every “good ol’ boy” car-chase movie like Smokey and the Bandit or Cannonball Run with a romantic comedy like Starting Over with a cop thriller like Sharkey’s Machine thrown in every once in awhile. With the failure of Stroker Ace, the formula stopped working and his career was sent reeling. It also didn’t help that Reynolds opted to do that movie rather than play the role of the over-the-hill astronaut in Terms of Endearment that rejuvenated Jack Nicholson’s career and won him an Oscar.
Give him his due, though- it was only VHS VCR Cleaners. Beta Max didn’t come in until around 43 (just between Nipsey Russell and Tab Hunter).
To be fair, he didn’t really help himself much during his decline. Compare John Travolta, who has rescued himself from deep career doldrums more than once, by swallowing his pride and taking a risk on an offbeat role in a fringe project: as a fairly dim heroin addict in Pulp Fiction, most famously, and most recently the Divine role in the film version of Broadway’s Hairspray musical.
You’re right that Reynolds wasn’t getting the same plum offers he was used to, but as NDP says, he did have opportunities to revitalize his career, by setting aside his ego and taking character-oriented roles in ensemble pieces instead of leads. Clearly, he was unable to do either until he was forced to.
I saw it and liked it, too. Plus, it featured the very yummy Rachel Ward.
As long as we’re wandering a bit, I have a question. Why did Reynolds misspell his own name when he wrote it in front of Grauman’s (or whoever is in charge of the theater) Chinese Theater. Was he just drunk? Was it some sort of in joke or what?