Cannonball Run II - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts

[discussimdb]

Fan of Cannonball Run II or just want to share your movie knowledge? This topic is dedicated to all trivia and questions related to Cannonball Run II

[claude]

The movie was originally to be distributed by 20th Century Fox like its predecessor, The Cannonball Run (1981), but that studio passed on the project. Warner Bros. eventually picked up the movie's distribution rights.

[jim]

The Mitsubishi, driven by Jackie Chan and Richard Kiel, drove into a lake, and re-created the Lotus Esprit from The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), that changed into a submarine. While underwater, the theme from Jaws (1975) was played, that referenced Richard Kiel's character "Jaws", from The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Moonraker (1979).

[violet]

At some point during their first scene in the movie, Sammy Davis, Jr. sang a few lines form his popular 1972 song "The Candyman". Dean Martin, meanwhile, sang few lines from the chorus of his 1964 trademark song "Everybody Loves Somebody" before entering the room. Both songs were considered their most successful, and hit number one on The Billboard Hot 100.

[sara]

The stretched Chrysler Imperial limousine (stretched by thirty-six inches), used by Burt Reynolds, was converted by A.S.C. (American Sunroof Corporation) outside Detroit, Michigan, using the front doors from a 1979 to 1981 Dodge St. Regis sedan. This limousine was used in Reynolds' previous movies Sharky's Machine (1981) and Stick (1985). Frank Sinatra had a similar limousine converted by the same coachbuilder, which is still owned by the Sinatra family.

[cameron]

Aside from playing Victor Prinzim, Dom DeLuise also played mob boss Don Cannelloni, who behaves and speaks similar to The Godfather (1972)'s main character, Don Corleone. DeLuise played a similar character in Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993), a movie directed by his long-time collaborator Mel Brooks. He also played a similar character in The Godson (1998).

[cameron]

The car used by Jackie Chan in this movie is a Mitsubishi Starion, sold in the United States under that name, but more commonly known as a Conquest, sold by Dodge, Plymouth, and Chrysler dealerships. With only trivial exceptions, the ones sold in domestic dealerships differed from the Starion in name only. Within the last few years, the car Chan used in the movie was salvaged and restored by a member of StarQuestClub, the national owner's club for Starions and Conquests, and is now roadworthy again.

[sandra]

Hal Needham, in The Cannonball Run (1981)'s commentary, talked about how Frank Sinatra showed up very early on the set of this movie to get his parts shot, and then left before the other actors even showed up. If you watch closely during the office scene, Sinatra is never on film with the other actors. A few times his back is shown with the other characters facing him, but this was a double.

[clayton]

Sir Roger Moore later regretted his decision to turn down a role in this movie, after finding out Frank Sinatra was appearing. In his autobiography, he states of this, "Regrets, I've had a few, but too few to mention."

[nina]

The actor who plays the Sheik's servant is Doug McClure.

[kyle]

Catherine Bach from The Dukes of Hazzard (1979) appears in this film. John Schneider from the same series appears in this film's sequel, Speed Zone (1989)

[toni]

Molly Picon reprised her role as Mrs. Goldfarb (Sir Roger Moore's mother in The Cannonball Run (1981)) in the scene where Tony Danza, Mel Tillis, and the orangutan drive through the stranded mobile home.

[cassandra]

Marlon Brando was supposedly approached about playing an unknown role in this film, presumably a mobster, but wasn't interested. Although the film wasn't critically well received or a box office success he later regretted not taking the opportunity to parody his image and show he had a sense of humor like some of the other cast members did. Eventually he got a chance to do this in The Freshman (1990).

[darrell]

Of the estimated $20 million budget, about $9 million went on paying the fees of the cast.

[lonnie]

According to his memoirs, Sir Roger Moore was again offered the role of Seymour Goldfarb, but turned it down, feeling the joke could go no further. His final female companion had been injured in a car crash on the last day of shooting The Cannonball Run (1981), which was also influential in his refusing the sequel.