Hollywood Lodestar — In tribute to the passing of iconic superstar Burt Reynolds, and before UCLA rides into a projected world of hurt as a 30-point underdog to Oklahoma, let’s honor the renowned ladies’ man with 54 photos of the pert — like early Sally Field — women of the UCLA Dance Team
Rest in Peace, Bandit.
It is a sad day today, as the World has lost a Hollywood Legend. Burt Reynolds was the #1 Box Office Star of the entire 1970’s, giving us a pantheon of unforgettable action films, and sprinkling in some romantic comedies, regular comedies, and dramas as well. “Deliverance” was intense, the “Smokey and the Bandit” franchise endures to this day, and his appearances on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson will never get old.
Reynolds was charming, handsome, and funny — a knockout combination. He posed nude for a Cosmopolitan centerfold, had romances with Dinah Shore, Judy Carne, Sally Field, and Loni Anderson, guest hosted “The Tonight Show,” and continued acting into his 80’s. Kids and teens in the 70’s learned a lot about life, manliness, and sex from watching Reynolds’ movies. For many, Burt was the Essence of COOL, and tough as nails too. Burt was like John McClane of “Die Hard” before “Die Hard,” which is ironic because he actually TURNED DOWN THAT ROLE!
Besides Deliverance and Smokey, some of the Burt movies that entertained me and so many others back in the day (in SORT of an order of preference): “The Longest Yard” (the original one, not the Adam Sandler one, which Burt was also in), “The End” (a dark comedy about suicide with Dom DeLuise), “Hooper” (where Sally Field was SOOOOOOO cute, and which may explain why I have favored some of the more petite, feathered hair cheerleaders over the years), “Cannonball Run” (1 & 2), “Sharkey’s Machine,” “Stick,” “Heat,” “Semi Tough, and “Best Friends,” plus some I liked but barely remember seeing –“City Heat,” “Fuzz,” “Gator,” “Rough Cut,” and “Starting Over.”
I really loved the movies with Burt and Sally: The “Smokey and the Bandit” series, “The End,” and “Hooper.” I also love the episode of Carson where Burt squirts whipped cream down Johnny’s pants. And last year, a movie came out called “The Last Movie Star,” where Burt plays a thinly-veiled version of himself, in a funny, sad, bittersweet and heartwarming story of coming to grips with the ups and downs of the career of an icon/idol. I recommend it if you don’t mind “the feels,” especially in the wake of his passing.
Speaking of passing and demises, UCLA heads into Norman this weekend as 30-point underdogs to the #6 Sooners. They may have to do a little more passing, as they will likely be trying to come from behind. But even if they lose, it does not mark the demise of the team for this year. No shame in getting routed at Oklahoma. They can learn from it, regroup, and start clean the following week against Fresno St., and carry that momentum into the conference schedule. So try not to overreact if things don’t go well on Saturday.
You know where things always go well? When taking photos of the UCLA Spirit Squad. I am going through the 800+ photos from the Cincinnati game in order, and today’s collection is all Dance Team. So without further ado, here are 53 more photos from last Saturday — close-ups, plus action shots of the Dance Team performing at the pre-game rally. Enjoy!
