10 Things to Know About Cannonball Run 2

Cannonball Run 2 is not a movie that was made to be good. Cannonball Run 2 was made to sell tickets to an experience that features a bunch of big stars, a very brief Rat Pack Reunion of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr., and cars, lots and lots of cars. Lamborghini’s, limousines, underwater cars, and more cars.

Here are 10 things to Know About Cannonball Run 2

10 Jackie Chan Did Not Want to Be in this Movie

Though the original Cannonball Run offered a big opportunity for Jackie Chan to break the American film market, surrounded by a big name American cast, he had no intention of being in the sequel. Then, he learned that his original contract obligated him for a sequel. Chan, who had several movies in various stages of production at the time had to drop everything to return for this sequel. Here’s hoping the paycheck made it worth it.

9. Frank Sinatra Also Did Not Want to Be in Cannonball Run 2

If Jackie Chan was only here by contractual obligation, Sinatra is only here out of obligation to two of his oldest friends. Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr gave Frank a big song and dance about how much fun the original Cannonball Run was and tried to get The Chairman of the Board to join them. Sinatra only agreed after being offered a great deal of money for not a lot of work.

Reportedly, Sinatra received three different options for a contract. A 5 day contract, a 3 day contract, and a single day contract. He took the single day contract, arrived very early in the morning to shoot his two set ups, and was gone by lunchtime. All the while looking like he’d rather be anywhere else. Sinatra was paid $30,000 grand for his performance.

8. Barbara Bach and Susan Anton Borrowed Their Lamborghini from a Friend.

You’d assume the cars in a Cannonball Run movie were provided by the production. But, at least in one case, the car was borrowed by one cast member from a friend. The Lamborghini driven by Barbara Bach and her partner, Susan Anton, was borrowed from Bach’s Dukes of Hazzard co-star John Schneider. In a twist of fate, Schneider would appear in the sequel to Cannonball Run 2 called Speed Zone.

7. There was a Third Cannonball Run Movie?

Yes, in 1989 without Burt Reynolds or director Hal Needham, a third Cannonball Run movie was made. Speed Zone (1989) cost $17 million dollars and flopped massively. The only reason we even know it’s a Cannonball Run sequel is a brief appearance by Jamie Farr as his character from the first 2 Cannonball Run movies, announcing the illegal cross country race is back. It’s alleged that Speed Zone was so bad that the original producers of Cannonball Run pulled the name off of it. John Candy, Eugene Levy, Joe Flaherty, and The Smothers Brothers co-star.

6 That’s Not Frank Sinatra

We mentioned earlier that Frank Sinatra was notably grumpy in his cameo appearance in Cannonball Run 2. He’s unsmiling and gruff in his only appearances. Now, some of you are thinking you saw Sinatra in the outtakes enjoying Dom Deluise flubbing lines but Sinatra was not actually there. That’s a cut from Sinatra’s brief time on camera inserted as a reaction to Deluise. The reality was Sinatra filmed his scenes alone. When you see him with the cast, you see him from the back and the back of his head is played by Sinatra’s double.

5 The Cast Turned up Early to Meet Sinatra and Most Did Not Meet Him

Every cast member wanted the chance to meet Frank Sinatra while he appeared for his single half day cameo. Many who were not scheduled to shoot that day turned up hoping to catch a glimpse of the legend as he reunited with his Rat Pack pals. And most missed the chance because Sinatra was in and out so quickly.

4 Sinatra did each of his scenes in a single take

Shirley MacLaine noted in interviews just how quickly her old friend and co-star, Frank Sinatra was on set and gone from Cannonball Run 2. According to MacLaine, who was on hand for a Rat Pack reunion photoshoot following the filming, Sinatra did one take of his two set ups and that was it. He also did only two behind the scenes publicity photos and appears unhappy to have done even one of them.

3 It’s the Last Time Burt Co-Starred with his Pal Dom Deluise

Though Burt Reynolds and Dom Deluise are forever linked in Hollywood lore thanks to their legendary comic chemistry, no one made Burt laugh as much as Dom Deluise, this was the last time the duo worked together on screen before Deluise passed away in 2009. Reynolds did do a voice cameo in the Deluise directed comedy, Hot Stuff but the two were never seen again as an onscreen duo.

2 IMDB Trivia Makes a False Claim About Cannonball Run 2

This is not surprising, but, IMDB trivia made up a story about Cannonball Run 2 that has come to be accepted as true: Marlon Brando regretted turning down a cameo in Cannonball Run 2. There is no evidence whatsoever that Marlon Brando was either approached or said no to a cameo in Cannonball Run 2. The fake story may stem from Dom Deluise doing his Brando in Godfather impression for the character of Don Canneloni, an impression he’d do again for Mel Brooks in Robin Hood Men in Tights.

1 Roger Moore Did Actually Regret Turning Down Cannonball Run 2

While Jackie Chan was contractually obligated and Frank Sinatra was guilted by his friends, Roger Moore actually did want to be in Cannonball Run 2. Moore has spoken fondly of his role in the original Cannonball Run and has long talked about how much enjoyed spoofing his James Bond persona. It’s been reported that producers of the Bond franchise discouraged Moore from appearing because the original film came too close to portraying his character as James Bond.

Whether that’s why Moore passed on Cannonball Run 2 is unknown but Cannonball Run 2 does feature Bond villain/henchman Richard Kiel driving a gadget laden car, so it’s clear that Cannonball Run producers were willing to at least bump up against the Bond franchise with or without Moore involved.