LLast year we reviewed the 1973 Burt Reynolds car, white light; This time we look at its 1976 sequel, Gator. Reynolds reprises his role as Gator McCluskey, but this time he’s also making his directorial debut.
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If you have seen white light, the basic premise of Gator — a moonlight runner forced to go undercover by the feds — will sound all too familiar. Gator is once again out of prison when he is approached by a New York federal operative, Irving Greenfield (Jack Weston), to use his inside knowledge to help crooked politician Mayor Caffrey (Dub Taylor). To do this, Gator must interfere in the shady business dealings of his childhood friend Bama McCall (Jerry Reed).
Gator initially cracks up at the thought of betraying his friend, but soon realizes that Bama has become far from a good person and does some very shady business.
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Gator teams up with a hot investigative reporter, Aggie (Lauren Hutton) and Greenfield and oddball cat lady activist Emmeline (Alice Ghostly) to find the evidence they need to nail both Caffrey and McCall. Required.
Unfortunately, the opposite white light, Gator Parts are really boring. The storyline and character development are weak and sluggish, and Reynolds’ portrayal of the once testosterone-fueled McCluskey in this second outing is nothing short of lame. In fact, you could easily miss any connection between the two films if it weren’t for the shared name of the main character.
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Verdict: 2/5
Where white light A legendary and thoroughly enjoyable film, Gator The serious sequel suffers from titties. The only real positive is the pairing of Reynolds and Jerry Reed (who would later continue their big-screen partnership). Smokey and the Bandits franchise), and the jaw-dropping size of actor William Engser as McCall’s bodyguard, Bones; On
At seven-foot-three, Engser literally drives a McCall’s Lincoln Continental with his melon on the sunroof!
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Breakdown
Vehicles:
- 1975 Plymouth Gran Fury
- 1975 Lincoln Continental
- 1963 Ford F100
- 1972 AMC Hornet Sport About
- 1971 AMC Matador Wagon
- 1966 Buick LeSabre Convertible
- 1964 Cadillac Deville
- 1967 Chevrolet Impala.
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Stars:
- Burt Reynolds
- Jack Weston
- Jerry Reed
- Lauren Hutton
- Dub Taylor
- Alice Ghostly
- William Angers
- Laurie Fitch
Director:
Burt Reynolds
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the process:
The car stunts are fairly standard and mostly standard fare. It’s the on-swamp boat action that’s the real highlight. Still, the F100 rollover — complete with car-launching stuntmen — has a great plot: a twice-imprisoned moonshine runner is brought down by federal agents to take down both a rogue politician and his former best friend. Sting is recruited to take down.
Available:
DVD, Streaming
Cool Flick Fact:
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Jerry Reed (above), an accomplished recording artist before his film career, sang the title song. He would later achieve great success with his lyrics. Eastbound and down of the Smokey and the Bandits.