Though Reynolds was soon starring in such box-office hits as “The Longest Yard” and “Smokey and the Bandit,” he never abandoned television, utilizing such talk shows as “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” (where he was one of the funniest guests ever) to hone his image, strutting on as a sex symbol and then acting like an utter goofball once he sat the guest’s chair. He had made his name through television, appearing as a regular for 50 episodes on the hit series “Gunsmoke,” then headlining his own series, “Hawk” and “Dan August.” But then Reynolds got his big break in feature films, co-starring in the John Boorman classic “Deliverance” (1972).

In the 1970s, Reynolds was arguably the biggest movie star in the world.

But how many of his titles remain classics? Let’s take a look back at 12 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best. Burt Reynolds was the Oscar-nominated actor who remained active up until his death in 2018, starring in dozens of movies and TV shows.

Smokey and the bandit movies list