The Banjo in Deliverance
Hank Schwartz
I Finally saw Deliverance last night! Amazing and disturbing film.
I'm trying to figure out what make of banjo the kid was playing in the
beginning "Dueling Banjos" scene.
It was an open back pot with a bit of an Orpheum look, and the peghead
was something of a figure 8 shape with a peak on top. Nice looking banjo.
I thought that it might be by a contemporary maker. Certainly not
something you'd expect to find out there in the mountains.
And it had a GREAT bluegrass sound <G>
Hank
Carl Baron
Hank Schwartz wrote:
> And it had a GREAT bluegrass sound <G>
Do you really think that the kid is playing on screen, or off for that
matter? Some one out there will know the details, but I believe that the
sound was from some other banjo.
Carl
Jon Freeman
> Do you really think that the kid is playing on screen, or off for that
> matter? Some one out there will know the details, but I believe that the
> sound was from some other banjo.
Wasn't it Eric Weissberg playing?
--
Jon Freeman
http://www.folkinfo.org
Sean Barry
: I Finally saw Deliverance last night! Amazing and disturbing film.
It was both, and it also managed to paint the banjo and it devotees with a
broad brush of inbred, hick stereotype, which still hangs on in the media
today. It was a great film though, and a great book.
: I'm trying to figure out what make of banjo the kid was playing in the
: beginning "Dueling Banjos" scene.
The "kid" wasn't playing at all. The banjo you heard was played by Eric
Weissberg, and the guitar by his friend Steve Mandel, in a studio. The
tune was an adaptation of "Feudin' Banjos," by Arthur Smith (called
"Duelin Banjo"), and despite the stereotype it was a monster crossover hit
on top 40 radio in 1972-73. Weissberg's recording quite disingenuously
credited the tune as "traditional," an oversight (?) that cost the movie
and record companies some big bucks when Arthur Smith stepped forward,
1950's copyright in hand. The tune was released on the album "Duelin'
Banjo," which was a reissue of the mid-1960's album "New Dimensions in
Banjo and Bluegrass," an incredible, very farsighted effort by Weissberg
and Marshall Brickman. That album is still part of bluegrass/melodic
banjo 1A for aspiring players.
: It was an open back pot with a bit of an Orpheum look, and the peghead
: was something of a figure 8 shape with a peak on top. Nice looking banjo.
I don't know what it was, but it had nothing to do with the sound you
heard. It's anybody's guess where it came from, but the producers
probably selected it because it did look more like something a backwoods
player would own than did the shiny Mastertone that Wiessberg played on
the album.
Sean Barry
Hank Schwartz
Although the kid in the film did a reasonably competent job of looking
like he was playing something. Certainly not Dueling Banjos.
But back to my original question, what banjo was he fondling in the pic?
Hank
mhofer
> Wasn't it Eric Weissberg playing?
Yes, and Steve Mandell.
Hanks grinning was poking fun of that resonated banjo sound coming from that
open back.
But hey, when Elvis can get a full blown orchestra and vocal backup sound
from strumming a box guitar,,,,
I love the scene in Blazing Saddles, where
the Sheriff is riding in the desert and you hear music , and he rides past
Count Bassie and his orchestra playing I think "Take the A train ."
Hanks right about the flick though its disturbing because it paints both
southerners and banjo players as retarded backwards lowlifes. Images of
predjudice and ignorance, which many people will swallow, just like Elvis
playing that box guitar and making all that music alone.
good pickin to you
Michael
http://banjobasics.virtualave.net/
Carl Baron
mhofer wrote:
> banjo players ARE retarded backwards lowlifes.
Isn't this what banjo playing makes us?
Carl
Peter Roehling
>
> Do you really think that the kid is playing on screen, or off for that
> matter?
Trivia item: Yes, the kid could and did play, but not Bluegrass style,
and the sound you heard was totally unrelated to whatever it was that he
was playing. (But it might be fun to slow down the videotape with the
sound turned off and see if you could figure out what tune he *was*
playing.)
No, I didn't recognize the banjo either.
P.
RF
Jim
"Carl Baron" <cba...@mail.med.upenn.edu> wrote in message
news:3DC17C2E...@mail.med.upenn.edu...
Shortnin' Bred
Hank Schwartz wrote:
> (clip)
> I'm trying to figure out what make of banjo the kid was playing
> in the beginning "Dueling Banjos" scene.
> (clip)
That should be "midget" and not "kid". Not a big thing but most midgets
don't like to be thought of as kids. I know that that's the one thing I
hate the most.
Shortnin' Bred
Just a stick and string?
Vern
"Hank Schwartz" <ha...@hschwartz.com> wrote in message
news:3DC17174...@hschwartz.com...
Banjo Dolt
> That should be "midget" and not "kid". Not a big thing but most midgets
> don't like to be thought of as kids. I know that that's the one thing I
> hate the most.
>
An oversight I'm sure. My impression on twice viewing movie was that he
was a "kid" (young). And to me, he appeared to be rather lanky, and not
short in stature.
--
********************************************************
Cary Fries nowvoyage...@bis.midco.net
Bismarck, ND
********************************************************
ESRD 80, HEMO 84-85, TX 85-95, HEMO 95-99,
CAPD 99-00, TX 12/00-CURRENT
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Be an organ donor, sign your donor card today.
Jon Freeman
> > Wasn't it Eric Weissberg playing?
>
> Yes, and Steve Mandell.
Just out of curiosity, as a non bluegrass/ non 5 string person, how would
that piece and playing be viewed by members of that style? As an
"oustisder" I thought it excellent.
Jon
Sean Barry
: M Hofer <mhofer...@chicagonet.net> wrote
:> > Wasn't it Eric Weissberg playing?
: Just out of curiosity, as a non bluegrass/ non 5 string person, how would
: that piece and playing be viewed by members of that style? As an
: "oustisder" I thought it excellent.
Eric Weissberg is a very good player, and in the context of the times that
he recorded "Duelin' Banjo" he was one of the best in the business. The
new comando players hadn't happened yet, so the world had yet to hear the
current crop of *incredible* licks. Nevertheless, Eric Weissberg's tone,
timing, and taste are all first-rate, and he has no need to apologize for
his playing in the theme from Deliverance. Arguably a great percentage of
the later comando players were inspired to learn the banjo from hearing
Eric's recording. He's good, and you are correct, the recording is
excellent.
Sean Barry
Don Hergert
When it first came out, at least in the area where I was located at the
time, Dueling Banjos was very popular. I played it in a couple of different
arrangements, and was asked for it often. At that time (and a little
before) the other piece that "common" non-bluegrass people knew was Foggy
Mountain Breakdown (showcased in the movie "Bonny and Clyde"), and it was
hard to do a set for this kind of group without being asked for one or both
of these songs. As a result, among serious bluegrass people Dueling Banjos
and Foggy Mountain Breakdown grew very old, very fast.
However, in the last decade or so it has become popular to put down
bluegrass music and the banjo, and one of the most popular tools of
stereotyping this kind of music, and the roots of this music, became Dueling
Banjos. Along with that are frequently implications of lifestyles that are
commonly considered deviations from the norm, consistent with those
portrayed in the movie Deliverance. As a result, Dueling Banjos isn't very
popular among most serious bluegrass musicians.
It is really a great piece, though, technically interesting and fun to do
with other musicians, at least in a crowd where the stereotype isn't a
problem.
Personally, my biggest problem with Dueling Banjos is really with the movie
that it was widely and popularly introduced with. To me Deliverance is a
dark, nightmarish movie, one that I wouldn't really care to think about
much. I can think of a number of more pleasant themes that I'd prefer to
associate bluegrass music with.
Just imho...
Best,
-- Don
================================
"Jon Freeman" <j...@jonbanjo.com> wrote in message
news:apsnnt$686$1...@news8.svr.pol.co.uk...
Bill Rogers
Carolina, I think) wrote the book--and played the sheriff in the film.
Bill Rogers
"mhofer" <mhofer...@chicagonet.net> wrote
> ...its disturbing because it paints both
> southerners and banjo players as retarded backwards lowlifes. Images of
> predjudice and ignorance, which many people will swallow, ...>
>
Mike Stanger
Can't say what kind of banjo it was in the film, but the great bluegrass
sound came from Eric Weisman's old Gibson. (don't know which model it
was- RB250 or RB800, probably from the late 50's. Eric had a bunch of
inlays added to the empty frets between the standard bow ties).
If you get a chance to wtch the film again, you'll notice the kid
"playing" the banjo does a pretty good job of faking it, but he's
faking, for sure. Ronnie Cox, the actor, can actually play the guitar,
but he faked it too. Steve Mandell played the guitar part you hear in
the movie.
Regards,
Stanger
Mike Stanger
Eric Weissburg (I miscalled his last name in my first post on this
thread and called him Weisman, I think) was one of the first session
players who specialized in banjo, and was also one of the very first
players to record an entire album in the melodic style of 3 finger
playing. Melodics became the rage 15 years after he and Marshall
Brickman recorded "New Directions in Banjo and Bluegrass" on Electra
Records in 1961.
New Directions was so far ahead of it's time that most banjo players,
and critics, were befuddled by it. The entire allbum was done with two
banjos playing note for note harmonies on tunes that were only played by
fiddlers and other instruments earlier. They even used Keith pegs in
harmony on a couple of tunes.
The melodic style came after Earl Scrugg's playing, and uses his style
as a foundation. The Scruggs style often sketches around scale runs, and
sometimes doesn't play the melody of many fiddle tunes note for note as
a fiddler plays them. The melodic style enables true scales to be
played, but can really be a head bender to learn, as it is
counterintuitive- higher notes are often played on lower-pitched
strings.
At the time New Directions first came out, there were only a tiny
handful of players who played melodics- the style was developed
independently by 2 other players, one in the North and one in the
South-Bill Keith in the Boston area and Bobby Thompson in Tennessee.
Eric must have associated with at least one of them, and developed his
own method of playing, because his stuff is a little less smooth and
relatively harder than the others to play. He considered his melodic
playing a phase, and later went back to playing in a more traditional
Scruggs style (like in the Deliverance movie).
When Deliverance went big time, the New Directions album was re-released
with the Deliverance theme (Deulin' Banjos) and one other tune
substituting a couple of the original cuts. it was too bad, too, because
one of the tunes that was dropped was one of my fave cuts on the
original.
Marshall Brickman, his partner on the record, later went on to a very
successful screenwriting career. He co-wrote Annie Hall and many other
big movies, and still plays the banjo very well. As far as I know, Eric
still plays session gigs in New York once in a while.
Regards,
Stanger
who bought the album and played it until it was totally worn out. I
still love it.
Peter Roehling
>
> > ...its disturbing because it paints both
> > southerners and banjo players as retarded backwards lowlifes. Images of
> > predjudice and ignorance, which many people will swallow, ...>
Well, let's not get carried away here... Such lowlifes *do* exist in
real life, even though they appear to be a vanishing breed.
The great writer William Faulkner was once accosted at a party by a
Southern Belle who declaimed "Mistah Faulkner! I insist that you admit
the deep south doesn't actually harbor the twisted souls you write about
in youah books!"
"Miss", replied Faulkner, "in my part of the south we think of the
people I write about as being the country club set!"
P.
Peter Roehling
He wasn't a midget. He was a fifteen year old retarded boy named Billy
Redden, a local who was hired as color for the movie and who was never
in another.
As it turns out, he did *not* play the banjo, but the scene was faked
using the hands of another boy who did.
Google can find just about anything.
P.
Sean Barry
: Brickman recorded "New Directions in Banjo and Bluegrass" on Electra
: Records in 1961.
That's "New Dimensions in Banjo and Bluegrass" (Elektra EKS 7238),
released 1966
: New Directions was so far ahead of it's time that most banjo players,
: and critics, were befuddled by it. The entire allbum was done with two
: banjos playing note for note harmonies on tunes that were only played by
: fiddlers and other instruments earlier. They even used Keith pegs in
: harmony on a couple of tunes.
Weissberg and Brickman went to great lengths to work out harmonies and to
integrate new tunes into the album. Unfortunately, most of those new
tunes are now no longer being played by anyone. Marshall Brickman's
playing on the New Dimensions album stood out as much the more inventive,
but Weissberg's was also great in its own way. True enough that many
players didn't know what to make of the album because it was so different
from everything that had come along already. Again, to my mind it's one
of the most important banjo albums ever done, and it's a mandatory part of
required listening for developing bluegrass players. Another really good
reason to listen to it is that the great Clarence White plays several
trademark "beyond incredible" guitar solos on the album.
: handful of players who played melodics- the style was developed
: independently by 2 other players, one in the North and one in the
: South-Bill Keith in the Boston area and Bobby Thompson in Tennessee.
: Eric must have associated with at least one of them, and developed his
: own method of playing, because his stuff is a little less smooth and
: relatively harder than the others to play.
Again, most of the true melodic material on New Dimensions was played by
Marshall Brickman, who said then and now that Bill Keith was the true
stylistic innovator. Keith at the time had already recorded and released
melodic material with Jim Rooney and Bill Monroe, so he was known even
then for his unique fiddle-tune/jazz oriented approach to the banjo. At
the time, Bobby Thompson had recorded a great deal of material with
several bands, but very little of it was the highly scale-oriented melodic
style for which he later became known. He is definitely one of the top
ten banjo players ever to ply the trade, and so is Bill Keith.
: When Deliverance went big time, the New Directions album was re-released
: with the Deliverance theme (Deulin' Banjos) and one other tune
: substituting a couple of the original cuts. it was too bad, too, because
: one of the tunes that was dropped was one of my fave cuts on the
: original.
Weissberg held the copyright on "New Dimensions," and when he and Steve
Mandel recorded "Duelin' Banjos" they needed to release it as a single
and as a cut on an album. The "New Dimensions" material provided a
ready-made background for the hit, and hundreds of thousands of copies
were distributed, way more than of "New Dimensions." Both albums are
pretty easy to find in used record stores, especially "Duelin' Banjos."
Sean Barry
DEDCENTER
or 18 times viewing memory.
Ded
BK5str
player. He told me and my friends many years ago that the "kid" in the movie
was so retarded that it was all they could do to have him strum with his right
hand. It was someone else behind him who "faked" the left hand (notice the
correct placement of the C and D barre chords at the 5th and 7th frets). The
kid had the "look" the producers were looking for. It was Eric Weissberg on
banjo and Steve Mandel on guitar that we heard on the recording.
Cheers,
Bill Knopf
Ken Lynn
says...
<snippage>
This has been in interesting thread.
> Again, to my mind it's one
> of the most important banjo albums ever done, and it's a mandatory part of
> required listening for developing bluegrass players. Another really good
> reason to listen to it is that the great Clarence White plays several
> trademark "beyond incredible" guitar solos on the album.
Somehow, I've never run across it. Is it available on cd?
FWIW, I recently picked up a video of Muleskinner Live. It's a recording
of a TV studio performance by White, Keith, Richard Greene, David
Grisman and Peter Rowan. It's wonderful, at least in my judgment. See
http://www.sierra-records.com/ (The extended re-issue of Sweetheart of
the Rodeo looks pretty good to me too.)
Thanks for the post.
KL
Jon Freeman
> Eric Weissberg is a very good player, and in the context of the times that
> he recorded "Duelin' Banjo" he was one of the best in the business. The
> new comando players hadn't happened yet, so the world had yet to hear the
> current crop of *incredible* licks. Nevertheless, Eric Weissberg's tone,
> timing, and taste are all first-rate, and he has no need to apologize for
> his playing in the theme from Deliverance. Arguably a great percentage of
> the later comando players were inspired to learn the banjo from hearing
> Eric's recording. He's good, and you are correct, the recording is
> excellent.
Thanks (all) for the comments. I find it interesting to note the "commando
players" and thoughts on taste, tone, etc.
I don't know if this can be applied to bluegrass but within the "Irish" type
tenor banjo playing, a new breed seemed to me to come in with the likes of
Gerry O'Connor, who play triplet after triplet, all note prefect, etc.
Before that, there was Barney McKenna who probably was an influence on just
about everybody who followed. He is not as fancy and even makes the odd
mistake but his feeling for the music and overall playing is excellent IMO.
Although I am dazzled by say O'Connor's brilliance, in many ways, I prefer
McKenna - at times, to me it seems like the difference between a human being
playing with feeling and almost "robotic/ mechanical" perfection.
Jon
Zippy the Pinhead
"Sean Barry" <sjb...@vici.ucdavis.edu> wrote in message
news:aprq2e$bqr$1...@woodrow.ucdavis.edu...
> Hank Schwartz <ha...@hschwartz.com> wrote:
>
> : I Finally saw Deliverance last night! Amazing and disturbing film.
>
> It was both, and it also managed to paint the banjo and it devotees with a
broad brush of inbred, hick stereotype, which still hangs on in the media
today. It was a great film though, and a great book.
"Dueling Banjos" gave us, and probably a whole generation of struggling bar
bands, the perfect solution to a drunk heckler at that table over there.
All you had to do was to take your guitar, turn toward the heckler, play
nine notes, and stand there looking expectantly at that table over there.
It usually brought down the house and shut up the idiot quite effectively.
Zippy the Pinhead
> Hello All,
>
> I Finally saw Deliverance last night! Amazing and disturbing film.
I remember seeing it for the first time when it came out back in the '70s
and how it was the hot topic of discussion at work. People were totally
grossed out by it.
I thought about all the heterosexual rape scenes that didn't bother people
in other movies, and reflected that if the killing had been done in a more
conventional fashion, say like in Straw Dogs, people would have come out of
the theater smiling.
Jon Freeman
> "Dueling Banjos" gave us, and probably a whole generation of struggling
bar
> bands, the perfect solution to a drunk heckler at that table over there.
This depends on who you consider to be "us". I've yet to hear a version for
tenor banjo I like and believe my it can be quite hard work to persuade a
"drunk heckler" that a 5 string and tenor are different instruments...
The conversation usualy goes:
"Do you remember that film with that banjo?"
"Oh yes, you must mean "Deliverance", it starred Burt Reynolds and had the
tune "Duelling Banjos"
"Can you play it?"
[begin explaination as to why not]
...
[some time later]
"because it's only got 4 f****** stings".
Brittles
wrote:
<< This depends on who you consider to be "us". I've yet to hear a version for
tenor banjo I like and believe my it can be quite hard work to persuade a
"drunk heckler" that a 5 string and tenor are different instruments... >>
Wasn't the ORIGINAL (earlier) "Feudin' Banjos" - Arthur Smith on tenor - and
Don Reno on 5-string? (Or am I "mis-remebering"? ;-)
Best-
Ed Britt
Please Remove *UNSPAM* from my address, to e-mail me.
Paul Magnussen
wrote
> Although I am dazzled by say [Gerry] O'Connor's brilliance, in
> many ways, I prefer [Barney] McKenna
I couldn't agree more. Furthermore, be careful of Gerry's instructional video:
not only does he appear not know what a triplet is, he says one thing and then
does another, especially with pick directions.
Everything Barney played was in perfect taste: he had the art of varying tunes
enough to make them interesting, but not overloading them.
Paul Magnussen
To send me e-mail, adjust aol's name in the signature.
Ken Blake
> If you get a chance to wtch the film again, you'll notice the
kid
> "playing" the banjo does a pretty good job of faking it, but
he's
> faking, for sure.
He sure looks like he's really playing to me. Certainly not
playing what you hear on the soundtrack, but really playing. I
think he's frailing, rather than playing bluegrass.
--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup
Curtis Harrell
Dickey was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and, after a successful stint as a star
college athlete, served in WWII as a night fighter pilot, and then worked in
advertising copy in both Atlanta and NYC (if you READ Deliverance, you'll
see that the main character, played by Voight, also works in advertising),
and then taught in various universities throughout the South (most notably
the University of South Carolina where he was poet-in-residence) as a result
of his fame, primarily, as a poet.
Although Deliverance was a popular novel and, later, movie, Dickey was
primarily known as a poet, winning the National Book Award for Poetry in
1966 for his book, Buckdancer's Choice. He also served as Consultant in
Poetry to the Library of Congress. His poem, "The Strength of Fields" was
Carter's Inaugural poem. Despite the popularity of Deliverance, Dickey only
wrote one other novel, Alnilam, which obviously did not enjoy the popularity
of Deliverance.
Dickey was an accomplished guitarist, and, although I had the good fortune
of meeting him on a few occasions, we never got to play together or discuss
Dueling Banjos (even though that was one of my primary influences on banjo
and I kick myself for never bringing up the subject). I don't know, but I
would doubt he had much voice in the choice of tunes for the movie, although
I'm sure he was aware of the difference in banjo bluegrass and clawhammer
styles.
In interpreting Deliverance, the movie, a huge grain of salt must be taken.
In both the novel, and the movie, BTW, ALL of the characters are
Southerners, not just the leering toothless backhills cornholers. While the
novel used the damming of the river as a metaphor to explore the changes in
the South during the civil rights era, the movie, of course, oversimplified
Dickey's more complex themes to give Burt Reynolds the opportunity to get
sweaty in a flotation vest and shoot a man in the back with a bow and arrow.
About the only redeeming theme that survived from the novel was Voight's
internal struggle in coming to terms with, and justifying, killing a man.
With Dickey's sports and war background, it is obvious where this idea came
from, but I don't see any irony: he wrote what he knew about.
And, indeed, that was him as the sheriff at the end of the movie, one of the
absolute worst bits of acting recorded on film.
If anyone is interested in reading Dickey's poetry, I would be happy to make
recommendations.
Curtis
(who learned to play Buckdancer clawhammer style just because of Dickey's
book)
"Bill Rogers" <wmdr...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:45b44b3d.02103...@posting.google.com...
Jon Freeman
> << "Jon Freeman" j...@jonbanjo.com >>
> wrote:
>
> << This depends on who you consider to be "us". I've yet to hear a
version for
> tenor banjo I like and believe my it can be quite hard work to persuade a
> "drunk heckler" that a 5 string and tenor are different instruments... >>
>
> Wasn't the ORIGINAL (earlier) "Feudin' Banjos" - Arthur Smith on tenor -
and
> Don Reno on 5-string? (Or am I "mis-remebering"? ;-)
I couldn't have named them but I do believe you are right that the original
was a tenor and 5 string piece. I have never heard that version so I can't
comment on it. The versions I have heard have been tenor and guitar and IMO
sound quite empty without the 5 string going.
Jon
Don Hergert
all things the sound man started humming dueling banjos when he saw me.
He's young enough that he wasn't around when the movie came out, I think he
just had heard the tune and harmlessly thought of it when he saw the banjo.
I got a kick out of it, considering our current discussion.
Best,
-- Don
A O Trey
sale
there is another called Progressive Banjo or something to thaty effect which I
also enjoy along with lots of flatt & scruggs, bill monroe, Bill KEith and Jim
and jese among others. Now only if I had a good record player...
mhofer
"Mike Stanger" wrote in message <Snipped>
> When Deliverance went big time, the New Directions album was re-released
> with the Deliverance theme (Deulin' Banjos) and one other tune
> Stanger
> who bought the album and played it until it was totally worn out. I
> still love it.
Hey Mike ,
I bought it on 8 Track. Never thinking theyd die a such a quick death.
Heck FM stereo radio was in infancy in the early 70s. so 8 track stereo was
THE hot item in every teen car here in the midwest. I was no exception, so I
installed one in my fully original 1956 Chrysler New Yorker. Wish I hadnt
sold that car I was the 2nd owner, it had a great AM radio in it, used
tubes, had to warm up about 2 minutes but what reception !!
I still think the sound of those tapes far superior to cassette. I probably
still have the tape somewhere packed away, but no player.
I imagine the tape has degraded alot too.
good pickin to you
Michael
Ken Blake
wrote:
> "New Dimensions"was in a box of old banjo records that I got
from an
> estate sale
> there is another called Progressive Banjo or something to thaty
> effect
"Progressive Bluegrass"? Roger Sprung?
A O Trey
>
>"Progressive Bluegrass"? Roger Sprung?
yes. thats it.
I believe he live in CT now where I live and gives lessons.
David W.
the store today.
I went to BEd Bath & Beyond today and found myself at the front of the
store next to a fridge magnet display. I immediately saw a banjo -
it's a plastic "resonator" style with ACTUAL STRINGS! 4 of them. THEY
don't play, but when you touch them it plays the fames 9 notes of
dueling banjos. There is a 5th string peg but nothing attached. 5
BUCKS! If you have a bed, bath, and beyond in town, I suggest trying
to find one. It's pretty neat.
On Sat, 2 Nov 2002 11:13:11 -0600, "mhofer"
<mhofer...@chicagonet.net> wrote:
>Hey Mike ,
>I bought it on 8 Track. Never thinking theyd die a such a quick death.
>Heck FM stereo radio was in infancy in the early 70s. so 8 track stereo was
>good pickin to you
>Michael
>
Mike Stanger
Thanks for this post. The theme of the movie has somehow been lost in
the years since it's release. While there were a couple of locals in the
flick who were bad men, so were the businessmen who ran the river. The
entire theme, to me, was of the unpredictability of men and nature-
there was about as much savagery on one side as another.
The thing that stuck with the public was the totally shocking male rape
scene. Back in the early 70's, no one was prepared for that, and it's
forgotten that one of the backwoods locals did just what he said he
would do and drove the truck to the point where the river runners got
out of the river.
I remember finding none of the characters very sympathetic. The rafters
got in over their heads, and acted just as badly as the locals.
Regards,
Stanger
Dr. Rev Chuck, MD., PA
>
> "Hank Schwartz" <ha...@hschwartz.com> wrote in message
> news:3DC160E2...@hschwartz.com..
> >
> > I Finally saw Deliverance last night! Amazing and disturbing film.
>
> I remember seeing it for the first time when it came out back in the '70s
> and how it was the hot topic of discussion at work. People were totally
> grossed out by it.
>
> I thought about all the heterosexual rape scenes that didn't bother people
> in other movies, and reflected that if the killing had been done in a more
> conventional fashion, say like in Straw Dogs, people would have come out of
> the theater smiling.
"Dueling Banjos" in place the Steeler's Wheel track, Reservoir Dogs.
Joe Z. Whales
>
> He wasn't a midget. He was a fifteen year old retarded boy named Billy
> Redden, a local who was hired as color for the movie and who was never
> in another.
>
> As it turns out, he did *not* play the banjo, but the scene was faked
> using the hands of another boy who did.
>
>
Yep, Billy _the kid_ Redden had a helping hand up his sleeve.
*The Making of Deliverance*
http://www.altreel.com/video-releases/Weekend_in_Aintry.html
