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The classic banjo pickin' scene from the movie Deliverance. Deliverance is a 1972 drama film produced and directed by John Boorman. Principal cast members include Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ronny Cox, and Ned Beatty in his film debut. The film is based on a 1970 novel of the same name by American author James Dickey. The screenplay was written by Dickey and an uncredited Boorman. In 2008, Deliverance was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant“. Billy Redden plays “Dueling Banjos“ opposite Ronny Cox, who joins him on guitar. Redden plays “Lonnie“, a mentally retarded, inbred, but extremely gifted banjo player. The song went to #2 for four weeks on the U.S. pop chart in 1973 and topped the adult contemporary chart for two weeks the same year. It also led to a successful lawsuit by the song's composer, since it was used in the film without his permission. “Duelling Banjos“ was arranged and performed for the movie by Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandell and was included on the soundtrack album. The song had been composed in 1955 by Arthur Smith as a banjo instrumental he called “Feudin' Banjos“. Smith recorded it, playing a four-string plectrum banjo and accompanied by five-string bluegrass banjo player Don Reno. When he was not acknowledged as the composer by the filmmakers, Smith sued. He eventually won, receiving songwriting credit as well as royalties. Two young musicians, Ron Brentano and Mike Russo, had originally been signed to play their adaptation for the movie, but instead it was performed by the others.
