10 Shocking Facts You Didn’t Know About Classic Movies
3. Deliverance - How To Play A Banjo Without Knowing How
Certain acts are easier to wing on the day than others when it comes to performing them on a movie set. Singing a song or busting a move should the role require it? Piece of cake. Skilfully using a banjo to duel with another gifted musician on the day? Not so much.
That's the position Billy Redden was in during the making of 1972's Deliverance when his character found himself strumming out a tune on the aforementioned instrument. With Reddon having little experience plucking the strings, the decision was made to infuse some movie magic into the exchange.
In the scene itself, Reddon's right hand is very much witnessed plucking the strings in order to create the intricate tune heard throughout. However, the left hand making the chords wasn't owned by the Lonnie actor. Instead a talented banjo player was brought in to act as Reddon's left, chord-playing hand as Lonnie battled with Ronnie Cox's Drew Ballinger in the well-known musical back-and-forth.
Trying to sync up two separate individuals playing a banjo, though? Not what you'd class as an easy day at the office, by any means.