Dueling Banjos

West Ender · 15-08-2008, 22:25

I love this clip, from the film, "Deliverance". I found the film very disturbing but this musical interlude is enough to forgive the rest.

Incidentally the boy who played the hill-billy banjo player, Billy Redden, couldn't play the banjo at all. The real player was behind him, in the shots, with his arms through the sleeves of a "special" shirt so it looked like Redden was playing.

garinda · 15-08-2008, 22:31

I remember being scared to death when I was about ten, when my brother and I watched it on holiday, when our parents thought we were asleep in our hotel room.

MargaretR · 15-08-2008, 22:50

This is the man who really played that banjo-

Eric Weissberg

Considered by aficionados to be one of the best five-string banjo players ever, Eric Weissberg is equally deft on guitar, pedal steel, mandolin, dobro and fiddle. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin and The Juilliard School, he was one of the founding fathers of the New York bluegrass trio The Greenbriar Boys, and a member of the group The Tarriers. As a top NY studio musician, Eric has done over eight thousand sessions, including jingles, movie tracks and records. He has played for a variety of artists including Bruce Springsteen, Willie Nelson and John Denver. In 1967 he performed the world premiere of Earl Robinson's Concerto for Five-string Banjo, with Arthur Fiedler and The Boston Symphony. He had a number one single and album with "Dueling Banjos," the soundtrack from "Deliverance," which earned him two gold records and a Grammy. A winner of a multitude of awards, Eric has recently reappeared on the live music scene, singing and picking folk music in concert, solo and with The New Blue Velvet Band. For the last four years he has been the featured guitarist with Art Garfunkel's ensemble, touring worldwide.

Bonnyboy · 15-08-2008, 22:53

I was bored a few Saturdays ago ( great clip, cracking banjo instrumental ) and tried to find out who actually did the instrumental.

Some sites say Billy Redden ( Lonnie ) could never play the banjo, that it was a young lad playing it through Reddens sleeves as you say. Others say that it was indeed Redden. It all got a bit confusing

Think it was someone called Eric Weissberg, only going off the info I could find tho. Cracking Clip either way.

And Margret beat me to it

West Ender · 15-08-2008, 23:11

Legend has it that Billy Redden liked Ronnie Cox, the actor who played guitar, and he couldn't turn away from him, as the script demanded, after the banjo/guitar duel. He didn't, however, like Ned Beatty (I don't know why), so the director had Beatty come into the scene on cue. Redden was able to turn away, with Beatty present, and ignore Cox's outstretched hand.

pipinfort · 16-08-2008, 17:49

That kid freaks me out..............

, but its a good film though.

emzy · 16-08-2008, 20:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by pipinfort

That kid freaks me out..............

, but its a good film though.

Never seen the film, but agree that kid is kinda freaky (sorry)

West Ender · 16-08-2008, 21:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by emzy

Never seen the film, but agree that kid is kinda freaky (sorry)

That's why he was picked for the film.

He now, apparently, runs and part-owns a roadside diner. Having seen him in this film, I'd have to be very, very hungry to want to eat there.

Royboy39 · 16-08-2008, 22:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by West Ender

That's why he was picked for the film.

He now, apparently, runs and part-owns a roadside diner. Having seen him in this film, I'd have to be very, very hungry to want to eat there.

Looks like he has been badly burned somewhere along the way?
Good luck to him.....enjoyed the clip.

West Ender · 16-08-2008, 22:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Royboy39

Looks like he has been badly burned somewhere along the way?

No, I don't think so. This is him in recent years.

garinda · 16-08-2008, 23:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by West Ender

No, I don't think so. This is him in recent years.

He still looks like the product of a one family gene pool.

cashman · 16-08-2008, 23:53

without being nasty, think he fell outa the ugly tree.

jaysay · 17-08-2008, 10:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by garinda

He still looks like the product of a one family gene pool.

Never realised he came from Burnley, Rindi

pipinfort · 17-08-2008, 12:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaysay

Never realised he came from Burnley, Rindi

Owch..............

West Ender · 17-08-2008, 20:08

In the book, Lonnie (the banjo player) was an albino. When they were casting the film they auditioned kids from the local High School, knowing they wouldn't find an albino lad, and found Billy Redden. I don't want to be cruel but he does have the look of his grandfather's son who gets to borrow the family brain cell every 2nd Thursday. But I may be doing him an injustice.................

No matter, the music's great and it was a very good film. I discovered John Voigt really could act in this one.