FRIDAY MOVIE SUGGESTION NIGHT PRESENTS: "DELIVERANCE"!

This was the film that showed Burt Reynolds as a serious actor. Far too many overlook the fact that Burt worked tirelessly for years in television series. He preceded Ken Curtis as "Festus" in "Gunsmoke", and was a Guest Star in television series' such as "Perry Mason", "The Fugitive" and other Quin Martin Productions (including Reynold's own detective series, "Dan August" with Norman Fell). I have always said that if Burt slimmed down, got into shape and kicked the white hair for a younger look combined with a really good dramatic script he could really deliver. In 1979, he was the number one box office star in the country. But by then he alternated between comedy (he was unfairly panned in "Starting Over" and "The Man Who Loved Women") and what he himself confessed to be film roles that fell into two categories: "mean and meaner" with "Sharky's Machine", "Hustle" and "The Longest Yard". Back to 1972...

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Director John Boorman moved rapidly to secure the movie rights of "Deliverance" ahead of Sam Pechinpah, who wanted to direct this film badly. Instead, Pechinpah moved on to direct the intense "Straw Dogs", starring Dustin Hoffman in 1971. Boorman wanted Lee Marvin and Marlon Brando to play the roles of Ed and Lewis, respectively. After reading the script, however, Lee Marvin told Boorman that he and Brando were too old, and that Boorman should use younger actors. An interesting irony, because a young Burt Reynolds was often unfairly compared with Brando in his younger days! Boorman ultimately agreed, and cast Jon Voight and Burt Reynolds. Caution: This is not a movie for the fein of heart! While the cinematography, realism (each actor handled his own stunts to save money) and the sparse script is at once well choreographed, shocking and challenging to the audience, this film centers on the instinct of survival involving a group of highly civilized men urbanized humanity is stripped to the core by the James Dickey novel.

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The conflict and violence between good and evil reveals the fragility of the urbanized men led by Burt Reynolds as a gung-ho survivalist, Lewis, with John Voight, Ned Beatty (in his first movie) and Ronny Cox. Beatty and Cox were already starring in a North Carolina playhouse production when they were recommended to the director. The soundtrack contains the hit single "Dueling Banjos"--although Ronny Cox plays a guitar. Actor Billy Redden did not know how to play banjo for the famous "Duelling Banjos" scene, so another boy, who was a skilled banjo-player, played the chords with his arm reaching around at Redden's side while Redden picked. On the soundtrack, musicians Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandel are actually playing. This movie will stun you and reveal Burt Reynold's as one actor who is capable of the raw powered performance given here.