Deliverance Deliverance Deliverance is a 1972 American thriller film produced and directed by John Boorman, and starring Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty and Ronny Cox, with the latter two making their feature film debuts. The film is based on the 1970 novel of the same name by author James Dickey, a celebrated poet who has a small role in the film as the sheriff, and who wrote the screenplay (uncredited). The film was a critical success, earning three Oscar nominations and five Golden Globe Award nominations. Widely acclaimed as a landmark picture, the film is noted for a music scene
Ronny Cox plays the instrumental "Dueling Banjos" on his guitar with a banjo-playing mountain boy, played by child actor Billy Redden. He was hired for the role because he could play the guitar. Cox published a book in 2012 in which he recounted his experiences making the film. In 1974–1975, Cox starred in the short-lived family-oriented series entitled "Apple's Way", created by Earl Hamner, creator of "The Waltons". He also appeared as Mr. Webb in a television production of "Our Town". In 1977, he appeared in the episode "Devil Pack" from the series "Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected" (known in the