Dueling Banjos was made famous by the 1972 film "Deliverance," which also led to a successful lawsuit by the song's composer, as it was used in the film without Smith's permission. The film version was arranged and recorded by Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandell, but only credited to Weissberg on a single subsequently issued in December 1972. It went to #2 for four weeks on the "Billboard" Hot 100 in 1973, all four weeks behind Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly with His Song," and topped the adult contemporary chart for two weeks the same year. It reached #1 for one week on
The Mechanic (1972 film) The Mechanic (1972 film) The Mechanic is a 1972 American action thriller film directed by Michael Winner, produced by Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff, and written by Lewis John Carlino. The film follows Arthur Bishop (Charles Bronson), a top assassin who takes under his wing Steve McKenna, the ruthless and ambitious son of Harry McKenna, head of the secret organization for which Bishop works. The film stars Charles Bronson, Keenan Wynn, Jill Ireland, and Jan-Michael Vincent as the film's villain. It is noted for its opening, which features no dialogue for the first 16 minutes, as the hit man (Bronson)