Four city men -- Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox -- encounter unforeseen terror on a weekend canoeing trip in John Boorman's 1972 classic, Deliverance.

James Dickey wrote the screenplay and John Boorman directed in this stunning movie adaptation of the bestselling novel. Starring Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox and the natural beauty of Georgia's Chattooga River, Deliverance was a huge hit in 1972.

James Dickey Writes Deliverance

Deliverance was based on the 1970 novel of the same name by James Dickey (1923-1997). A native of Georgia and an expert archer and white-water rafter, Dickey also wrote the novels Anilam (1987) and To the White Sea (1993), both of which encompass a man versus the elements theme.

Screenplay, Director, Music

James Dickey expertly adapted his own novel to the big screen. Directing Deliverance was John Boorman, whose previous credits included Point Blank (1967) and the offbeat World War II film Hell in the Pacific (1968).

Deliverance's famous theme song as featured on the soundtrack was performed by Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandel. Released as a 45 rpm single on the Warner Bros. label (WB 7659), the energetic "Dueling Banjos" later hit number one on the pop music charts in 1973.

Deliverance Cast

Deliverance starred Jon Voight (Ed Gentry), Burt Reynolds (Lewis Medlock), Ned Beatty (Bobby Trippe) and Ronny Cox (Drew Ballinger). Deliverance marked the big screen movie debut of Ned Beatty, whose previous work in the theater had caught John Boorman's attention.

Boorman had originally wanted to cast Lee Marvin and Marlon Brando as Ed and Lewis, respectively. Marvin, however, nixed that idea after reading the script, telling Boorman that he should go with younger actors.

Others appearing in the cast included Ed Ramey (Old Man), Billy Redden (Lonnie, the boy with the banjo), Seamon Glass (First Griner), Randall Deal (Second Griner), Bill McKinney (Mountain Man) and Herbert "Cowboy" Coward (Toothless Man).

In order to save on filming costs and to add a touch of realism to the movie, producers cast many locals in the roles of the mountain folk. They also drafted their screenwriter, James Dickey, to play the part of Sheriff Bullard.

Budget, Filming Locations

Budgeted at $2 million, Deliverance was shot on location in Georgia and the Carolinas. Georgia's Chattooga River doubled as the fictional Cahulawassee River while Sylva, North Carolina, was the site of the decaying town which served as the starting point for the river trip.

Other locations included Beaufort and Lake Jocassee in South Carolina and Clayton, Rabun Gap, Lake Tallulah Falls and Tallulah Gorge in Georgia.

Deliverance -- a risky, uninsured production -- relied on the actors performing their own stunts, with the athletic Jon Voight actually scaling the steep river cliff. Voight pulled it off without injury, but Burt Reynolds wasn't so fortunate, breaking his coccyx (tailbone) following a spill into the river.

White Water, Mountain Men, Deliverance

Deliverance begins with four Atlanta suburbanites heading out into the sticks for a weekend trip down the Cahulawassee River. After paying several locals $40 to drive their vehicles to the dying town of Aintry at the end of the line, the men prepare for their white-water odyssey.

The group is led by Lewis Medlock, a macho risk taker who fancies himself something of a survivalist. When informed that Bobby, a pudgy, out-of-shape member of the group is in the insurance business, Lewis scoffs, telling his friend Ed, "I never been insured in my life. There's no risk."

Following an impromptu banjo and guitar session performed by Drew and a local boy, Lewis and company head down the Cahulawassee in canoes. At one stop, Drew and Bobby are accosted by two gun-toting mountain men. Bobby is now ordered to strip naked and "squeal like a pig" as one of the men sexually assaults him.

Lewis, an expert archer, witnesses the assault from a distance, killing the mountain man with a well-placed arrow to the chest. After a vote is taken, the men decide to bury the body, reasoning that it will never be found as the entire area will soon become the site of a huge man-made lake.

The men continue their perilous river journey, with dangerous rapids and (perhaps) a gunshot from above exacting a terrible toll on their party.

Release, Reviews

Warner Bros'. Deliverance was released to American movie theaters on July 30, 1972.

Variety (7/19/72) panned the film, calling it "a virile, mountain country transposition of nihilistic, specious philosophising which exploits rather than explores its moments of violent drama."

Box Office, Oscar Nominations, DVD

Deliverance grossed $22.6 million at the box office, earning the #4 position on the list of Hollywood's top moneymaking films of 1972.

Deliverance garnered three Academy Award nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Boorman), Best Film Editing (Tom Priestley).

Warner Home Video released the Deliverance (Deluxe Edition) widescreen DVD on September 18, 2007.

"Don't ever do nothin' like this again. Don't come back up here," Sheriff Bullard warns the Atlanta suburbanites near the end of the film.

They won't. Next time they'll just play golf...

Additional Sources/Reviews

America (9/2/72), Life (8/18/72), The New York Times (7/31/72), The New Yorker (8/5/72), Newsweek (8/7/72), Saturday Review (8/5/72), Time (8/7/72).