Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Billy Redden: The Banjo Player from Deliverance

by Chris Chaos

Billy Redden was the young "inbred" actor that played Lonnie, the banjo in the film Deliverance. Billy was born in 1956 in Georgia and was only 15 years old when he acted in the film. The scene that Billy played in was a memorable moment in the film when he played the song Dueling Banjos with the  actor Ronny Cox.


Redden himself does not suffer from an sort of mental or physical deformity/deficiency as depicted in the film (and the book that the film was based on), although he does have a unique look that was enhanced by make up. Mike Addis, a musician local to the filming location was the one that actually played the banjo, Billy Redden did not.


The scene made an impact on all the viewers and many people when entering into small towns or a wooded area they mock the banjo scene.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myhnAZFR1po


Of Billy Redden, Jon Voight stated, "he was a boy who had a genetic imbalance – a product of his mother and his brother, I think. He was quite amazing, a very talkative fellow."

Tim Burton was intent on getting Billy Redden to play the part of a welcomer that plays the banjo for his film Big Fish. Tim Burton tracked Redden down in Georgia where he was a part owner of a cafe.


He was type cast in many appearances that capitalized on his defining role in Deliverance. Here is his IMDB page:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0714681/

Billy Redden:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBgxdROTTrE

"I’d like to have all the money I thought I’d make from this movie. I wouldn't be working at Walmart right now.

And I’m struggling really hard to make ends meet."  Billy said Noting some locals objected to the stereotypes in the movie, Redden said that the people in Rabun County were good people:
"We’re not a bad people up here, we’re a loving people. Rabun County is a pretty good town. It’s peaceful, not a lot of crime going on, just a real peaceful town. Everybody pretty much gets along with everybody."


Deliverance is a movie that most from the generation have seen and still reference to this day. One of the other most famous lines from the film is referring to a pretty mouth:

"Mountain Man: What do you want to do now?
Toothless Man: [grinning] He got a real pretty mouth ain't he?
Mountain Man: That's the truth
Toothless Man: [to Ed] You gonna do some prayin' for me, boy. And you better pray good." [1]

and this quote has been sampled in a few songs:

Mountain Man: Now let's you just drop them pants. [2]

and then the infamous squeal like a pig scene:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qz4L1O84_I

Mountain Man: I bet you can squeal like a pig. Weeeeeeee!
Bobby: Weee!
Mountain Man: Weeeeeeee!
Bobby: Weee! [3]


For more information about Deliverance the  movie:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068473/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

[1] IMDB reference
[2] IMDB reference
[3] IMDB reference
[4] IMDB reference

(Chris Chaos is a long time resident of South Jersey who once again resides in and writes from Gloucester City, New Jersey. He is a filmmaker, a business owner, writer, urban explorer and investigator of the odd and weird, a proud parent, happily taken and a connoisseur of hot wings. Chris can be reached at AxisVideo@aol.com)

7 comments:

  1. I live in an area just like 'Deliverance' and the numbers of
    'flat-out 47-Chromosome' retardates is shockingly real.

    A half-block from me...there's a guy in his late 20's that is
    more or less a 'brain-damaged mo'suckle ridin' white-trash 'jail-bait' that deliberately TWO 'profound retardates' along with an assortment of 'baby mamas' to breed them and did it
    FOR THE MONEY he will receive for as long as they live!
    And he's not an 'isolated case' of that either...no wonder all the Southern Baptists in the South are 'dead-set' against abortion...they 'gets paid fer breedin' usn's a pack a feebs!'

    *Think I'm 'exaggerating?'* *Look-up the figures for State payments for 'Developmentally Disabled' children and adults for
    Hardin/Pope/Williams/Saline Counties in Southern Illinois...and you'll find the same statistics for Western Ky. and Southern Indiana...you'll be in for a shock!*

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Now say the same thing about black people or do you not have the guts? When i talk about people leachimg off others I include all people and races.

      Delete
    2. To Unknown, by the way, if you want to attack another poster have the guts to give us a name or at least a handle. Now. Ignorant BITCH? Gerry could be a man, could be a woman. And "Cannot spell or write a sentence?" Are you nuts? Plenty of complex words spelled correctly, complete sentences using slang yes, but how is using slang a problem for you?

      Delete
    3. Why are you insulting people with disabilities by using derogatory words? POS.

      Delete
  2. I think we all...North south east west Yankees and southern folk , ALL OF US, need to put aside that which will be our divided demise!
    Hatred
    Ethnic discrimination
    Racism
    Homophobia
    Non gender specifics
    Trans genders

    YOU SMELL THE COFFEE IM SURE!
    WE are going to be in a battle for our very existence to remain in the near future- KNOW THAT MY FRIENDS
    WHAT WILL YOU DO IF YOU ARE CONFRONTED BY A DIFFERENT SPECIES? ONE THAT HATES ALL OF US TOO. ?AND SUDDENLY THE NEIGHBOR YOU WISH WOULD DIE DAILY IS THE ONLY ONE CLOSE ENOUGH TO HEAR YOUR CHILDREN AND WIFE SCREAMING BLOODY MURDER..THINK IM SCI-FI SCOTTY??
    THATS OK. BUT I WOULD START BEING A BUT MORE FRIENDLY TO EVERYONE AROUND YOU. ALIENS, LITLE GRAY MEN, SPACE SHIPS CAPABLE OF LIGHT YEAR TRAVELS IN MINUTES....ALL TRUE AND THEN SOME.
    OUR GOD CREATED US TO BE INTELLIGENT ENOUGH TO COMMUNICATE AND DO THE TASK AS A UNIT OF 1.. ONE PEOPLE..ONE SOLID STRUCTURE OF STRENGTH AND HARMONY. WE WERE MADE TO BE POWERFUL ADVERSARIES WITH UNBELIEVABLE SKILLS AND PROBLEM SOLVING ABILITUES..
    AS 1 PEOPLE..WE WILL NOT SURVIVE THIS IF WE ARE DIVIDED BY HATRED AND FEAR..
    PLEASE MY FRIEND CUT IT THE HECK LOOSE AND MAKE A PROMISE TO YOUR LOVED ONES THAT YOU WOULD DO ANYTHING IT TAKES TO KEEP THEM SAFE AND SOUND.IN THE END IT WILL NOT MATTER UF YOU ARE WHITE BLACK OR GREEN BUDDY..IF YOU SPEAK FARSI CANTONESE OR ENGLISH..ALL THAT WILL MATTER IS IF YOU ARE OF VALUE OR NOT AS A SLAVE, ENERGY, A BREEDING TOOL OR ARE YOU WORTHLESS AND OCCUPYING A SPACE THAT IS NEEDED BY ONES WE CANNOT BATTLE BY OURSELVES..
    I SWEAR TO YOU ON ALL THAT I HOLD DEAR THAT I SPEAK THE TRUTH AND WE ARE IN TROUBLE AND I DONT MEAN BAD TROUBLE I MEAN SELF PRESERVATION NECESSITIES KIND OF TROUBLE..DISCLOSURE IS NEAR..PRESIDENT TRUMP WILL LIGHT THE TORCH THAT WILL LET LOOSE THE GODS OF WAR AND WE WILL NEED TO BE A SOLID FRONT OF ONE UNIT FOR US ALL.
    NOT CRAZY JACK JUST CRANKY..
    IVE BEEN PREPARING A FEW THOUSAND INDIVIDUALS FOR THE DAY.

    ReplyDelete