Southern Gothic film series: Five things about ‘Deliverance’

The Nickelodeon, the independent film house on Main Street, is concluding its two-day run at 3 p.m. Tuesday, June 30, of the 1972 thriller “Deliverance” as part of its Southern Gothic series. “Deliverance” was directed by John Boorman and stars Burt Reynolds, Jon Voight, Ned Beatty and Ronny Cox.

Here are five things you should know about the movie, which was a seminal moment in cinema history:

1. It’s also a seminal moment in literary history. James Dickey, a longtime professor of English and creative writing at the University of South Carolina, wrote the book in 1970. He makes a cameo at the end of the movie, as the sheriff. Dickey was also a prolific poet.

2. The setting of the movie is the Chattooga River valley between South Carolina and Georgia. It stands in for Cahulawassee River valley in the book and movie.

3. The rapids in the Chattooga are not kind. More than 30 people drowned in the Chattooga River while trying to replicate the characters’ adventures after the movie came out.

4. “Dueling Banjos” won a Grammy for Best Original Song. The boy seen playing during the sequence, Billy Redden, did not know how to play the banjo. Another boy slipped his arm around Redden to do the chords during filming.

5. Marlon Brando was initially sought to play Lewis in the film. But another star almost cast, Lee Marvin, suggested getting younger actors instead. Burt Reynolds was cast for the role of Lewis. The role made him a star.

The screening is at 3 p.m. at the Nick, 1607 Main St.; www.nickelodeon.org

From Wire Reports

This story was originally published June 29, 2015 at 4:40 PM.