Dueling Banjos: The Deliverance of Drew

By: Ronny Cox

Narrated by: Ronny Cox

Dueling Banjos: The Deliverance of Drew is a collection of stories of the making of the iconic movie, Deliverance, told from the perspective of one of the four main actors in the film, Ronny Cox, who played the character of Drew. Based on the novel by James Dickey, the movie was filmed in the summer of 1971 and was released the following year in 1972. Forty years later, it remains one of the most recognized films in movie history for being raw, emotional, violent and shocking - yet it leaves a lasting impression of artistic excellence. Ronny has since gone on to appear in over 145 movie and television productions and has had a very successful career as a folk musician, playing in venues all over the country. He also happens to be one of the world's great storytellers. Ronny Cox is often ironically identified with the villains he has played in movies like Total Recall, Robocop, and the ruthless politician in the hit science fiction TV series, Stargate.

Dueling Banjos: The Deliverance of Drew includes great anecdotes about his fellow actors: Burt Reynolds, Jon Voight, and Ned Beatty. Ronny Cox tells the real stories behind the filming of one of the most iconic movies of all time.

©2012 Ronny Cox (P)2014 Ronny Cox

Review

This is a short book by one of the stars of the movie Deliverance (1972) about his time on the set. It's actually quite good lots of stories and background about scenes and people, including about the recently deceased Burt Reynolds. I listened to the audiobook version narrated by Cox which greatly compliments the text - he is a professional actor, of course, but he takes it to a level of narration where it sounds spontaneously delivered with pauses, umms and hmms - as if he sitting around telling stories to the listener. It's a unique audio "deliverance" (sorry) that fits the simple and naturalistic style of the film itself, elevating it to something more than a memoir to a work of art.

STORIES THAT DELIVER

Ronny Cox breaks the making of the movie Deliverance down into a fantastic series of stories that transport the listener back to the 1971 adventures of the actors and the entire movie crew. This book will make you want to find the movie and watch it again through different lenses.

A superb, wonderfully evocative memoir

A superb, wonderfully evocative memoir about the filmmaking experience and the actor’s process. One of the best books on American cinema that I’ve read, and I’ve been a serious student of film for half a century. DUELING BANJOS reinforces what I’ve long believed, that Ronny Cox is not only a brilliant actor, but a thoughtful and concerned human being. A fascinating “making of” book that, despite its length, delves deeper into the process of moviemaking than books four times its length. Highly recommended.