5 Questions: Mile High
Our ‘5 Questions’ quiz for 10.02: Mile High
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5 Questions: Baby, Remember My Name
Our ‘5 Questions’ quiz for 10.01: Baby, Remember My Name
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The Medical Credentials of 7 Famous Doctors
Kara’s most recent article on mentalfloss.com takes a look at seven of the thousands of “doctors” who may or may not have earned that title. Read: The Medical Credentials of 7 Famous Doctors.
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Hey, Banjo Boy!
by Kara Kovalchik
He’ll forever be remembered for his prowess on the banjo, even though he can barely pick a note.
Besides that infamous backwoods romp, the scene that has become synonymous with the 1972 film Deliverance is that of the somber-faced, banjo-picking boy on the porch swing, who only broke into a crooked smile once he bested the guitar of Ronny Cox during "Dueling Banjos."When director John Boorman began selecting actors for the film, he stopped in at Clayton Elementary School in Georgia to check out the local talent. He chose 15-year-old Billy Redden based on his "indigenous" look (not the most flattering remark, considering that the Banjo Boy was described as an "inbred Albino" in the original James Dickey novel).
Redden didn’t know how to play the banjo, and had a hard time faking it, so in the final cut a professional player hid behind the porch swing and stuck his arm in one of the youngster’s sleeves to provide the necessary fingering. Redden would later recall that the main stars of the film were very cordial, except for Burt Reynolds, who kept to himself and rarely spoke to anyone.
Billy was paid $500 for his work, and producers let him keep the banjo as a souvenir. Sadly, his mother (a widow working as a custodian) had to sell the instrument shortly after the film’s release to pay some overdue bills.
Today, Billy Redden co-owns and works at at a café near Clayton, Georgia. Folks stop by regularly to get his autograph, not only because of his Deliverance notoriety, but also thanks to his renewed fame thanks to a cameo in Tim Burton’s 2003 film Big Fish.
