Author James Dickey wrote the original screenplay for the film Deliverance (1972), but director John Boorman then rewrote it almost entirely, being unhappy with the treatment.
During the filming of the film, the day Boorman was going to film the heroes’ departure in a canoe, James Dickey decided to let the director know how bad he thought of him.
He showed up on set while absolutely drunk and started insulting John Boorman, accusing him of ruining his work and not knowing the difference between a good script and a piece of crap.
John Boorman
The argument quickly escalated and turned into a fight. The two men exchanged punches and John Boorman was left with a broken nose and four teeth missing.
Despite the violence of the attack, the director did not wish to file a complaint. James Dickey was simply banned from filming.
James Dickey on set with Burt Reynolds.
A few weeks – and a few apologies – later, however, the two men reconciled. And John Boorman even gave James Dickey a small role in the film.
He is the one who plays the sheriff we see at the end of the film.