Skin Game
{{short description|1971 film by Gordon Douglas, Paul Bogart}}
{{other uses}}
{{About|the comedy western|the Jim Butcher novel|Skin Game (The Dresden Files)|other uses|The Skin Game (disambiguation){{!}}The Skin Game}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Skin Game
| image = Poster of the movie Skin Game.jpg
| caption = Theatrical poster
| director = Paul Bogart
Gordon Douglas (uncredited)
| producer = Harry Keller
| writer = Richard Alan Simmons (story)
Peter Stone (credited as "Pierre Marton")
| starring = James Garner
Lou Gossett
Susan Clark
Brenda Sykes
Ed Asner
Andrew Duggan
| music = David Shire
| cinematography = Fred J. Koenekamp
| editing = Walter Thompson
| distributor = Warner Bros.
| released = {{Film date|1971|09|30}}
| runtime = 102 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget =
}}
Skin Game is a 1971 American independent comedy western directed by Paul Bogart and Gordon Douglas, and starring James Garner and Lou Gossett. The supporting cast features Susan Clark, Ed Asner, Andrew Duggan, Parley Baer and Royal Dano.
Plot
Quincy Drew (Garner) and Jason O'Rourke (Gossett) travel from town to town in the south of the United States during the slavery era. A flashback in the movie shows both men first meeting when Quincy sells Jason a horse that turns out to have been stolen from the local sheriff. They meet again in jail after pulling various con jobs and develop a con together in which Quincy claims to be a down-on-his-luck enslaver who is selling the only person he still enslaves, Jason. Quincy gets the bidding rolling, selling Jason, and the two later meet to split the profit. Jason was born a free man in New Jersey and is well-educated. The con is complicated by Jason being sold to a slave trader who is very savvy and intent on taking him down south to make a profit.
Cast
- James Garner as Quincy Drew / Captain Nathaniel Mountjoy
- Lou Gossett as Jason O'Rourke
- Susan Clark as Ginger / Miss Abigail Blodgett
- Brenda Sykes as Naomi, Slave
- Edward Asner as Plunkett (runaway slave hunter)
- Andrew Duggan as Howard Calloway, Plantation Owner
- Henry Jones as Sam Cutler, Slave Buyer In Fair Shake
- Neva Patterson as Mrs. Claggart
- Parley Baer as Mr. Claggart
- George Tyne as Henry P. Bonner, Man Who Bought Jason In Dirty Shame
- Royal Dano as John Brown, Abolitionist
- Pat O'Malley as William, Slave Buyer In Fair Shake
- Jason Wingreen as 2nd Speaker
- Joel Fluellen as Uncle Abram, Head Slave At Calloway Manor
- Napoleon Whiting as Ned, Calloway Cook
- Juanita Moore as Viney, Calloway Slave
- Robert Foulk as Sheriff
Production
In January 1966, Harry Keller, a producer at Universal, announced he was developing the project based on a story by Richard Alan Simmons.Duo Slated for 5 Pictures
Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times 21 Jan 1966: c6.
In March 1968, Peter Stone signed on to write the script.MOVIE CALL SHEET: Plummer Gets Musical Lead
Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times 2 Mar 1968: 19. In October 1968, Universal announced the film for the following year.Universal Lists Films for 1969
Los Angeles Times 9 Oct 1968: c24.
In April 1969, Universal put the film on its slate for the following year. Keller would produce with Peter Stone, who wrote the script.Universal Schedule Announced for 1970
Los Angeles Times 2 Apr 1969: h14
The film did not go ahead. By September 1970, Keller announced the film would be made by James Garner's Cherokee Productions, released through Warner Bros with Burt Kennedy to direct. By December, Kennedy had dropped out and was replaced by Paul Bogart.MOVIE CALL SHEET: Culp, Raquel 'Caulder' Stars
Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times 21 Dec 1970: i19.
In January 1971, Lou Gosset signed to co-star.MOVIE CALL SHEET: Geller Given Cinema Post
Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times 23 Jan 1971: b6.
In March, Bogart fell ill with hepatitis, and Gordon Douglas took over directing for a period of filming.Heflin Set for 'Revengers'
Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times 19 Mar 1971: e15.
Stone later claimed Garner radically changed the film's last third to give him more screen time. These changes annoyed Stone, who used a pseudonym on the film.At the Movies: After 'Carrie' Amy Irving gets the E.S.P. in 'The Fury.'
Buckley, Tom. New York Times 24 Feb 1978: C8.
Garner called it "a funny movie if you don't mind jokes about slavery. Paul Bogart did a masterly job."{{cite book|title=The Garner Files: A Memoir|first1=James|last1=Garner|first2=Jon|last2=Winokur|publisher=Simon & Schuster|year=2011|page=258}}
Sequel
A sequel was made three years later as a television film called Sidekicks, with Larry Hagman playing Garner's role and Gossett reprising his part.
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|id=0067763|title=Skin Game}}
- [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8844857220560459276&q=%22James+Garner%22+%22Charlie+Rose%22&total=4&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0 James Garner Interview on the Charlie Rose Show]
- [http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=%22archive+of+american+television+interview+with+james+garner%22 James Garner interview] at Archive of American Television - (c/o Google Video) - March 17, 1999
{{Paul Bogart}}
{{Gordon Douglas}}
Category:Films directed by Gordon Douglas
Category:American independent films
Category:Films set in the 1850s
Category:Films directed by Paul Bogart
Category:Films scored by David Shire