Skin Game

And Lou Gossett with hair - Wow! But this comedy has a heavy load to carry, dealing with slavery & it's human cost. It's not much of a comedy when Jason actually gets sold into slavery and Gossett conveys the desperation very well. It does have it's light moments and Susan Clark helps lighten the load. I rated it an 8.

OK finally got to watch this previously unavailable James Garner Western. It was directed by Paul Bogart who was basically a TV director and it really shows since the film doesn't quite use all of the advantages available to a cinematic endeavor. The only other film that I've seen that I know of directed by Bogart is another Garner vehicle based on Raymond Chandler's private eye character called "Marlowe" which I've seen and liked, but not in quite a while.

This film is probably the closest Garner ever gets in a film, that I've seen, to him reprising his Maverick persona when he his still young enough to pull it off, (he does so somewhat also, in the two Support Your Local... films with his cool wisecracking deliveries) but here he is actually playing a character Quincy Drew, who is a con man in the best Maverick Brothers tradition. The story circa (1857) deals with two con men Drew and Jason O'Rourke (Lou Gossett) a native of New Jersey, who we later discover met in a jail in Pennsylvania when O'Rourke was thrown into a cell next to Drew who was doing time for telling fortunes, its hilarious seeing Garner in a turban and fortune telling garb. They hit it off, and devise various different cons that they try out as a team until they hit on what they call the "Skin Game". This con consists of Garner riding into various Western border state towns Kansas, Missouri, etc., feigning poverty and as a result has to sell his best slave at an impromptu auction in the saloon, hotel, etc., etc. Susan Clark, plays a shady lady/pickpocket/con woman who targets the guys taking their money who eventually becomes Garners love interest. Ed Asner here, is in his villain period and he does a pretty good job as a slave catcher operating in the border area who eventually catches on to the con game. Gossett does a great job along with Garner & Clark.

The film is entertaining and plays it safe and cutesy, but it could have been a whole lot better with a more creative and daring director, its reminiscent of Eastwood's self produced Malpaso Production films in that respect, Cherokee Productions is Garner's company.

The what if's: If it would have shown Gossett & Garner's other various cons and how they stumbled upon the "Skin Game" con and had a better ending than the contrived one it does have it would been better.

I'll give it a 7-8/10 mostly for its Maverick nostalgia value. Its a shame its not on TV in rotation with other Westerns on the various movie channels but I think the frequent use of the "n" word probably is the cause of its not being so. Its almost as if the mainstream media has decided that that period of American History has been dealt with enough and can be swept into the closet.

Skin Game is predominantly directed by Paul Bogart and written by Richard Alan Simmons and Peter Stone. It stars James Garner, Louis Gossett Jr., Susan Clark, Brenda Sykes, Edward Asner and Andrew Duggan. Music is by David Shire and cinematography by Fred J. Koenekamp.

Slavery era America and two interracial con-men travel from town to town duping white folk into purchasing black Jason O'Rourke (Gossett Jr,). After Quincy Drew (Garner) strikes a deal, with money in hand, the pair meet up later to scarper and split the profits. A nice con, that is until ladies and savvy outsiders enter the fray...

A lovely Panavision/Technicolor production, Skin Game is a little remembered comedy Oater, not because it's poor, but more than likely because it has been shunted to one side due to what is now perceived as political incorrectness. Which is a shame, for although it doesn't fully exploit the premise it is working with, it's a very likable pic that's propped up by strong lead performances.

As the not so intrepid duo move from town to town, places with great names like Dirty Shame and Bitter End, a number of funny scenes keep things perky, be it bath time, Jason crying or the verbal jousting rumbling on, the comedy is subtle and easy to digest. The introduction of Clark lifts the pic higher, for she's a bigger rogue than Quincy and Jason, adding more cream to an already amusing pudding.

It's all very improbable as such, so we are not surprised when things inevitably go belly up, while the intention to probe the bile of the era in question doesn't make a telling mark. But the pros of the piece far outweigh the cons to give us a film worth tracking down. 7/10

In 1857, con man Quincy Drew (James Garner who's shamelessly over the top) and his black friend Jason O'Rourke (Louis Gossett Jr) are travelling through the dangerous paths pre-American Civil War. Jason, though born a free man in New Jersey, poses as Quincy's slave as the pair ride through Missouri and Kansas in 1857. Quincy Drew and his black friend Jason O'Rourke have pulled off every dodge known for conning a well-heeled sucker, but it wasn't until they hit on the old skin game that they started to clean up. The game is simple: Gosset is sold to a new owner by Garner who helps him escape. Quincy picks a likely mark in each town, sells Jason to him for top money and rides out of town. Then Quincy and Jason get back together on the road to another town, because if Jason can't just run off after dark, Quincy finds a way to spring him loose. After Jason escapes captivity, both of them share the spoils. All is well until the slave seller Plunkett (Edward Asner) and nasty owner Galloway (Andrew Duggan) turn the tables on them. They talked their way into a fortune, then had to shoot their way out !. Would you buy a used slave from this man ?. To market, to market, to sell your best friend, then split up the money and do it again !. This Dude Gives You The Eye...While This Dude Gives You The Hustle!

An amusing enough liberal comedy western that has its fun moments, entertainment, action and some violence. Enjoyable as well as amiable screenplay by William Bowers and Richard Alan Simmons, allowing us to have good feeling for any of the roles, as the plot flows laughly along. It is exciting enough and glosses both the interdependence among protagonists and their antagonism. This plot about the peculiar conflicts and sympathetic relations between the rough, lifer Garner, and the cultured slave Gossett is well worked through a chronic circular premise. The underlying message about the evils of slavery and human greed is , of course, serious and enhances the attractivenes of the story. An entertaining and diverting film about a fast-talking and his black partner traveling throughout the antebellum South setting up scams against slave buyers. Garner and Gossett make a splendid comedy team in this different buddy flick, both of whom supply a few smiles. Their relationship bears remarkable resemblance to Burt Lancaster and Ossie Davies in 'Sidney Pollack's The Scalphunters' (1968). Louis Gossett Jr would repeat his role as Jason O'Rourke in Sidekicks (1974) by Burt Kennedy with Larry Hagman, Blythe Danner, Jack Elam and Harry Morgan. James 'Maverick' Garner and Louis Gossett Jr are well accompanied by a good support cast , such as : Susan Clark as the nice one and also a cheater Ginger, Brenda Sykes who also played a slave in ´Mandingo' , Edward Asner, Henry Jones, Neva Patterson, George Tyne, Royal Dano and special mention for Andrew Duggan who plays straight as a cruel plantation owner.

The motion picture was well directed by Paul Bogart (The Canterville Ghost , Class of 44 , Oh God you Devil, Skin Game and Marlowe also starred by Garner), though it has some flaws . Director Paul Bogart was replaced by Gordon Douglas for two to three weeks after Bogart contracted hepatitis. Rating : 6.5/10 . A squirmingly funny, though overrated, Western comedy with a stunning starring duo. The flick will appeal to James Garner and Louis Gosset fans.

Shows the hypocrisy of slavery while also showing a bond between a white and black man running a con on slave traders. Had some really funny parts too! I never knew about this movie.