Skin Game

1971

1h 42m

IMDb RATING

6.6/10

YOUR RATING

Rate

POPULARITY

Play trailer

1 Video

18 Images

Action

Comedy

Western

Quincy Drew and Jason O’Rourke, a pair of friends and con men—the former white, the latter a Northern-born free Black man— travel from town to town in the pre–Civil War American West. In their scam, Quincy sells Jason into slavery, frees him, and the two move on to the next town of suckers . . . until a con gone wrong leads Jason into real danger.

Directors

Paul Bogart

Writers

Peter Stone(writer by)

Stars

James Garner

Louis Gossett Jr.

Susan Clark

See production, box office & company info

Videos1

Trailer
Watch Skin Game - Trailer

Photos18

Top cast

Quincy Drew

Jason O'Rourke

Ginger

Naomi

Plunkett

Howard Calloway

Sam Cutler

Mrs. Claggart

Mr. Claggart

Henry P.Bonner

John Brown

William

Uncle Abram

Ned

Viney

Bidder (uncredited)

Pennypacker

Sheriff

Directors

Paul Bogart

Writers

Peter Stone(writer by)

All cast & crew

Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

User reviews1

Review

Featured review

7/10

Skin Con! 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

John Chard22 Sep, 2017