{{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 mdy dates|date=February 2026}} {{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox film | name = Skin Game | image = Poster of the movie Skin Game.jpg | caption = Theatrical release poster | director = Paul Bogart<br />Gordon Douglas (uncredited) | producer = Harry Keller | screenplay = Peter Stone (credited as "Pierre Marton") | story = Richard Alan Simmons | starring = James Garner<br />Lou Gossett<br />Susan Clark<br />Brenda Sykes<br />Ed Asner<br />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 western comedy film 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== {{more plot|date=May 2026}} Partners Quincy Drew, a white man and Jason O'Rourke, a Black man (who was born free and is well-educated), travel from town to town in Missouri and Kansas during the late slavery era. They had first met when Quincy had sold Jason a horse that had 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 his last slave. Quincy then gets the bidding rolling, sells Jason (who quickly escapes from his new owner), and the two meet to split the profit. The con is complicated when Jason is sold to a savvy slave trader who is intent on taking him farther 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 Studios, announced he was developing the project based on a story by Richard Alan Simmons.<ref>Duo Slated for 5 Pictures Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times 21 Jan 1966: c6.</ref>

In March 1968, Peter Stone signed on to write the script.<ref>MOVIE CALL SHEET: Plummer Gets Musical Lead Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times 2 Mar 1968: 19.</ref> In October 1968, Universal announced the film for the following year.<ref>Universal Lists Films for 1969 Los Angeles Times 9 Oct 1968: c24.</ref>

In April 1969, Universal put the film on its slate for the following year. Keller would produce with Peter Stone, who wrote the script.<ref>Universal Schedule Announced for 1970 Los Angeles Times 2 Apr 1969: h14</ref>

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.<ref>MOVIE CALL SHEET: Culp, Raquel 'Caulder' Stars Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times 21 Dec 1970: i19.</ref> Kennedy said he walked off the film when the producer started telling him where to put the camera. He said when he quit he was doing tests for the black lead with Lou Gossett and Cleavon Little.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kennedy |first=Burt |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/Hollywood_Trail_Boss.html?id=lp4LAAAACAAJ&source=kp_book_description |title=Hollywood Trail Boss: Behind the Scenes of the Wild, Wild Western |date=1997 |publisher=Boulevard Books |isbn=978-1-57297-295-7 |pages=140–141 |language=en}}</ref>

In January 1971, Lou Gossett signed to co-star.<ref>MOVIE CALL SHEET: Geller Given Cinema Post Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times 23 Jan 1971: b6.</ref>

In March, Bogart fell ill with hepatitis, and Gordon Douglas took over directing for a period of filming.<ref>Heflin Set for 'Revengers' Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times 19 Mar 1971: e15.</ref>

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.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Buckley |first=Tom |date=February 24, 1978 |title=At the Movies: After 'Carrie' Amy Irving gets the E.S.P. in 'The Fury.' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/02/24/archives/at-the-movies-after-carrie-amy-irving-gets-the-esp-in-the-fury.html |work=The New York Times |pages=8}}</ref>

Garner called it "a funny movie if you don't mind jokes about slavery. Paul Bogart did a masterly job."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Garner |first=James |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Garner_Files.html?id=W6jiYnyLRgoC&source=kp_book_description |title=The Garner Files: A Memoir |last2=Winokur |first2=Jon |date=2011 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-1-4516-4261-2 |pages=258 |language=en}}</ref>

== 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== * List of films featuring slavery

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{IMDb title|id=0067763|title=Skin Game}} * {{AFI film|54120}} * [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:1971 films Category:Films directed by Gordon Douglas Category:1971 comedy films Category:American independent films Category:Films set in the 1850s Category:Films directed by Paul Bogart Category:Films scored by David Shire Category:Films with screenplays by Peter Stone (writer) Category:1971 English-language films Category:1971 American films Category:African-American Western (genre) films Category:Warner Bros. films