Back in the 60s and 70s, James Garner made a niche for himself playing in comedic westerns, such as starring in "Maverick" on television as well as appearing in films such as "Support Your Local Sheriff" and "Support Your Local Gunfighter". Well, in the case of "Skin Game", Garner perhaps went to the well one time too many...though back in 1971 the film wasn't seen in quite the same way it would be seen today.
The plot to this film is insane...though apparently not so insane that the network didn't this out as an idea for a weekly series. So, only a few years later, they remade "Skin Game" as a retooled TV movie with Larry Hagman in the Garner role and Lou Gossett reprising his role.
So what is the plot? Well in "Skin Game", Garner travels to various slave states in pre-Civil War America. There, he sells his friend (Gossett) and somehow Gossett would find a way to escape (they were very vague on HOW he did this repeatedly) and the pair would move on to some place else and repeat this again and again. Today, this would be considered pretty tasteless by many, but for me the problem was more of a historical nature. As a retired history teacher, such a plot is patently absurd.
Now if you completely turn off your brain and don't think about the implausibility of the plot, you can enjoy the movie on a basic level. Garner and Gossett are enjoyable together. But for me, it just wasn't worth it and the film is definitely weak and a mistake in hindsight.
The plot to this film is insane...though apparently not so insane that the network didn't this out as an idea for a weekly series. So, only a few years later, they remade "Skin Game" as a retooled TV movie with Larry Hagman in the Garner role and Lou Gossett reprising his role.
So what is the plot? Well in "Skin Game", Garner travels to various slave states in pre-Civil War America. There, he sells his friend (Gossett) and somehow Gossett would find a way to escape (they were very vague on HOW he did this repeatedly) and the pair would move on to some place else and repeat this again and again. Today, this would be considered pretty tasteless by many, but for me the problem was more of a historical nature. As a retired history teacher, such a plot is patently absurd.
Now if you completely turn off your brain and don't think about the implausibility of the plot, you can enjoy the movie on a basic level. Garner and Gossett are enjoyable together. But for me, it just wasn't worth it and the film is definitely weak and a mistake in hindsight.