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IMDbPro

Skidoo

  • 19681968
  • RR
  • 1h 38m
IMDb RATING
4.7/10
1.8K
YOUR RATING
Skidoo (1968)
Infamous psychedelic all-star comedy about ex-gangster Tony Banks, who's called out of retirement by mob kingpin God to carry out a hit on fellow mobster "Blue Chips" Packard. When Banks demurs, God kidnaps his daughter Darlene on his luxury yacht.
Play trailer2:36
1 Video
20 Photos
Comedy
Infamous psychedelic all-star comedy about ex-gangster Tony Banks, who's called out of retirement by mob kingpin God to carry out a hit on fellow mobster "Blue Chips" Packard. When Banks dem... Read allInfamous psychedelic all-star comedy about ex-gangster Tony Banks, who's called out of retirement by mob kingpin God to carry out a hit on fellow mobster "Blue Chips" Packard. When Banks demurs, God kidnaps his daughter Darlene on his luxury yacht.Infamous psychedelic all-star comedy about ex-gangster Tony Banks, who's called out of retirement by mob kingpin God to carry out a hit on fellow mobster "Blue Chips" Packard. When Banks demurs, God kidnaps his daughter Darlene on his luxury yacht.
IMDb RATING
4.7/10
1.8K
YOUR RATING
    • Otto Preminger
    • Doran William Cannon
  • Stars
    • Jackie Gleason
    • Carol Channing
    • Frankie Avalon
    • Otto Preminger
    • Doran William Cannon
  • Stars
    • Jackie Gleason
    • Carol Channing
    • Frankie Avalon
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 76User reviews
    • 50Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:36
    Watch Trailer

    Photos20

    Alexandra Hay and John Phillip Law in Skidoo (1968)
    Alexandra Hay and John Phillip Law in Skidoo (1968)
    Carol Channing, Alexandra Hay, and John Phillip Law in Skidoo (1968)
    Groucho Marx in Skidoo (1968)
    Alexandra Hay and John Phillip Law in Skidoo (1968)
    Frankie Avalon and Carol Channing in Skidoo (1968)
    Groucho Marx in Skidoo (1968)
    Jackie Gleason and Austin Pendleton in Skidoo (1968)
    Frankie Avalon, Alexandra Hay, John Phillip Law, and George Raft in Skidoo (1968)
    Skidoo (1968)
    Jackie Gleason and Austin Pendleton in Skidoo (1968)
    Austin Pendleton in Skidoo (1968)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Jackie Gleason
    Jackie Gleason
    • Tony Banks
    Carol Channing
    Carol Channing
    • Flo
    Frankie Avalon
    Frankie Avalon
    • Angie
    Fred Clark
    Fred Clark
    • A Tower Guard
    Michael Constantine
    Michael Constantine
    • Leech
    Frank Gorshin
    Frank Gorshin
    • The Man
    John Phillip Law
    John Phillip Law
    • Stash
    Peter Lawford
    Peter Lawford
    • The Senator
    Burgess Meredith
    Burgess Meredith
    • The Warden
    George Raft
    George Raft
    • The Skipper
    Cesar Romero
    Cesar Romero
    • Hechy
    Mickey Rooney
    Mickey Rooney
    • 'Blue Chips' Packard
    Groucho Marx
    Groucho Marx
    • 'God'
    Arnold Stang
    Arnold Stang
    • Harry
    Doro Merande
    Doro Merande
    • The Mayor
    Phil Arnold
    Phil Arnold
    • Her Husband
    Slim Pickens
    Slim Pickens
    • The Switchboard Operator
    Robert Donner
    Robert Donner
    • Another Switchboard Operator
      • Otto Preminger
      • Doran William Cannon
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Otto Preminger originally wanted Bob Dylan to score the movie. He invited Dylan and his wife to a screening of a rough cut of the movie in Preminger's Hollywood mansion. After the screening Dylan surprised everybody from his entourage, who thought the film was a disaster, by requesting a second screening but at one condition: he wanted to be left alone with his wife in the house during it. Preminger happily obliged, convinced that Dylan would accept the job. However, Dylan showed no further interest in the movie. He acknowledged later that he and his wife weren't interested at all by the film but they loved the mansion's style so much that they requested this second screening to freely explore it, write down what they liked and take inspiration for their own house.
    • Quotes

      Stash: Violence is the sign language of the inarticulate.

      Tony Banks: What is he talkin' about? Do you know what he's talkin' about?

    • Crazy credits
      At the end of the film, Harry Nilsson sings all the credits that appear onscreen, with occasional side notes (e.g. "a good friend", or "thanks").
    • Connections
      Featured in Inside the Marx Brothers (2003)
    • Soundtracks
      Skidoo
      Performed by Carol Channing and Company

      Written by Harry Nilsson

    User reviews76

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    2/10
    Hippies and Gangsters don't mix
    After watching Skidoo tonight all I can ask is what was Otto Preminger thinking when he did this film? Better yet what were all these talented people thinking when they signed on?

    The plot has Jackie Gleason, once the mob's number one hit-man, but now retired and living with wife Carol Channing and daughter Alexandra Hay who has taken up with the hippie lifestyle and some hippies, much to the consternation of Gleason and Channing. Those two alone as parents might make anyone want to join a commune.

    Cesar Romero and Frankie Avalon bring a message from God or at least that's what syndicate boss Groucho Marx. Groucho wants mob informer Mickey Rooney killed, but Mickey's in prison. Never mind the mob can do anything, bust Gleason into prison and bust him right out once the job is done. But Rooney won't let people near him, but since Gleason's an old friend he'll be vulnerable to him. Which is what Groucho is thinking.

    Since Gleason balks, Groucho captures Alexandra Hay and brings her on his yacht from where he runs things. At that point with Marx having him by the short hairs, Gleason agrees to the contract.

    The big idea is to get the entire prison tripping on LSD so no one will interfere. But of course things do go wrong as you'll see if you care to watch the film.

    No matter how many big names were packed into Skidoo, nothing could get this picture off the ground. Otto Preminger packed the film with a whole lot of people he had used in previous films like Peter Lawford, Burgess Meredith, Slim Pickens, but all to no avail. The jokes fell flat as a punctured soufflé, the situations were just not funny, in fact even Groucho apparently wasn't in the mood to ad-lib any of his patented humor.

    In fact Groucho playing a character called God WAS the funniest thing in the film. It has serious theological implications for those of us who thought George Burns or Morgan Freeman was God.

    In its own way Skidoo was as big a disaster, even bigger than Plan Nine From Outer Space. And Preminger had a much bigger budget to work from.
    helpful•17
    2
    • bkoganbing
    • Nov 8, 2008

    FAQ1

    • Why can't this film be seen on video or DVD?

    Details

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    • Release date
      • December 19, 1968 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Alcatraz Prison, Alcatraz Island, San Francisco Bay, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Otto Preminger Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 1 hour 38 minutes
      • Mono

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