Skidoo

Skidoo (1968)

It takes two to skidoo.

Ex-gangster Tony Banks is 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.

Date of release
1968-12-19
TMDB
4.7 / 10 (26)
Runtime
1h 38m
Genres
Comedy, Crime
Director
Otto Preminger

Casting

Interesting facts

Skidoo is a 1968 American comedy film directed by Otto Preminger, starring Jackie Gleason, Carol Channing, Frankie Avalon, Fred Clark, Michael Constantine, Frank Gorshin, John Phillip Law, Peter Lawford, Burgess Meredith, George Raft, Cesar Romero, Mickey Rooney, and Groucho Marx playing a top mobster named "God". It was written by Doran William Cannon and released by Paramount Pictures on December 19, 1968. The screenplay satirizes late-1960s counterculture lifestyle and its creature comforts, technology, anti-technology, hippies, free love and then-topical use of the drug LSD.

Production

Writer Paul Krassner published a story in the February 1981 issue of High Times magazine, relating how Groucho Marx prepared for his role in the LSD-related movie by taking a dose of the drug in Krassner's company, and had a moving, largely pleasant experience.

Pop culture buffs have noted that three cast members, Frank Gorshin (The Riddler), Burgess Meredith (The Penguin) and Cesar Romero (The Joker), played recurring villains in the 1966–68 Batman television series, which broadcast its final episode in March, nine months before Skidoo's release.

After Preminger saw him perform with The Committee, an uncredited Rob Reiner was brought in to "write scenes for hippies".

The scenes on God's yacht were shot on John Wayne's yacht, Wild Goose, the former US Navy minesweeper USS YMS-328.

Wild Goose was used extensively with scenes shot from the exterior and in the wheel house, cabins, engine room, upper and lower decks. Part of the movie was filmed at the South San Francisco City Hall.

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