Skidoo

Available DVDs Poster Art

Tagline

• It takes two to skidoo

Main Details

• Released in 1968
• Color
• Running Time: 97 Min
• Production Co: Otto Preminger Films (as Sigma Productions)
• Distribution Co: Paramount Pictures (1968) (USA) (theatrical)

Cast and Crew

• Directed by Otto Preminger
• Written by Doran William Cannon
• 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, Groucho Marx, Arnold Stang
• Produced by Otto Preminger
• Cinematography by Leon Shamroy
• Film Editing by George R. Rohrs
• Casting by Erik Lee Preminger

Synopsis

Otto Preminger (Anatomy of a Murder) directs this psychedelic-comedy classic starring Jackie Gleason as Tough Tony Banks, a retired gangster who reluctantly comes out of retirement to silence his old friend and squealer (Mickey Rooney). Tony’s suburban haven comes crashing down as his daughter (Alexandra Hay) takes up with a hippie (John Phillip Law) and his wife (Carol Channing) gives them permission to move into their house with their hippy friends. The all-star cast includes Batman villains (Cesar Romero, Burgess Meredith, Frank Gorshin), with Frankie Avalon, Peter Lawford, George Raft, Slim Pickens, Fred Clark, Richard Kiel, Harry Nilsson and Graucho Marx in his final role as the mob boss names God. Music and lyrics by Nilsson.

Final film of Groucho Marx. Share this Hide options Facebook | Twitter | Permalink: Faye Dunaway, under contract to Otto Preminger at the time, refused to appear in the film after her unexpected success in Bonnie and Clyde (1967) and was promptly sued by Preminger. The matter was settled out of court. Share this Hide options Facebook | Twitter | Permalink: Several writers were brought in to "fix" this while Otto Preminger was shooting Doran William Cannon's original script. These "rescue writers" included Elliott Baker and Stanley Ralph Ross. By the time Ross was called in, the picture was nearly half done and the scenes that Ross suggested be cut had already been shot and roughly edited. Preminger never cheated on wages and paid Ross, Baker and several other writers in a vain attempt to add jokes. However, Preminger steadfastly refused to alter the structure of the story. Share this Hide options Facebook | Twitter | Permalink: Otto Preminger experimented with LSD to prepare for this film. It is rumored that Groucho Marx also experimented with Timothy Leary. Share this Hide options Facebook | Twitter | Permalink: Even though Groucho Marx was 78 years old and well past his Marx Bros. prime, Otto Preminger browbeat Groucho into wearing his old greasepaint-mustache get-up for the movie. He also berated Groucho on the set, causing his co-star Jackie Gleason to physically threaten Preminger to never try the same bullying behavior with him. Share this Hide options Facebook | Twitter | Permalink: In the film's TV-viewing opening, Otto Preminger's film In Harm's Way (1965) is featured. Preminger always complained about having his films cut to pieces on TV. Thus, Carol Channing's character says, "No, I never watch films on TV . . . they always cut them to pieces." Share this Hide options Facebook | Twitter | Permalink: Towards the end, when George Raft marries Frankie Avalon and Donyale Luna, Raft's wedding-service manual is clearly seen as "The Death of God". Share this Hide options Facebook | Twitter | Permalink: Groucho Marx's LSD trip is the subject of the article "My Acid Trip with Groucho" by Paul Krassner, Yippie founder and editor/publisher of famed satirical magazine The Realist. Share this Hide options Facebook | Twitter | Permalink: God's yacht in the film was actually borrowed from John Wayne. Director Otto Preminger had directed Wayne in In Harm's Way (1965) and Wayne donated the yacht for use in the film. Share this Hide options Facebook | Twitter | Permalink: Otto Preminger became so fascinated with his son Erik Lee Preminger's description of life as a dropout in New York's Greenwich Village that when a mere writing sample from Doran William Cannon passed his desk, Preminger wanted to shoot the writing sample as opposed to the actual script, because the sample explored the hippie existence and LSD-tripping. Share this Hide options Facebook | Twitter | Permalink: 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 Perminger'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 had loved so much the mansion style that they had requested this second screening to freely explore the mansion, write down what they liked and take inspiration for their own house. Share this Hide options Facebook | Twitter | Permalink: Cast members Burgess Meredith, Frank Gorshin, Cesar Romero and director Otto Preminger all appeared playing villains on the TV series "Batman" (1966). Arnold Stang also appeared on the show uncredited in one episode.