Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysToronto Int'l Film FestivalHispanic Heritage MonthIMDb Stars to WatchSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Skateboard

  • 1978
  • PG
  • 1h 37m
IMDb RATING
5.5/10
410
YOUR RATING
Skateboard (1978)
Extreme SportDramaSport

A Hollywood agent finds himself in debt to a powerful bookie. To make a fast buck, he creates a team of exceptionally talented skateboarders and enters them in a downhill race. If they win, ... Read allA Hollywood agent finds himself in debt to a powerful bookie. To make a fast buck, he creates a team of exceptionally talented skateboarders and enters them in a downhill race. If they win, they will get $20,000.A Hollywood agent finds himself in debt to a powerful bookie. To make a fast buck, he creates a team of exceptionally talented skateboarders and enters them in a downhill race. If they win, they will get $20,000.

  • Director
    • George Gage
  • Writers
    • Dick Wolf
    • George Gage
  • Stars
    • Allen Garfield
    • Kathleen Lloyd
    • Leif Garrett
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.5/10
    410
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • George Gage
    • Writers
      • Dick Wolf
      • George Gage
    • Stars
      • Allen Garfield
      • Kathleen Lloyd
      • Leif Garrett
    • 15User reviews
    • 12Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos16

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 10
    View Poster

    Top cast70

    Edit
    Allen Garfield
    Allen Garfield
    • Manny Bloom
    Kathleen Lloyd
    Kathleen Lloyd
    • Millicent Broderick
    Leif Garrett
    Leif Garrett
    • Brad Harris
    Richard Van der Wyk
    • Jason Maddox
    Tony Alva
    Tony Alva
    • Tony Bluetile
    Steve Monahan
    • Peter Steffens
    David Hyde
    • Dennis
    Ellen O'Neal
    Ellen O'Neal
    • Jenny Bradshaw
    Pam Kenneally
    • Randi
    Antony Carbone
    Antony Carbone
    • Sol
    Sylvester Words
    • Sol's Henchman
    Gordon Jump
    Gordon Jump
    • Mr. Harris
    Patricia Hitchcock
    Patricia Hitchcock
    • Mrs. Harris
    • (as Pat Hitchcock)
    Orson Bean
    Orson Bean
    • Self
    Joe Bratcher
    • Vito
    Harvey Levine
    • U.E.O. Clerk
    Thelma Pelish
    Thelma Pelish
    • Woman in Motel
    John Fox
    • Charlie Martin
    • Director
      • George Gage
    • Writers
      • Dick Wolf
      • George Gage
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews15

    5.5410
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    7stargeek99

    Lowbudget fun

    I have a weird history with this movie. When I was a kid, I came across the book adaptation of the movie in a used book store. As a young skateboarder in the early 80s, I enjoyed the book quite a bit. Then to my amazement I caught the movie played on Saturday afternoon television and also enjoyed it quite a bit.

    Then about 20 years pass and I've long outgrown skateboarding, and what do I come across being played on late night TV? Skateboard! I settle in for a nostalgic return to my youth.

    It's obvious that this film had to be mostly improvised by the cast, but to me that's part of the charm. It definitely feels more like a documentary than feature.

    Yeah, the skateboarding is completely archaic, but sheesh, this movie is 30 years old. Vert ramps hadn't been invented yet.

    If you get a chance to catch it on late-night TV, I definitely suggest a look.
    5bkoganbing

    Skateboarding cash cow

    The phenomenon of skateboarding which blossomed in the 70s gets a look in this G rated film about a down and out promoter who sees a bunch of kids doing their skateboard thing and turns them into a team. Allen Garfield stars as the promoter who gets to like the kids no matter how much he first sees them as just a cash cow.

    Garfield's probably a decent enough guy under ordinary circumstances and considering what he does for a living. But these times aren't ordinary, Garfield is into Anthony Carbone for some bucks and then borrows some bigger bucks to promote the team. The leg breakers will be paying him a call if he doesn't succeed.

    Which explains the pressures he puts on the kids to win although they don't understand it. Neither does Kathleen Lloyd, team nurse and guardian and all around confidante to Garfield though he levels with her.

    Leif Garrett who was on the cusp of bubblegum stardom plays one of the kids and Garfield's eventual savior. The rest of the players are skateboarders first and barely handled the dialog.

    Still it's skateboarding and Leif Garrett that people paid to see and Skateboard gives them their money's worth.
    10radsquad-slyder

    Great!

    All that I can say is that the other guy that reviewed this movie knows nothing about the history of skateboarding. In the 1970s skateboarding was one of the greatest spectacles of the time. There were actually skateboard World Championships which drew grand crowds and the invents did include slalom(weaving in and out of cones) and downhill races... I found the other guy to be completely asinine in his reasoning. This movie has a cameo of Tony Alva of Dogtown fame. Who recently was featured in the video game Tony Hawk's American Wasteland, and the feature film Lords of Dogtown and the documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys. I would recommend this movie to anyone who loves skateboarding and its history because this is clearly a part of it...

    GRADE: A+, excellent
    5JohnSeal

    Better than you'd think

    Skateboard is the implausible but engaging story of the LA Wheels, a 'professional' team of adolescents traveling the skateboard circuit (who knew there was one?). Allen Garfield plays their mentor and manager, and he is surprisingly effective as the desperate Manny Blum who needs cash to pay off gangster Antony Carbone. Kathleen Lloyd provides a touch of class as his assistant coach and the kids of the skate team seem to be having fun. An excellent family film that goes out of its way to eschew profanity, Skateboard has a happy ending for everyone, including the hoodlum.
    vchimpanzee

    Pleasant enough but not great; skateboarders had talent

    Manny is in debt to Sol, among others, and he has to come up with an idea to make money quickly. Earlier, he nearly ran into some kids who were skateboarding in the road. When he sees one of them outside his window, he pitches the idea of a skateboarding team to Sol, who reluctantly accepts this chance to get his money back and then some.

    Manny knows nothing about skateboarding. He doesn't even realize there are already teams, and as talented as the kids are, it's hard to believe at first anyone will pay money to see them.

    A number of problems get in the way of the team's success. One is the need for someone to supervise them, like a parent. So Millicent is hired. Of course, as often happens in sports movies, one of the kids thinks he is too good to follow the rules. Later, the events really look like something worth seeing.

    I didn't see anything here approaching good acting, but Manny, Millicent and the kids were all easy enough to like. Manny was certainly funny because he was such a loser. And the kids certainly had talent on skateboards if nothing else. The situation was hard to believe but was executed well enough.

    I seriously question any reference to this being a 'family' movie. The sound went out a number of times, and other times it sounded like words had been substituted, and while tame by today's standards, the sex talk seemed pretty frank.

    If you're not looking to use your brain and if your expectations are not high, I suppose this was a pleasant enough film.

    More like this

    Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat
    6.0
    Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat
    Bright Lights, Big City
    5.7
    Bright Lights, Big City
    Dream a Little Dream
    5.7
    Dream a Little Dream
    Sons of Steel
    5.0
    Sons of Steel
    Hot Dog... The Movie
    5.1
    Hot Dog... The Movie
    Bloodmoon
    4.7
    Bloodmoon
    Inferno Rosso: Joe D'Amato on the Road of Excess
    6.9
    Inferno Rosso: Joe D'Amato on the Road of Excess
    Sidekicks
    5.2
    Sidekicks
    TNT Jackson
    4.7
    TNT Jackson
    Freewheelin'
    6.7
    Freewheelin'
    Mr. Destiny
    6.4
    Mr. Destiny
    Looking for Mr. Goodbar
    6.7
    Looking for Mr. Goodbar

    Related interests

    Michael Angarano, Melonie Diaz, Emile Hirsch, Victor Rasuk, Nikki Reed, and Don Nguyen in Lords of Dogtown (2005)
    Extreme Sport
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill in Moneyball (2011)
    Sport

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Leif Garrett did all but one of his own stunts.
    • Soundtracks
      Sweet Rider
      Lyrics by Richard Sarstedt

      Music by Mark Snow

      Performed by Dr. John

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ16

    • How long is Skateboard?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 1978 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Skateboard: The Movie
    • Filming locations
      • N. Cherokee Avenue at Franklin Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA(Manny starts his car and drives around corner)
    • Production company
      • Blum Group
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,318,823
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,318,823
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 37m(97 min)
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.