Review: Black Samson (1974)

Rockne Tarkington plays the title dashiki-wearing, stick-carrying club/bar owner, an African-American with a tamed lion (!) behind the bar. Gangster Johnny Nappa (William Smith) wants to muscle in on Samson’s territory and will gladly fuck shit up to get what he wants. Meanwhile, Johnny’s old school uncle and boss, who would prefer to carry out business in a more gentlemanly fashion. Carol Speed plays Samson’s squeeze, whilst Connie Strickland turns up as Johnny’s mistreated girl whom he coerces into posing as a prospective dancer at Samson’s club to spy on him. Michael Payne plays a high-as-a-kite drug dealer named Arthur, a powerful community figure, but a coward and sleaze who initially refuses to help Samson when Johnny and his goons take things too far. Napoleon Whiting plays Samson’s elderly friend and employee Old Henry.

 

It’s not often I’ll get the opportunity to watch a film twice before reviewing it, but I subsequently bought this 1974 blaxploitation film in a 4 movie set and gave it another go. I’m glad I did because it worked better enough for me the second time around that I’m able to give it a recommendation, if not the strongest one. Directed by Charles Bail (“The Gumball Rally”, “Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold”), I initially found it a little too leisurely paced, and Michael Payne’s bug-eyed supporting performance grated on me. Second time around? Oddly enough, I disagree with both of those criticisms to some extent and the things that worked for me worked even better this time. Perhaps I was just having a bad day and wasn’t giving the film an entirely fair shake.

 

The fabulously named Rockne Tarkington is our title character, a bar owner and all-round noble bad arse who wields a big stick and keeps a tamed lion in his bar (!). Because he's Samson, get it? Tarkington has an interesting voice, soft but somewhat booming at the same time with a touch of William Marshall regalness to it. He has a somewhat calm demeanour that distinguishes him from some of the more fiery blaxploitation heroes, but he can bring the intensity when need be. At the other end of the scale we have William Smith bringing an all-round a-hole bully demeanour to his chief enforcer role. It’s hilarious just how much of a mean-spirited bastard this guy is and he steals the film. Carol Speed and Titos Vandis are solid support too, and like I said Michael Payne’s unsubtle performance worked for me this time.

 

Genuinely funny finale where Smith and the mob goons turn up in Samson’s neighbourhood and the locals just throw tables, TVs, and other assorted shit out of their windows at them. It’s a great scene. As for the direction, I don’t think Bail is asleep at the wheel but there are a couple of scenes at the bar with Napoleon Whiting’s rambling character that are allowed to run on too long. It does stop the film dead once or twice, which is a shame.

 

Solid performances, a great finale, and a tamed lion in a bar. Yeah, the direction could be tighter but this is still a very watchable film. The screenplay is by Warren Hamilton Jr. (who edited “Sweet Jesus, Preacherman”) later became more prolific as a top sound editor in the 90s), from a story by Daniel Cady (“Black Starlet”).

 

Rating: B-