Review: Trick Baby

The story of two con artists, one black (Mel Stewart) the other bi-racial (played by white actor Kiel Martin as the ‘trick baby’ of the film’s title) who after a successful con involving stolen diamonds start to think about their next money-making scheme. This will involve ripping off a bunch of old white dudes with a ghetto property scam. It doesn’t go off without a hitch to say the least, and veteran Stewart might’ve wished he’d retired after the diamond job. Fuddle Bagley plays a mark, Dallas Edward Hayes is the corrupt black cop who resents our leads, especially the half-white Martin.

 

Although it isn’t nearly as well-known as “Shaft” or “Superfly”, this 1973 blaxploitation-adjacent film from director Larry Yust is pretty well-regarded. Kind of like an urban version of “The Skin Game” or “The Scalphunters”, it has good performances but for me the pacing only works in fits and starts. Con artist movies are generally easy and breezy but this one lacks a pulse for chunks at a time. There’s a bit too much emphasis to boring old white folk in this one. Also not helping things is that the dialogue is pretty flat. There’s a funny bit where our con artist duo pick up a patsy (a perfect Fuddle Bagley) who turns out to have his own ideas – and a gun – and he still ends up losing. Next to the solid efforts of Kiel Martin and Mel Stewart, the best turn comes from Dallas Edward Hayes as the corrupt African-American cop Dot.

 

Some good moments and performances, but also some lulls in this crime-drama/caper that really isn’t a blaxploitation movie. It’s also not really a good movie. Based on an Iceberg Slim novel the screenplay is by Robert Beck (Mr. Slim himself), A. Neuberg, and T. Raewyn, the latter two possibly being pseudonyms.

 

Rating: C+