Trick Baby
Encyclopedia
Trick Baby is a 1972 American crime
-drama film
starring Kiel Martin
and Mel Stewart
. The film is commonly associated with the blaxploitation
genre of the period but is more plot and character driven than other blaxploitation films. Trick Baby is based on the Iceberg Slim
novel of the same name.
) and “Blue” Howard (Mel Stewart
) are two con men in Philadelphia. White Folks is the son of a white father and a black prostitute mother (the reason his enemies call him Trick Baby) whose complexion is light enough for him to pass as a white man. Blue is an older black hustler who raised White Folks and taught him “the con”. The pair pulls of the biggest score of their lives but before they can collect the money a previous con is complicating things. Unbeknownst to them their previous victim had mob ties and now they have run afoul of the Mafia and a corrupt cop. They must decide whether to leave town or risk their lives to collect the $130,000 from their most brilliant con.
Crime film
Crime films are films which focus on the lives of criminals. The stylistic approach to a crime film varies from realistic portrayals of real-life criminal figures, to the far-fetched evil doings of imaginary arch-villains. Criminal acts are almost always glorified in these movies.- Plays and films...
-drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
starring Kiel Martin
Kiel Martin
Kiel Urban Mueller , professionally known as Kiel Martin, was an American actor best known for his role as lovable rogue Detective John "J.D." La Rue on the 1980s television drama Hill Street Blues.Martin was married twice, first to Claudia Martin , who was actor/crooner Dean...
and Mel Stewart
Mel Stewart
Milton "Mel" Stewart was an American character actor, television director, and musician who appeared in numerous films and television shows from the 1960s to the 1990s. He is best known for playing Henry Jefferson on the popular television series All in the Family...
. The film is commonly associated with the blaxploitation
Blaxploitation
Blaxploitation or blacksploitation is a film genre which emerged in the United States circa 1970. It is considered an ethnic sub-genre of the general category of exploitation films. Blaxploitation films were originally made specifically for an urban black audience, although the genre's audience...
genre of the period but is more plot and character driven than other blaxploitation films. Trick Baby is based on the Iceberg Slim
Iceberg Slim
Iceberg Slim aka Robert Beck was a reformed pimp and American author of urban fiction.-Early life:Born Robert Lee Maupin, in Chicago on August 4, 1918, he spent his childhood in Milwaukee and Rockford, Illinois until he returned to Chicago...
novel of the same name.
Plot
“White Folks” (Kiel MartinKiel Martin
Kiel Urban Mueller , professionally known as Kiel Martin, was an American actor best known for his role as lovable rogue Detective John "J.D." La Rue on the 1980s television drama Hill Street Blues.Martin was married twice, first to Claudia Martin , who was actor/crooner Dean...
) and “Blue” Howard (Mel Stewart
Mel Stewart
Milton "Mel" Stewart was an American character actor, television director, and musician who appeared in numerous films and television shows from the 1960s to the 1990s. He is best known for playing Henry Jefferson on the popular television series All in the Family...
) are two con men in Philadelphia. White Folks is the son of a white father and a black prostitute mother (the reason his enemies call him Trick Baby) whose complexion is light enough for him to pass as a white man. Blue is an older black hustler who raised White Folks and taught him “the con”. The pair pulls of the biggest score of their lives but before they can collect the money a previous con is complicating things. Unbeknownst to them their previous victim had mob ties and now they have run afoul of the Mafia and a corrupt cop. They must decide whether to leave town or risk their lives to collect the $130,000 from their most brilliant con.
Cast
- Kiel MartinKiel MartinKiel Urban Mueller , professionally known as Kiel Martin, was an American actor best known for his role as lovable rogue Detective John "J.D." La Rue on the 1980s television drama Hill Street Blues.Martin was married twice, first to Claudia Martin , who was actor/crooner Dean...
as “White Folks” - Mel StewartMel StewartMilton "Mel" Stewart was an American character actor, television director, and musician who appeared in numerous films and television shows from the 1960s to the 1990s. He is best known for playing Henry Jefferson on the popular television series All in the Family...
as "Blue" Howard - Vernee Watson-JohnsonVernee Watson-JohnsonVernee Watson-Johnson is an American actress. She is best known for her recurring roles as Vernajean Williams on Welcome Back, Kotter and as Viola "Vy" Smith on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, playing the mother of Will Smith's character.She played a small role on Sister, Sister as Lisa's best...
as Cleo Howard - Clebert Ford as Josephus
- David Thomas as Frascatti
- Jim King as Duke
- Dallas Edwards Hayes as Dot Murray
- Tony Mazzadra as Nino Parelli