tavm After years of knowing about this movie and also knowing it was on YouTube, I finally decided to watch this just now there. It stars Kiel Martin-who would later be known as Detective LaRue on "Hill Street Blues"-and Mel Stewart-who was on the No. 1 TV show "All in the Family" as Henry Jefferson during this period. They play a couple of con men exploiting the attitudes of certain white people in order to bilk them of lots of money. But one of those scams comes back to haunt them. I'll stop there and just say that this was quite fun and a little sad when the ending comes. Martin is smooth playing the son of mixed races passing for white while Stewart shows more range here than he did on "All in the Family" and other TV shows he did after that. This was made during the "Blaxploitation" era of the early '70s but the dialogue suggests more of a noir feeling not unlike some '40s movies since they also deal with crooked cops and the mafia. So on that note, I recommend Trick Baby.

stevenfallonnyc I took a chance on "Trick Baby" totally out of nowhere because I like good blaxploitation, and the premise of young white guy/older black guy pulling cons seemed like a fun one. I didn't even realize at first who the actors were - Mel Stewart a.k.a. "Henry Jefferson" from my favorite TV show All In The Family, and Keil Martin from one of my favorite movies, "Moonrunners" (which evolved into The Dukes of Hazzard). So seeing these two guys peaked my interest in this flick immediately! I imagine it's a rare treat to see these two actors in lead parts, and they really do make the most fun out of it. It's great casting - these two guys really have very decent chemistry together, and it's obvious they are having a blast doing this movie.So yes, they are two con men who use race in their cons, and they pull off the biggest con of their life. But then later they take on a con which makes that one seem like small potatoes, and they also have a gangster and a crooked cop after them.This one has it all - early 70's dirty Philly street scenes, Pimpmobiles, pimps and hookers, exciting chases (especially a suspenseful foot chase), cool action, decent humor, pretty girls, cold as ice bad guys, and even decent cinematography. Sure, there are a few minor plot holes but the direction is tight and the film is never dull. There are a few more familiar faces from the early 70's, and Stewart and Martin are having such a good time that the viewer can't help but enjoy what's on screen. No, this film isn't going to make anyone gasp at its greatness, but it is definitely a fun way to spend 90 viewing minutes. It's a shame that good, gritty stuff like this isn't made anymore.

pparasxoudis82 It's a movie about two grifters one black/ one white trying to score big in the '70s around Philadelphia. It has one of the best depiction of male bonding(don't think dirty!!!). One of the best buddy movies ever made. Think Lethal Weapon made on the other side of the law with much less explosions and definitely more subtle. Even better than 48 hours. This movie was made a decade two early.When movies like Night Moves (1975) by Arthur Penn , The Long Goodbye (1973) and Straight Time (1978)by Ulu Grosbard and Dustin Hoffman were made in the '70s not that many people show them. Now that they are rediscovered people claim that they are small masterpieces. The truth is that they were made within the studio system(funded by them) and for even that decade they didn't seem to find an audience(Straight Time did make some money - according to IMDb - but comparing it with the success that other Hoffman's movies had in the seventies it is a modest one financially speaking). In each one of those three movies there was a big star: Gene Hackman, Elliot Gould and off course Dustin Hoffman.Trick Baby was also made by a big studio Universal. But it seemed destined to be a blaxploitation movie. Instead the director gave them something much more. It wasn't just a movie for black audience like Shaft , Black Caesar or any Pam Grier movie. I'm not saying that these movies were only seen by African Americans. Just that the intention of the studio was to make as much money as they could from that untapped market when they show the success of Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971) (how much money could be made with such a small investment). But when a movie like this came along they couldn't understand it. It didn't have a strong male lead like Melvin Van Peebles ,Fred Williamson or a sexy one like Pam Grier.******* Minor SPOILERS !!!!!!! ********************Instead they got a black middle aged bald man (with no sex appeal at all - just watch the sex scene and you'll understand) and a white dude(!!). Even more the character played by the white man was supposed to be mixed raced. Half black, half white!!! ******* ********************So you had a movie with two lead actors that none knew them (and their career since then was limited to one TV-Show for each one in the eighties), a movie with no clear message ( it didn't have the bald statements that movies like Sweet... and Shaft had ), it took place mainly in the black neighborhoods of Philadelphia and basically a movie about two hustlers trying to score big. No wonder that no one show this film. But what bothers me particularly is that no major critic had step up and spoke about this film!!! It is not just about the life of grifters. It isn't just a House of Games set in the '70s.(not that the Mamet film isn't close to a masterpiece)Larry Yust gave us a movie about the elusive American Dream. About the racial tensions of the seventies and what it is to be black. The contempt that white people(especially the upper class)had for the African Americans. The willingness that white people had to exploit everyone else just along as nobody caught them red handed. And most of all is about the black identity issue. What it was for an African American to be growing up and living in a country that didn't felt like they belong to. Trying to make ends meet even by coning someone else. If it was a white dude's money even better. But we also see the relationships withing the black community and how they relate to the whites and people of mixed racial backgrounds. Personally I think that this movie has one of the most interesting descriptions of racial relationships in the '70s. Even the best films of that golden era couldn't compare with the depiction found in this film. And most of all with such a subtle way!!!! Don't be fooled about my ranting. People are being scammed and shot. This is a genre movie. A movie about criminals trying to make money. Just not the way that Hollywood has made us used to. No explosions, no unnecessary gunfire and car chases. Just the right amount.Finally what I'm trying to say is that this is a minor masterpiece of that era. It belongs up there with the movies mentioned above. People should see this movie. If you come across a DVD. Bye it immediately!! I just hope that more people will found about this film. It is kind of depressing that film scholars and critics are always finding out hidden gems(overlooked masterpieces) from earlier decades and so long no one has step up to write about this movie. It deserves to be rediscovered.Enjoy!

VincentElgar An interesting, extremely well-performed little movie about a pair of Philadelphia con artists who get more than they bargain for when they cross swords with a corrupt cop and the local Mafiosi.Trick Baby begins well and builds up midway to a terrific foot-chase through the seamier side of the city. In the second half it starts to run out of steam and becomes a little predictable. Things are bogged down especially by a lengthy scene involving a preacher, who is the only character that strikes a false note. In spite of this the movie never loses one's attention completely. The cast down to the supporting players is excellent: Beverly Ballard particularly shines as a woman used and abused by slick operator White Folks (Kiel Martin) and Dallas Edward Hayes does terrific work as the ruthless and relentless cop.The use of locations is terrific, and the movie has a rawness and immediacy utterly missing from thrillers today. Minor reservations aside, Trick Baby is well worth a look – 8/10.