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Trick Baby

R 1973 1h 29m Crime Drama List
80% Tomatometer 5 Reviews 40% Audience Score 250+ Ratings
The son of a black prostitute and a white client, Johnny "Folks" O'Brien (Kiel Martin) spends his childhood in the ghetto hearing the hateful name "trick baby," only to realize as an adult just how useful it is to pass for white. Together with his mentor, con man "Blue" Howard (Mel Stewart), Folks succeeds in ripping off many of Philadelphia's wealthy whites with a clever diamond scam. The streak ends, however, when his latest victim turns out to be the father of a local Mafioso. Read More Read Less

Critics Reviews

View All (5) Critics Reviews
Pauline Kael New Yorker It's an agreeable time-killer. Sep 29, 2023 Full Review Roger Greenspun New York Times Larry Yust indulges in too much flashy sound montage and in the obtrusive cross-cutting into sequences that seems the curse of the newer movies. But he and Isidore Mankofsky have a lovely sense of place and perspective for the camera frame. Sep 29, 2023 Full Review Rossi Jackson New Pittsburgh Courier [The filmmakers] have watered down, misadapted and ultimately messed up Iceberg Slim's original work. Dec 13, 2021 Full Review Brian Holcomb Kinetofilm This wasn't the standard "pimp and ho show" but rather a smart, character based crime flick about two hustlers just trying to survive in the City of Brotherly Love. Rated: 4/5 Oct 1, 2009 Full Review Sean Axmaker St@tic Multimedia This confidence drama set on the streets of Philadelphia is charged with issues of race, racism, family, and trust in ways that no other blaxploitation film touches on. May 8, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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delysid d The film has great music and offers a glimpse into the world of 70s hustlers. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/28/17 Full Review Audience Member Not bad for the blaxploitation genre, not bad at all. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Horrible, ham-fisted adaptation of Iceberg Slim's novel. One of the worst in the blaxploitation cycle. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review ashley h Trick Baby is an enjoyable film. It is about two Phildelphia con men try to evade gangsters they have conned and cops who are trying to put them in jail. Kiel Martin and Mel Stewart give excellent performances. The screenplay is well written. Larry Yust did a great job directing this movie. I enjoyed watching this motion picture because of the action and drama. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Interesting plot concept, but poorly executed. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Audience Member not your standard blaxploitation flick. above average script and acting for the genre. plays more like "the grifters" than "superfly." pretty cool. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/12/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Trick Baby

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Trick Baby

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Movie Info

Synopsis The son of a black prostitute and a white client, Johnny "Folks" O'Brien (Kiel Martin) spends his childhood in the ghetto hearing the hateful name "trick baby," only to realize as an adult just how useful it is to pass for white. Together with his mentor, con man "Blue" Howard (Mel Stewart), Folks succeeds in ripping off many of Philadelphia's wealthy whites with a clever diamond scam. The streak ends, however, when his latest victim turns out to be the father of a local Mafioso.
Director
Larry Yust
Rating
R
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Runtime
1h 29m