Trick Baby
"Blue" Howard (Mel Stewart) and "White Folks" (Kiel Martin) are two con men in Philadelphia. Blue is an older black hustler who raised White Folks and taught him "the con". White Folks is the son of a black mother who is a prostitute and a white father, a customer. Being born to a black prostitute and her white "trick" is the reason why his enemies call him "Trick Baby". Folks' complexion is light enough for him to pass as a white man which gives him an advantage in the con. The duo exploit the dynamics between whites and blacks to achieve their cons. "Blue" usually plays a vulnerable black man being exploited by "White Folks" which allows Folks to gain the credibility needed to pull off the con. In a 1973 review in the New York Times, Roger Greenspun wrote "Trick Baby seems most interesting in its understanding of race relations…relations between Folks and Blue are absolutely normal, not very competitive, resilient, and rich in a kind of mutual professional appreciation." While Folks' skin color has various implications in society and is crucial to the con that the pair runs, it does not impact the relationship between Blue and Folks. Due to Folks’ ability to pass, the pair pull off the biggest score of their lives. Before they can collect the money, a previous con complicates 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.
blaxploitation