By John Seal

January 6, 2003

The Baron (1977 USA)

Paragon Video Productions

The story: Jason (Calvin Lockhart) is an African-American filmmaker trying to make the big time. Unfortunately one of his investors is a street hustler whose dirty money was stolen from the mob. Jason must find a way to pay back the goodfellas without jeopardizing his future.

The film: The Baron is an example of very low budget film making trying to cater to an exploitation audience whilst trying to make a bigger point about the difficulties faced by black cineastes. The film is so obscure it didn't make it into James Robert Parish's outstanding book, Black Action Films (McFarland 1989). IMDb lists The Baron Wolfgang Von Tripps and Black Cue as alternate titles, but the Paragon video release reviewed here has the original title sequence. IMDb's listing is also pretty sparse and doesn't include an original running time; the tape clocks in at 88:48, and doesn't seem to have been edited (some abrupt cutaways seem designed to save money from the special effects 'budget'). The box says the film is rated R, quite believable based on the frequent and pungent profanity, but isn't listed on the MPAA database so the rating can't be confirmed. Violence is infrequent, mostly off-screen, but quite brutal when it is displayed. The best part is the "death by fork" sequence, something I've never seen attempted in any other movie.

The cast and crew: The Baron must have been someone's labor of love, because producer Chiz Shultz - the man behind the memorable Ganja and Hess (1972 USA - assembled quite a cast. The aspiring filmmaker is played by the always excellent Calvin Lockhart, who occasionally overdoes things here but still acquits himself nicely. Marlene Clark is under-utilized as his dispensable wife, Caroline, and she has the film's best line: "We don't HAVE to be Nick and Nora Charles!" This was in fact Ms. Clark's last film role - I'd like to know why she stopped working. Joan Blondell is on hand as Jason's rich benefactress and partner in adultery (!), though happily we are spared any lovemaking scenes. I'm a huge admirer of Blondell's, but she's not allowed much to do here in a fairly thankless role. (Happily her next film was Grease, where she reverted to her brassy dame roots as Vi.) Raymond St. Jacques is also wasted in a small role as a Hollywood cowboy giving advice to The Baron. Lockhart's real co-star is the unheralded Richard Lynch, playing the vilest of many vile mafiosi who populate similar black action films. Lynch started his career in the "educational" US Navy drug film, LSD: Trip to Where? (1968 USA) and continues to ply his trade in the exploitation market to this day. His character in this film is almost ludicrously outrageous, regularly busting out with racist, sexist, and homophobic comments ("you look like an effeminate fag!") whilst preening and posing in white leisure suits and a Borsalino. He looks a little like Willem Dafoe and speaks a little like Trent Lott on a bad day. This was the only film directed by Phillip Fenty (the Paragon box says someone named "Thomas Tatham" was responsible, but IMDb doesn't list anyone of that name), who had already written Superfly and Superfly TNT. Last but not least, the sparse but excellent soundtrack and theme song are by Gil Scott-Heron and his musical partner Brian Jackson. Scott-Heron was one of the most radical black musicians of the '70s and early '80s, recording hits like The Revolution Will Not Be Televised and Re-Ron in between even weightier left-wing albums like From South Africa to South Carolina. The music is well-utilized early on but soon fades out altogether, as if the scoring work was never completed.

Nostalgia value: Only if you have a fondness for bad '70s fashions. The Baron's white jump suit is memorable for all the wrong reasons. There's a bizarre country-western song prior to the cowboy scene that sounds like something Daniel Johnston or Jad Fair might have recorded.

The print: It could be worse. There are a lot of scratches on the film, especially around reel changes, but the video mastering is generally pretty good considering the age of the tape. The big problems are evening scenes (too dark, not an uncommon problem in low budget films) and scenes with artificial lighting, which are invariably cast in ugly yellow-brown tones. I have no idea what the original aspect ratio was, but considering the slight cropping of the credits, the relative lack of pan and scan shenanigans, and the obvious budget limitations, I'd guess it was no more than 1.66:1.

DVD prognosis: MGM has shown what can be done with black action films: their DVDs of Coffy, Black Caesar and others are excellent and inexpensive. The Baron lacks even a veneer of major studio respectability, but if a film like The Education of Sonny Carson can be rescued by VCI, why not this one? The cast alone warrants this film's re-discovery.

Ratings:

Film: It's ugly in a very '70s way. The camera work and direction are pedestrian at best, letting down the cast at every turn.

Print: B. Surprisingly good.

DVD worthiness: B. Though no lost classic, The Baron is an enjoyable and occasionally thoughtful little film. As mentioned above, the unique cast (Blondell, Lockhart, and a REAL Russian count playing himself in one scene!) deserve to have their work restored and appreciated.