Black Samson (1974)

          Excitement is in short supply throughout Black Samson, a blaxploitation action/drama that fails to impress in the areas of characterization, originality, and suspense. That said, the sleaze factor is relatively low, and the basic theme is positive: An African-American community rallies around a noble small-business owner while he battles white criminals seeking to exploit the community. Black Samson is unlikely to make a strong impression on anyone, but at least it’s not dehumanizing.

          Physically formidable Rockne Tarkington stars as Samson, the Afrocentric owner of an inner-city nightclub. Perpetually wearing colorful dashikis and carrying an ornate tribal staff (which doubles as a club during fight scenes), Samson even keeps a pet lion on the bar of his nightclub. When Samson ejects a white customer for getting too friendly with one of the venue’s topless dancers, Samson ignites a grudge match with gangster Johnny Nappa (William Smith). Johnny wants to use violence in order to take over criminal enterprises in black neighborhoods, but Johnny’s dad, Mafia boss Joseph Nappa (Titos Vandis), is a gentleman criminal who detests unnecessary bloodshed. Other prominent characters include Samson’s girlfriend, Leslie (Carol Speed), who encourages Samson to give up his business rather than tussle with the Mob, and Johnny’s girlfriend, Tina (Connie Strickland),who spies on Samson while working as a dancer in his club.

          Everything in Black Samson is familiar and mundane, with the story unfolding at a too-leisurely pace. Worse, the great New Orleans composer Alan Toussaint misses the mark with his low-ebb jazz/R&B score, because while Toussaint generates a few tasty grooves, he can’t quite conjure the driving funk that gives the best blaxploitation flicks their irresistible tempo. Still, leading man Tarkington is believable whenever he’s roughing up bad guys, and leading lady Speed has a few terrific moments, especially when entreating her man to avoid danger. Concurrently, B-movie institution Smith has fun playing one of his signature sadistic villains, although he’s hamstrung by an anemic characterization that lacks even one full dimension. The only novel element of the picture emerges during the final scene, when Samson’s neighbors attack gangsters by flinging household junk off rooftops. To cowriter-producer Daniel B. Cady’s credit, it’s hard to think of another movie in which a refrigerator is used as a murder weapon.

Black Samson: FUNKY

One on One (1977)

          A charming underdog drama starring Robby Benson, the ’70s teen heartthrob with boyish features and impossibly blue eyes, One on One depicts the journey of Henry Steele, a small-town hoops star who discovers the complexities of the wider world when he’s recruited to play ball at a Los Angeles college. The story tracks Henry’s conflict with hard-driving Coach Moreland Smith (G.D. Spradlin), who becomes convinced Henry can’t make it in the big time, and Henry’s romance with sexy graduate student Janet Hayes (Annette O’Toole), who slowly realizes Henry is more than just another dumb jock.

          Co-written by Benson and his father, Jerry Segal, One on One is a perfect vehicle for its young leading man, because the story is as unassuming and warm as Benson’s onscreen persona. A brisk prologue establishes that Henry’s been groomed since childhood for basketball greatness, and the minute he pulls into LA, it’s painfully evident that he’s a corn-fed rube because he gets hustled by the first pretty girl he meets, a chipper hitchhiker (Melanie Griffith) who rips off all his cash.

          Once Henry arrives at school, he’s overwhelmed by the scale of everything—the size of the sports arena, even the size of the other players—and then, when he becomes infatuated with his tutor, Janet, he’s totally flummoxed. Henry’s resulting shaky performance on the basketball court alienates Coach Smith, who tries to intimidate Henry into quitting. Enter, as the saying goes, the love of a good woman, and soon Henry’s got the motivation to fight.

          Although there’s nothing groundbreaking in One on One, it’s a thoroughly watchable movie. The script balances Henry’s journey from wide-eyed innocent to toughened-up competitor with sweet romantic interludes and easygoing comic vignettes, like Henry’s close encounters with Coach Smith’s sex-crazed secretary, B.J. Rudolph (Gail Strickland). As directed by reliable journeyman Lamont Johnson, the movie is paced comfortably, and the sports scenes have effective documentary-style realism.

          The cast is filled with several vivid actors who make an impact thanks to well thought-out characterizations; for instance, Hector Morales plays a cranky campus groundskeeper in one amusing scene. The main focus is, of course, the love story, and that works well: O’Toole’s tough-cookie vibe makes a strong counterpoint to Benson’s puppy-dog routine. And while it’s true that Benson’s character makes a couple of abrupt leaps, Henry’s overall arc feels credible, and Benson is, as O’Toole describes him the picture, adorable. Spradlin, probably best known for his small roles in important movies like Apocalypse Now (1979), meshes domineering cruelty and obsessive focus, bringing a militaristic, weakness-will-not-be-tolerated quality to his role.

          The fruity songs by soft-rock duo Seals & Crofts that punctuate the soundtrack might be too precious for some viewers (particularly since the lyrics comment on the action a bit too specifically), but the music adds to the picture’s evocative snapshot of a particular moment in time. (Available at WarnerArchive.com)

One on One: GROOVY