User reviews

The groovy threads, jive talk and funky music are all present but Tarkington just doesn't have the presence of a Jim Brown or Fred Williamson. Dependable bad-guy William Smith performs with his usual gusto though. The supporting cast of 70s exploitation actresses like Carol Speed and Connie Strickland will add enjoyment for fans of 70s drive-in/grindhouse cinema.

There's not much to separate this from most blaxploitation era movies apart from the lion and the club. The soundtrack is average, the plot is rote, and the action poorly done. It's got a message that it wears on its sleeve and there's never any sense of doubt or moment of not knowing what's gonna happen. An average movie at best. Also, the lion really needed to do something at some point other than just be set dressing. If there ever was a movie that called for a mauling it was this one.

If you are into unintentional comedy, classic one liners or a ridiculous plot then this movie is for you. This along with Dolomite should be in the Blackploitation hall of fame!! Rockne Tarkington's performance is electric as the staff wielding, lion owning barowner Samson. He truly is the man. Add to to this William Smith's over the top Johnny Napa, Samson's hysterical hoochie mama and one badass mortician and you have the makings of an epic battle. The stakes?? Control of the ghetto!!. The tension builds until a final conflict replete with matresses being thrown off a roof, ultimately settles the score! A true period piece if there ever was one. Thumbs up! Way up!!

Strip club owner Samson and his pet lion try to keep the neighborhood safe. White mobster Johnny Nappa tries to move in but Samson is not giving in.

It's a second tier blaxploitation. Samson is setup like a noble tribal African king and he does a lion. It's an old lion and he doesn't do much. Nothing is really that great. It's a simple story. I don't really recognize lead actor Rockne Tarkington although I've seen a couple of his things. There are some fun stunts and some dangerous car people interactions although they need a better fight coordinator. They do get to wreck a few cars. The final battle is a little silly. It's more unrealistic than the rest of the movie. This is for blaxploitation fans.

A blaxploitation effort from 1974. Rockne Tarkington stars as Samson a bar owner of some repute (the good kind) who runs a thriving business, has a good woman by his side, played by the recently departed (last week) Carol Speed & a hero to the neighborhood. When the mob comes a-calling to usurp his gig, he naturally refuses but the main enforcer, played by another recently departed (last year) William Smith, will not take 'no' for an answer so the film's main thrust becomes the efforts of the mob & Tarkington playing spy vs. Spy as they try to convince each other (most times violently!) to see things their way. Never having heard of this flick except for seeing the poster on Korey Coleman's wall (from his Double Toasted podcasts) it was pretty much on autopilot w/minor embellishments like Tarkington's predilection for carrying around a staff to put a whoop down on people (much like Walking Tall's Buford T. Pusser's hunk of 2 by 4) & his pet lion (shades of The Walking Dead's Ezekiel & his tiger) which humorously no one bats an eye to. Also starring Titos Vandis (he played Jason Miller's uncle in the Exorcist) as the mob capo.

"Samson" (Rockne Tarkington) is the owner of a nightclub in a black part of Los Angeles who does his best to keep crime down and things under control. However, this doesn't please two rival criminal organizations-one white and the other black-from wanting to move in and take over. This is especially true for one particularly psychotic mobster named "Johnny Nappa" (William Smith) who refuses to heed Samson's warnings and simply won't take "no" for an answer--and things become quite tense after that. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a pretty good "blaxploitation" film in large part due to the performances of the aforementioned William Smith and Rockne Tarkington. Likewise, having a beautiful actress like Connie Strickland (as Johnny's girlfriend "Tina") certainly didn't hurt either. In any case, I thought this was a pretty good film and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.

Rockne Tarkington is solid in a classic Fred Williamson hero role, as the man saving his neighborhood from white criminals who want to start pushing drugs there. Fine supporting performances from Carol Speed and Connie Strickland are also assets to appreciate. Keeping a pet lion at the bar was a clever touch in establishing Samson's macho cool, and adding an element of tension to several scenes.

Two factors reduce the rating it might have earned. Director Charles Bail was given the reins for his first feature too soon in his career. The pacing is awful, draining much of the energy from many scenes. He did better at the helm later, mostly in TV gigs.

The other is William Smith's absurd overacting as the main nasty villain. He struts and seethes as if he attended the Jack Palance School for Playing Psychotic Heavies, but skipped the courses on moderation and balance. Luckily, one doesn't gain weight from chewing too much scenery. This role stands out as a lamentable oddity in Smith's long career of good work on both sides of the good/evil conflict.

I watched this thing more out of pure nostalgia having reached maturity during the so-called "Blaxploitation" movie era. "Black Samson" did te usual thing, i.e., strong, independent, successful black man looking out for his hood and bro's while sticking it to the evil man with monotonous 3 beat music always playing in the background. Poor acting. Ridiculous dialogue. Elementary and totally predictable plotting. Poor staging. Cheap sets, etc. As one of the Blaxploitation chain of movies of the times, most of which were poorly made, Black Samson is at the bottom of the list.

Bar owner Samson (Rockne Tarkington), armed only with his wits, strength and a cudgel, fights to keep his neighbourhood crime-free, much to the irritation of vicious mob under-boss Johnny Nappa (William Smith). The film is essential a wish-fulfillment fable as Samson single-handily dispatches numerous hapless mob underlings and, even by the standards of the genre, the ending is a bit implausible. The film has a bit of a brutal edge and lots of swearing but the numerous fights are typical bloodless PG brawls. The cast is fine, there are some fine 70s fashions on display, and Samson's woman Leslie (Carol Speed) is topped by an impressive afro. The role of the lion is unclear, but the big cat does add some novelty to the film (and makes for a great poster). Not one of the great blaxploitation flics but watchable for fans of the dated but funky genre.

White Director/Stuntman Chuck Bail directed this forgotten Warner Bros. film that features Rockne Tarkington (well-known for starring on 70's kid show BANANA SPLITS:DANGER ISLAND) as Samson, a nightclub owner (who owns a lion) who doesn't want any drugs on his neighborhood. William Smith is terrific as a evil Johnny Napa, who wants to own the neighborhood and starts a war with Samson. Character actor Titos Vandis (who is Greek)is miscast as a italian mobster, but seems to chew up the part prettty good. The film does look cheap, and it's intresting Warner Bros. gave Tarkington a lead when it's reported that he turned down ENTER THE DRAGON (a part which went to Jim kelly). The ending is pretty good, so I recommened this film to any action fans looking for 70's actioner. Actor/Stuntman Tornatore later directed Rockne is ZEBRA FORCE and worked with him on TRAINED TO KILL U.S.A.

Rockne Tarkington is Samson, a supercool clubowner and guardian of the ghetto. Samson runs his topless bar with his ladyfreind as his main dancer. He also keeps the streets clean and keeps the bad element out. The bad element, the Italian/American mobsters led by musclebound madman William Smith have different ideas on what to do with Samsons territory. Rockne plays Samson smart, tough and cool. He carries a giant pimpstick(and uses it occasionally to deliver a beatdown), owns a lion and pulls off some seriously funky, African attire. Nappa(William Smith) and his goons force Samson into a showdown at the end of the film. Super tough and super cool Samson is a man of integrity and will never sell out his people in the hood. He also treats his woman like a queen and unlike other blaxsploitation characters like Shaft and Superfly, don't have women on the side. Character actor William Smith is totally in his element as the villain in this piece and is completely psychotic. Black Samson is very good and recommended to anyone who enjoys blaxsploitation and action movies from the 1970's.

In BLACK SAMSON, Rockne Tarkington plays the benevolent, neighborhood protector of the title. From his local topless bar, complete with his mascot / pet lion, Samson watches over his friends, carrying his signature walking stick. All is well, until the mob decides to move in on Sam's territory.

Going against the more moderate approach of the big boss, the psychopathic Johnny Nappa (William Smith) decides that far more violence is necessary. This leads to murder, and an unforgettable final showdown.

Mr. Tarkington is the heart and soul of this movie. He plays Samson as just the sort of man we would want to call upon in times of trouble. Mr. Smith portrays Nappo as a vile, irredeemable man, set on having what he wants at all costs. We can see early on that these two are going to face off.

One of the better films of its subgenre...

Regardless of your views on the nature of blaxploitation films themselves, the average viewer expects silly one-liners, comically inept and invariably racist antagonists, and a breezy plot which allows for the genre tropes to star. Black Samson offers virtually none of these, and instead presents you with ceaseless cruelty.

The film starts out looking like another fun-to-watch-with-friends romp, but quickly takes an ever-dark and ever-sadistic turn and never once looks back. Gone are the cartoonish racist villains; instead, we have believable, human monsters that exude hate (kudos to the actors, but unfortunately in the wrong genre for such savagery). Gone is the lighthearted pacing and tempo; instead, we have a story that plays more like a Greek tragedy. Where you'd normally find comic vehicles, instead scenes play out as if from a snuff film.

Black Samson is not a bad film by any means; if anything, it's one of the most sincere efforts of cinema normally attached to the blaxploitation era. However, those looking to goof on a film might find themselves sorely disappointed in how human and bruised the characters are presented.