THE BARON is a low budget and somewhat grainy addition to the blaxploitation genre featuring a leading role for actor Calvin Lockhart (someone I best know for his turn in THE BEAST MUST DIE as well as his bit part in PREDATOR 2). It's rather a forgotten and inconsequential film, containing as it does not much in the way of action but instead focusing on the intricacies of the plotting.The story sees Lockhart's character attempting to make his own blaxploitation movie, but turning to a mobster loan shark when he runs out of funds. Various bad guys then pursue him, chief of whom is the excellent Richard Lynch, here displaying all of his trademark sliminess and villainy even at this early stage of his career. Lockhart has more charisma than muscle, but the bits with Lynch are a hoot as he steals every scene, and that bit in the restaurant is great.

"The Baron" really is quite the mess. This was included in a cheap package with a bunch of other "urban" films. Not a good movie by any means, but fun, and there are certain reasons to keep at it.The first of course is the great Calvin Lockhart, who just shines in pretty much anything he is in. He's a black filmmaker fighting "the man" to get a film made, but who has to get shady after turning down a deal that would have turned his movie(with Lockhart playing "The Baron," a devil-may-care wealthy adventurer) into a "white" movie. He gets involved with the mob and other shady characters.The leader of the mob, "Joey," is played by the great Richard Lynch, who is always perfect at playing scum. I've seen him on Galactica, Buck Rogers, and in "The Seven-Ups" and he's just fantastic. It was a very pleasant surprise that he was in this! And he is definitely a mean SOB. Lynch is so good at playing these roles that seeing him in 'real life' acting nicely must be a shock.Joan Blondell appears as the rich white woman who eventually supports pretty boy Calvin. And there are some other familiar 70's movie faces as well.The film really isn't that well made, but Lockhart, Lynch and the others make this a very good viewing. Some action and violence, but nothing crazy, and a very fast and convenient ending on the FDR drive (I think). Check this out for Calvin and Lynch especially.

the baron is one of those 1970's action movies that tried to cash in on the bigger hits like shaft and superfly.Calvin Lockhart plays a struggling actor/producer who has to deal with mobsters led by Richard Lynch trying to pass as an Italian gangster.anyway the plot is generic the main characters brother has a dept to settle with the mobsters so the baron has to do what he could to settle the score.the late great Joan Blondell plays a very wealthy woman who seduces Lockhart's character.sort of like American gigolo on the side.all for money of course.Richard Lynch who plays the heavy real good,cant remember him playing a good guy in a movie except for the delta fox where hes sort of an anti hero.there's a lot of action and violence and a brief car chase,all in all the baron is pretty entertaining in a b movie kind of way.7 out of 10.

Calvin Lockhart is The Baron, a struggling African-American filmmaker trying to get his big break. He gets mixed up with some dirty money and ends up confronting the usual mafia guys trying to keep a brutha down. They're a particularly nasty lot in this one, especially the racist, misogynistic, and homophobic Joey, played here flamboyantly by exploitation regular Richard Lynch. The film is a reasonably enjoyable blend of action and social commentary, and features a terrific score by Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson. Joan Blondell, Raymond St. Jacques, and Marlene Clark are all wasted or underutilised, but Lockhart is good (as usual), even when burdened with some truly horrible 70s fashions.