He only made a few movies after this. Did he get hooked on drugs or something like that?. This is a pretty good movie and Max really is charismatic in it. He has a high-pitched voice and maybe that's what makes him so likable even though he's a low-life pimp.
shareContrary to the snarky comment above mine, I think Max can act, and he acts very well. Why he didn't become a bigger star is a mystery to me. He was a classically trained actor, and did a lot of live theater in addition to only a handful of films.
Nothing destroys blaxploitation films for me – any films, actually – more than bad acting, and the performances here are remarkably strong, particularly Max's. He plays a character who is both sleazy and sympathetic. That's no small feat for a pimp.