source: Melinda

Calvin Lockhart's Los Angeles D. J. isn't exactly someone that the audience likes as the film begins. He is quite a narcissist, looking in the mirror as if he was the queen in "Snow White", his ego involving his looks making him ridiculously silly and his treatment of women making him a bit of a cad. That seems to change though when he meets the beautiful Vonette McKee and reveals some details from the innermost hidden parts of his soul. Estranged from girlfriend Rosalind Cash (beautiful but the type that puts up with no nonsense), Lockhart seems to genuinely fall in love with her, showing up back at his apartment when his shift is over with flowers, only to find it ransacked and her butchered to death. He must now find a way to get himself out of this mess, and ironically, it's Cash who steps up to help him. I was surprised to see Paul Stevens show up in this as the man McKee had been in love with previously, a powerful white man with obvious mob connections, begrudging the fact that someone in his organization went too far in dealing with her. Having enjoyed his work as the honest lawyer and town mayor Brian Bancroft on "Another World", it was nice to see him playing a darker character even if here he's not entirely evil. What is really good about this film is the character detail used to make the viewer change their minds about the leading character, going from one extreme to another, and making Lockhart much more human. I could also imagine The audiences cheering Cash on when she has a rant inside a bank so she can get into McKee's safety deposit box. She may be trying to commit a con, but even so, it's a great scene. The film had quite a few erotic scenes, the one between Lockhart and McKee one of the hottest ever (complete with another character getting his jollies listening outside the door), and other ones played in a comical manner which always result in Lockhart bursting in and kicking the guy's butt, obviously ruining the mood. Certainly this had all the elements that make blaxploitation a powerful 70's genre, but other elements that gave it mainstream interest as well.

Surprisingly pleased at the plot, the leading characters performance and the rest of cast. Even has some funny scenes I just had to record on my phone to send to friends!

In L. A., radio DJ Frankie J. Parker (Calvin Lockhart) learns karate from his friend Charles Atkins. He meets and has a fling with Melinda. When she's murdered, he's the prime suspect. I don't like Frankie and it takes too long to get to the murder. It's also a missed opportunity to show the murder. It has many of the blaxploitation styles but to me, it's not strictly blaxploitation. It's just a murder conspiracy mystery. This is probably more notable for introducing black karate champion Jim Kelly. It's a year before his role in Enter the Dragon. There is opportunity to get bloodier into gory violence. It has some action. The fight action is fine although it could be staged better. I would like this much more if I actually like Frankie.

The idea of Metro Goldwyn Mayer dipping its toe into the blaxploitation genre may at first sound strange, but actually MGM did this several times, most notably with the "Shaft" films. But while the "Shaft" films are well know to this day, "Melinda" has been all but forgotten today. It doesn't take long upon watching it to figure out why. The first third of the movie is incredibly slow and dull. The next two-thirds has a bit more speed and action, but too little and too late. Director Hugh A. Robertson was obviously hampered by a poor screenplay, but he was also obviously restricted with a limited amount of money, since the movie looks more like an effort for television than for the silver screen. But that's not to say that Robertson should be totally absolved of fault. There are some very poorly directed sequences, and his instructions to the movie's star Calvin Lockhart make the talented actor's character come across as selfish, obnoxious, and cruel. I have a feeling that even the target audience at the time found this a sub par effort, though I'll admit I have seen much worse 1970s blaxploitation films.

one of the few black films overlooked by the same studios that were saved by these so called blackploitation films.bad genre title,the only thing exploited were the actors who were not paid the money they deserved.lot of action,and dramatic acting.the late great miss cash should have won an Oscar for performance for her dual role in this film. a great introduction for Jim Kelley who should have had a great action film career as the great chuck Norris.these films in the early 1970s were just plain great fun and escapism.studios be aware there are millions to be made on forgotten films such as black belt Jones, three the hard way,trouble man,Melinda,abbey,hit-man,Gordon's war,sparkle and others that should be remastered to DVD.just check out the profits to already released titles such as the mack,super fly,foxy brown and Corly high.please surprise us fans of a bygone and special era. great action career as the great chuck Norris

Though their on-screen time together is short, the dashing Calvin Lockhart and the mesmerizing Vonetta McGee made quite a delicious pair in "Melinda." His mocha complexion and swiftly-melting-heart against her café au lait luminescence and wariness-turning-to-warmth are bewitching to behold in the early seduction scenes of this R-rated, '70s Black cast rarity. From their first encounter in a funky supper club to "back at Frankie's place" and the few days they get to spend together, there is an intoxicating mix of mental chess play, crackling sexuality, sweet humor and soul-baring communicated by veteran Lockhart and then-budding starlet McGee - both wonderful actors. My frustration with this set up is that because the love scene between "Frankie" and "Melinda" is so potentially erotic (remember there were very few full-on lovemaking scenes between Black actors on the big screen in '72 - especially between two this attractive), someone at MGM deemed it necessary to mute that eroticism by having a henchman follow the first-time lovers home, stand outside the door eavesdropping, become aroused and bring himself to a simultaneous * along with the pair inside. It's truly a travesty. "Melinda" is a mob boss thriller, not "Flip Wilson Sends Up Shaft!" The music and vibe senselessly switch from seductive to comedic as the bad guy outside is making goofy faces while the gorgeous people inside are getting it on all over the living room floor. The lovin' is low-lit by the fireplace which adds an air of mystery yet is ultimately ruined because the editors keep cutting back and forth between the sex-down inside and the brightly lit bulls**t outside. Without the cold shower of "comic relief," this could have gone down as among the era's most arousing love scenes - Black and beyond. It feels like another case of Hollywood being uncomfortable with and/or afraid of Black sexuality. I wish Mr. Robertson or Mr. Lockhart were still here to reflect on this. Perhaps Ms. McGee could answer me. Did some cigar-chomper at MGM or in the MPAA, after reading the script or seeing the dailies, say, "O.K., we can only keep the sex hot-n-heavy if we break it up every few seconds with some completely out of character (for a thug) stupidity, or just call it a wrap with a fade-to-black at the foreplay stage on the sofa." The "guidelines" for such things were, and still are, just that whimsical...administered on an impossible to pin down case-by-case basis. Beyond Lockhart & McGee, "Melinda" is a cool slice of diverting entertainment. The controllers of the MGM film library should make this title available in a high quality DVD. As another commenter expressed, even though the budget for "Melinda" was obviously low, director Hugh A. Robertson and the cast created an earthy snapshot of Black Los Angeles better than most from the 70's so-called "blaxploitation" flicks. "Melinda" also boasts one of the first screen appearances by Black karate champion Jim Kelly (who later co-starred in "Enter the Dragon" with Bruce Lee, and his own star vehicle "Black Belt Jones"). Plus, there is a righteous score by African American composer/arranger Jerry Peters featuring R&B singing great Jerry Butler. If you ever come across a copy of the rare soundtrack Lp (on Pride Records), grab it. If "Melinda" is ever respectfully released on DVD, the sorely underrated Calvin Lockhart will flash one of his dazzling pearly white smiles from Heaven above - boasting enough wattage to illuminate a month of soulful Sundays.

Apart from being Jim Kelly's first film, this is a rather ordinary blackspoitation film. It's neither an over the top bad but enjoyable film of the genre nor is it one of the outstanding ones...but lies somewhere in the middle. When the film begins, Frankie (Calvin Lockhart) is a handsome and successful DJ...and he seems to know just how pretty he is. In fact, when he meets Melinda, he struts his stuff and impresses her so much she does the nasty with him...and they both are then inexplicably in love. However, after Frankie leaves, some unknown fiends come in and trash his pad...and kill Melinda. When Frankie returns, jerks cops arrest him but they cannot hold him...and Frankie decides to work his way up the chain of command in the black and white mobs until he finds Mr. Big and makes him play. And, wisely, for the big showdown, Frankie brings along his kung fu buddies and they have a hellacious smackdown. If you are looking for pimps and the like, you won't find it in this one. Instead, it's much like a normal drama merged with a blacksploitation film...watchable and enjoyable but not especially memorable. By the way, like many films in this genre, there is nudity, violence and rough language...which shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone!

I enjoyed this movie and Calvin Lockheart is a great actor and he is good on the eyes. I love his voice I have been looking for this movie Melinda for years I can not find it anywhere.All of the actors and actresses did good the plot was good and I enjoyed the action. I have seen Calvin Lockheart in other movies and he did good an all of them as well I would like to see him in something now, I know he is much older now but there are movies for older men also THERE ARE TV shows that he could be on he helped to make the way for actors and actresses of today.He could appear on shows like Girlfriends also The Parkers. That is only a couple of suggestions.I would like to see him in a movie about his life.If anyone know where I can get the movie please post it.

This is one in a long line of blaxploitation films made during the 70's that were designed as money making vehicles. Most of them are simply terrible, but Melinda is actually a cool one. Its basically a revenge tale, but it is chock full of melodrama and excitement. The story is an overdone one, but the films' cheapness actually benefits it. The settings seem authentic and the movie actually manages to capture some street life in it. Admittedly, the acting is not excellent, but somehow the film manages to be entertaining in a "ghetto" way. Don't go out of your way to see it, though.