Reviewed by Colin Jacobson (August 28, 2025)
Thanks to hits like Sweet Sweetback's Baadassss Song and Shaft, 1971 became a seminal year for the “Blaxploitation” genre. This opened the floodgates for more films in that domain, one of which came via 1972’s Melinda.
Los Angeles radio DJ Frankie J. Parker (Calvin Lockhart) romances new arrival Melinda Lewis (Vonetta McGee) after they meet in a club. This bothers his girlfriend Terry Davis (Rosalind Cash) but that doesn’t stop Frankie so he beds Melinda.
This fling takes a bad turn when Melinda ends up murdered and Frankie learns she’s really Audrey Miller, the former mistress of Chicago mobster Mitch (Paul Stevens). Frankie winds up framed for this death and needs to clear his name.
Lockhart enjoyed a pretty active career in Hollywood for about a decade that spanned the late 1960s to late 1970s but largely went into hibernation once we entered the 1980s. Prior to Melinda, I think I only knew him from small roles in 1988’s Coming to America and 1990’s Predator 2.
Unlike some other Blaxploitation leads, Lockhart never became a star, and this screening of Melinda leaves me of two minds in regard to why this failed to happen. On one hand, Lockhart certainly offered a handsome presence, and he demonstrated charisma, so maybe he should’ve been more successful.
On the other hand, Lockhart displays acting skills we will call questionable -–and that might be an overstatement. Admittedly, no one went to see these 1970s Blaxploitation flicks with the expectation of Oscar-caliber performances.
Still, even by those semi-low standards, Lockhart seems hammy and overbaked. At least peers like Jim Brown and Jim Kelly – who makes his theatrical debut in a small role here - came to movies as amateurs from the world of sports, so no one expected great acting talent there.
Lockhart comes with no such excuse for his absence of real skills. He started a theatrical career in the early 1950s and had been in movies since 1961.
All of this just leads me to believe Lockhart simply didn’t enjoy much in terms of skills. Again, I like this presence in Melinda but his work lets down the role.
Or Lockhart would damage Melinda if the movie had much going for it. Actually, the semi-noir plot comes with the potential to deliver an engaging thriller.
Unfortunately, it squanders these possible positives from start to finish. What should turn into a dynamic mix of action and intrigue winds up as a dud.
Beyond Lockhart’s poor lead performance, the biggest issue comes from the movie’s pace. It takes about 45 minutes of story and stretches it to 110 minutes, with predictably leaden results.
The plot also wanders and meanders too much. As the film progresses, it eventually becomes a conspiracy tale, and not one that seems compelling.
This all feels like a shame, as Melinda comes with the bones of a solid little thriller. It just drags so much that it becomes a chore to watch.
