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''Melinda'' is a 1972 American
drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super- ...
directed by
Hugh A. Robertson Hugh A. Robertson (May 28, 1932 – January 10, 1988) was an American film director and editor, born in Brooklyn, of Jamaican parents. While Robertson was credited as an editor for only three films, ''Midnight Cowboy'' (directed by John Sc ...
and written by
Lonne Elder III Lonne Elder III (December 26, 1927 – June 11, 1996) was an American actor, playwright and screenwriter. Elder was one of the leading African American figures who informed the New York theater world with social and political consciousness. ...
. The film stars
Calvin Lockhart Calvin Lockhart (born Bert McClossy Cooper; October 18, 1934March 29, 2007) was a Bahamian–American stage and film actor. Lockhart was perhaps best known for his roles as Reverend Deke O'Malley in the 1970 film ''Cotton Comes to Harlem'' and ...
, Rosalind Cash, Vonetta McGee, Paul Stevens,
Rockne Tarkington William Rockne Tarkington, Jr. (May 14, 1932 – April 5, 2015) was an American stage, film and television actor. Career Born in Junction City, Kansas, Tarkington began his career as a stage actor, and made the transition to television with ...
and
Ross Hagen Ross Hagen (born Leland Lando Lilly; May 21, 1938 – May 7, 2011) was an American voice actor, actor, director, screenwriter and producer whose television acting credits included ''Daktari''. His film credits included ''The Hellcats'' in 1967 a ...
. The film was released on August 16, 1972, by
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...
. This film marked karate champion Jim Kelly's first appearance in a film.


Plot

Frankie J. Parker is a Los Angeles radio disc jockey. In his spare time, Frankie takes karate lessons at a school run by his friend Charles Atkins. A woman in a rental car, newly arrived from Chicago, listens to Frankie's radio program. They meet at a nightclub owned by another of Frankie's friends, former football player Tank Robertson, where she introduces herself as Melinda. He invites her to a party on Tank's yacht, making girlfriend Terry Davis jealous. Frankie takes Melinda to his apartment, unaware that they are being followed by a thug. They make love and, the next morning, Melinda tells the womanizing, easy-going Frankie that he has the makings of a more serious, substantial man. After Frankie leaves for work, leaving Melinda alone in his apartment he begins to realize he has developing strong feelings for Melinda. When he returns home from work, he finds the apartment ransacked and Melinda murdered. It turns out her real name is Audrey Miller and she is the former mistress of a Chicago gangster named Mitch, who is trying to recover a mysterious item Melinda took with her to LA. A junkie, Marcia, tries to take Frankie at gunpoint, but he overpowers her. Frankie is attacked by two men, but manages to fight them off, helped by his karate training, although Marcia ends up dead. Frankie finds out that his friend Tank is a business associate of Mitch and owes him money. The item Melinda took is in a safe-deposit box at the bank, the key to which Melinda mailed to Frankie before she died. Unable to gain entry himself, Frankie permits girlfriend Terry to impersonate Melinda and retrieve the item, which turns out to be a gold cigarette case. Inside the case is a tape recording that incriminates Mitch in a crime. Terry is taken prisoner, forcing Frankie to agree to come to Mitch's mansion to work out a trade. He takes the precaution of asking Atkins and his karate students to come along. When they find Terry is being held in a snake-filled cage, Frankie, Atkins and the others come to her rescue.


Cast

*
Calvin Lockhart Calvin Lockhart (born Bert McClossy Cooper; October 18, 1934March 29, 2007) was a Bahamian–American stage and film actor. Lockhart was perhaps best known for his roles as Reverend Deke O'Malley in the 1970 film ''Cotton Comes to Harlem'' and ...
as Frankie J. Parker * Rosalind Cash as Terry Davis * Vonetta McGee as Audrey Miller / Melinda Lewis * Paul Stevens as Mitch *
Rockne Tarkington William Rockne Tarkington, Jr. (May 14, 1932 – April 5, 2015) was an American stage, film and television actor. Career Born in Junction City, Kansas, Tarkington began his career as a stage actor, and made the transition to television with ...
as "Tank" *
Ross Hagen Ross Hagen (born Leland Lando Lilly; May 21, 1938 – May 7, 2011) was an American voice actor, actor, director, screenwriter and producer whose television acting credits included ''Daktari''. His film credits included ''The Hellcats'' in 1967 a ...
as Gregg Van *
Renny Roker Renny Roker is a promoter and actor. As a promoter, he has been involved in both music and sport. He also ran various record labels with his brother Wally Roker in the 1970s. As an actor his career which really started in the 1960s has carried on ...
as Dennis Smith * Judyann Elder as Gloria * Jim Kelly as Charles Atkins * Jan Tice as Marcia *
Lonne Elder III Lonne Elder III (December 26, 1927 – June 11, 1996) was an American actor, playwright and screenwriter. Elder was one of the leading African American figures who informed the New York theater world with social and political consciousness. ...
as Lieutenant Daniels *
Edmund Cambridge Edmund James Cambridge Jr. (September 18, 1920 – August 18, 2001) was an American actor and director who was a founding member of the Negro Ensemble Company (NEC) and the Kilpatrick-Cambridge Theater Arts School.Jack Manning as Bank Man *
Gene LeBell Ivan “Judo” Gene LeBell (October 9, 1932 – August 9, 2022) was an American martial artist, stunt performer, actor, and professional wrestler. Nicknamed "The Godfather of Grappling", he popularized grappling in professional fighting c ...
as Hood * Gary Pagett as Sergeant Adams * Khalil Bezaleel as Washington * Nina Roman as Bank Woman *
Jeannie Bell Jeannie Bell is an Australian linguist. She is an Indigenous Research Collaborations Fellow in Indigenous Languages and Linguistics at Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education. She has made substantial contributions to the development ...
as Jean * Earl Maynard as Karate Group * Dori Dixon as Karate Group * Douglas C. Lawrence as Karate Group * Evelyne Cuffee as Karate Group * Peaches Jones as Karate Group


See also

*
List of American films of 1972 This is a list of American films released in 1972. ''Cabaret'' won 8 Academy Awards including Best Director and Best Actress. ''The Godfather'' won the Academy Award for Best Picture. __TOC__ A–C D–G H–M N–S T–Z See also * ...


References


External links

* {{IMDb title, 0068934, Melinda 1972 films American drama films 1972 drama films Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Karate films 1970s English-language films 1970s American films