Saw this when it first aired. Faithful adaptation of a novella by John D. MacDonald (creator of Travis McGee), concerning a very clever and cold-blooded pair of murderers -- esp. Stella Stevens' character, the mastermind. The crime shocks you from the start, and what follows for the innocent party is even more startling. A nearly perfect frame nearly works, and the way things unravel is intelligent and watchable. There are fine performances all around from solid, reliable actors, esp. John McIntyre as a crusty lawyer and John Saxon as a man over his head, and Ed Nelson strikes the perfect balance between horrified astonishment and clear-thinking determination. One of the better made-for-TV works of the time. But the poster above, ostensibly from this film, must be from some other production with the same name; it has NOTHING to do with this one!
Add a Review
-
DocS-131 August 2007
-
"Linda" was a 90-minute ABC Saturday Suspense Movie of the Week in 1973.
Blond and stacked Linda (Stella Stevens) was a cunning femme fatale straight out of a film noir. Linda was far smarter than any of the men she encountered, and she used her smoldering sex appeal to get what she wanted.
The director was Jack Smight ("Harper", "No Way to Treat a Lady") who was a real pro. Smight was returning to his roots in TV. The movie was based on a novel by the prolific crime novelist John D. MacDonald ("Travis McGee"). John D. MacDonald was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Syracuse University and a Harvard MBA.
Jack Smight and screenwriter Merwin Gerard had done "The Longest Night" earlier that same season. It was an unusual, unsettling thriller about a kidnapped young woman who was buried alive. "The Longest Night" starred David Janssen, James Farentino and Sallie Shockley, and may have inspired the buried alive sequence in Quentin Tarentino's "Kill Bill 2".
Linda frames her meek, timid, decent husband for murder. The husband eventually escapes from prison to be a fugitive and to try to prove his innocence. The husband was played by Ed Nelson ("Peyton Place"), a fine actor. But it might have been more fun to have the original fugitive David Janssen play the role. Janssen was an extremely sympathetic actor who could make being meek and timid sexy.
John McIntire ("Wagon Train") played a sly country lawyer who takes the husband's case. I would have cast Clint Walker against type in the role. Clint was a surprisingly resourceful actor who had no trouble projecting humor or intelligence. It would have been fun to see Linda work her tricks on giant Clint. Maybe she could have cut him down to size.
John Saxon played Linda's lover, who helps frame the husband. Saxon became a fascinating actor as he got older. I liked him starting with "The Bold Ones". He looked amazing lying on the beach in a tight swimsuit in "Linda". No wonder Ed Nelson was jealous. I would have loved to have seen John Saxon as Frank Furillo in "Hill Street Blues" or as Max Cherry in "Jackie Brown", roles I have heard he was considered for.
"Linda" reminds me a little of the classic Edgar Ulmer B-movie "Detour" where the extraordinary but terrifying Ann Savage makes a meal of Tom Neal.
"Linda" should have ended with the beginning of her trial for murder. Her husband's former attorney is defending her and the DA seems to have a bit of a crush on her. Linda is wearing glasses and is in a tasteful dress that can't quite hide that traffic-stopping figure. The jury consists of twelve men. The film ends and you have to guess what the verdict will be. -
planktonrules26 January 2017I was very surprised when I found the web page for "Linda" on IMDb. Usually, IMDb shows a photo from the movie or a poster but this time here's a poster from some porno film with a naked brunette on it! This has absolutely NOTHING to do with this made for TV film...nothing!
This film begins on a secluded California beach. Linda and and Jeff (Stella Stevens and John Saxon) are shooting at beer cans as Linda's husband, Paul, and Jeff's wife watch. Then, out of the blue, Linda turns the gun on the wife and Jeff---killing them both! Paul takes the gun away from her and then phones the police to tell them his wife murdered the two folks. When the police arrive, however, they only find the dead woman and no beer cans. A few moments later, Linda and Jeff come walking down the beach with a stringer of fish-- and they say they have no idea what's happened. The police think Paul is nuts and must have killed the lady--and Linda and Jeff play it up! Obviously this is a set-up but will the police figure this out or is Jeff destined to be some inmate's new love interest?
This is a very good thriller. It's well written and has a nice payoff. In fact, it's very good for a made for TV film and holds up very well today thanks to excellent writing and acting. -
A decent cast assembles for an interesting made-for-tv thriller whose best sequence opens up the film on a beach, where the title character (very ably played by Stella Stevens), alongside her lover (John Saxon), shoots his wife dead in front of her actual husband (Ed Nelson) and frames him for murder.
What follows cannot quite live up to that thrilling, no-nonense beginning, but the movie does keep the viewer interested despite some lapses in the acting that undermine the tension (eg. Ed Nelson's character's breakdown in the police station when he explains why he could not check if his wife was dead on the beach) and some of the indifferent dialogue.
John Macintire 's introduction as an unconventional, sly lawyer bolsters proceedings and he projects his character's straight-laced quirkiness very well, almost to the extent of stealing the film.
The film's 'entrapment' sequence is refreshingly original, almost Columbo-esque, and ties things up nicely and the title character's exasperation about being surrounded by spineless men is well-conveyed.
Overall, there are some good things in this movie which just about over-shadow its weak spots, making it a worthwhile viewing experience. -
After seeing "The Poseidon Adventure" in 1972, I had a new favorite actress: I thought Stella Stevens nearly walked off with the picture. Unfortunately, Stevens' next role as the title character in this cheaply-made movie-of-the-week is a letdown for her fans. Crime-drama gives Stella the short shrift in favor of Ed Nelson playing her husband, whom she has apparently framed for murder. It all begins when Linda guns down both a female friend and the woman's husband on the beach; Linda's spouse goes for the police but, when the cops finally arrive, it's a different situation. Adapted from a well-regarded book by John D. MacDonald, the movie stumbles by keeping selfish, scheming Linda on the sidelines while disgusted hubby fights to clear his name. Stella Stevens is appealing as hell, but sloppy director Jack Smight doesn't recognize this. By keeping his hot star on ice--waiting around for the sluggish beachfront police to catch onto her--he stalls nearly all interest in "Linda".
-
mark.waltz12 December 2020Ten minutes into this, I expected an actor playing a movie director to yell "cut!", but alas, what took place during this first reel was the setup for the film. We see Ed Nelson talking on the beach with a woman in a bathing suit while nearby Stella Stevens is shooting a a beer can and as soon as she gets the shot right, turns and shoots the woman in the back then shoots the man (John Saxon) showing her how to shoot. Nelson takes off to get the police but returns only to find the body of the woman and Stevens and Saxon returning with still living fish they allegedly just caught.
It turns out that Saxon, the dead woman's husband, and Stevens are in cahoots to frame Nelson for murder. Nelson is directed badly in this critical opening and given the dumbest dialog so it's natural that his acting seems phony. He over emotes throughout, at one point acting like a scared child cowering in the corner, and it's truly embarrassing. This movie of the week is set up far too perfectly in a manipulative way to sucker the viewer into buying its bunk. Attempts to make this seem like a complex film noir in the 40's mold fails miserably with Stevens having a hairstyle that Phyllis Diedrickson from "Double Indemnity" would have laughed at. Stevens hams it up throughout, leaving only Saxon to come out of this with any dignity. I find this to be one of the most laughably bad TV movies I've ever seen. -
mls418212 May 2021Stella Stevens lives everyone's fantasy in this film: she kills her lover's spouse and frames her own spouse for the crime. Was it the perfect crime? This TV movie starts out great, but the ending isn't as fun as the beginning. Definitely worth watching. A copy is on YouTube.
-
Being lucky enough to be a local coordinator, aide and extra driver living in Carmel, CA during the location set building and filming of "Linda" was a great experience. It allowed me extra insight into the story itself as well as how the cast and crew perceived it and played to it. The main locations included a deserted beach down the coast south of Carmel-by-the-Sea and in Watsonville... so the beautiful scenery and interesting buildings of coastal central California adds a lot of eye appeal to this interesting and well done made for TV film. The well rounded cast and crew that was selected for "Linda", and the interaction between them was very productive and enjoyable for all, both in front of and behind the camera. That unity carries well into the final product's quality and is evident in it. My rating is probably biased for sure, but getting a chance to see this film will be time well spent for you. I'll never forget the beach football games with cast and crew to pass the time between takes and set changes either. Nor meeting and working with a real down to earth gentleman like John Saxon and the very sexy Stella Stevens especially. To the cast and crew if you see this, always remember the artichokes!