Bad Blonde

In 1950, American producer Robert Lippert formed a business alliance with Hammer studios. Under the agreement, Lippert would provide American acting talent - frequently shop-worn stars or just supporting actors who fancied a profitable trip out of the country - while Hammer would supply the rest of the cast and the production facilities. Together they would split the profits. Famous for his concern with the bottom line, Lippert produced over 140 films between 1946 and 1955, characteristically genre pieces such as I Shot Jesse James or Rocketship XM. For the British deal, most of the films were noir-ish thrillers - and include this title.

Directed by American B-meister Reginald La Borg, The Flanagan Boy is a hugely enjoyable tale of a young boxer whose career is destroyed by the blonde of the US title, the aptly cast Barbara Peyton. Peyton, whose short career was marred by disastrous excesses and liaisons in her private life, is marvellous as the scheming fatale Lorna Vechi, whose marriage to a doting boxing manager is a sham, and whose sexual predations draw in most men around her. Surprisingly explicit in showing female desire (at one point Lorna licks her lips in close up as she eyes the torso of the well formed fighter, standing all self- conscious and sweaty after a bout), as others have noticed this is a film that recalls the similar shenanigans of The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946). Sid James makes an appearance as the original manager of the doomed boxer, and it's a film that still bears up well.

After a thunderous triangle affair that shaken Hollywood between Franchot Tone, Barbara Payton and the former boxer Tom Neal, it ruins her career for good, all majors studios shut down their doors for her, in declining process he accepts an offer of Robert Lippert that through a joint-venture with Hammer studios on England make a movie there, The Flanagan Boy later re-named on America as Bad Blonde, once more dealing with boxer fighter, if is on purpose means that the producers want capitalize on Barbara Payton background.

At carnival a former boxer's agent Sharkey (Sidney James) has a small busines there, where he challenges someone on the audience for a couple rounds against a retired boxer, when sudden appears the young Johnny Flanagan (Tony Wright) whom knock down his opponent, there he meets his old pal the trainer Charlie (John Slater) both and Johnny must looking for a famous promoter for Johnny, whereof Sharkey aware that Giuseppe Vecchi is on London, the old promoter coming from New York bring a new wife a former dancer Lorna (Barbara Payton) meanwhile the upcoming agreement between Vecchi and Sharkey over a possible partnership, something arises on Johnny over so gorgeous blonde, a sort of secret feeling.

Meanwhile the training at Vecchi's mansion, Johnny and Lorna meet privily at barn, Lorna envisages on Johnny her freedom from the loathsome fat Vecchi, exposing to him that is pregnancy, it somehow disturbs the young Johnny, as display in the fight when he had the opponent at your hands on first round, lost the match when Lorna arrives there, hereinafter Lorna push him to get rid of Vecchi or she own will poisoned his husband, the naïve guy blind by jealous settle a plan to murder him.

Many of reviewers posted here that the picture reminds The Postman Always Rings Twice, well it has some resemblance quite sure, not exactly the same plot whatsoever, due here the main reason is boxer fighter struggles against his own yarning, in other hand a scheming girl deceiving a silly guy enchanted by the sexy bombshell, one's latest movie from Barbara who entered in a self-destruction process that ends up in prostitution at Sunset Boulevard at Los Angeles to afford her drugs addiction and alcoholism as well, her nasty sexual behavior screw up a supposed successful career, I have a great interest on Barbara Payton's life due she had a tremendous potential, a case should be studied!

Thanks for reading.

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First watch: 2023 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.

As part of an arrangement with American producer Robert Lippert, Britains' legendary Hammer Studios (known at this time as Exclusive) knocked out a bunch of low-budget features which included film noir stories such as this one. Directed by horror genre specialist Reginald Le Borg ("Calling Dr. Death", "The Mummy's Ghost", "The Black Sleep"), it tells a comfortably familiar tale. The beefy Tony Wright plays Johnny Flanagan, an up-and-coming boxer taken under the wing of trainer Sharkey (Sidney James) and flamboyant old Italian promoter Giuseppe Vecchi (Frederick Valk). Then the promoters' sultry wife Lorna (Barbara Payton) sinks her hooks into Johnny, trying to inspire him to bump off Giuseppe.

"The Flanagan Boy", a.k.a. "Bad Blonde", is no great example of the film noir genre, but it does include a number of its standard elements in respectable fashion. Johnny is a classic "poor sap" who suffers tremendous guilt, but who still feels overwhelmed by the advances of this sexy siren. Star attraction Payton *is* a perfect example of the "femme fatale" archetype: conniving, self-serving, manipulative. This is a solid vehicle for her talents, at the least. Her entrance is memorable, as we and the camera ogle her legs when Wright catches sight of her in Valks' home. James (in a largely serious performance), John Slater (as the amiable Charlie), and an unbilled George Woodbridge (as the police inspector) offer excellent support. Valks' performance tends to be a little much at times, but one certainly can't accuse the actor of phoning it in.

A worthy viewing for aficionados of Hammer and the noir genre in general. Future top Hammer screenwriter Jimmy Sangster was the assistant director here.

Seven out of 10.

Much as 1948's Whiplash was a cross-knockoff of two John Garfield vehicles (Body and Soul, Humoresque), Bad Blonde grafts Body and Soul to The Postman Always Rings Twice, then transplants the hybrid to alien English soil. At a carnival boxing concession, young Johnny Flanagan (Tony Wright, who looks like young John Kennedy) takes up the challenge and reveals himself as quite the pugilist. Concessionaire Sid James, a savvy judge of boxing talent, sees his opportunity to make a comback in the prizefight racket. He gets Wright signed up with rich old Italian promoter Frederick Valk, who on a recent tour of America has brought back Barbara Payton as a souvenir.

When Wright catches a furtive glimpse of Payton smoothing a stocking along her thigh, he's struck tongue-tied. She's not so bashful, licking her lips as she rakes her eyes up his torso, stripped for the ring. Soon, under the guise of training at Valk's country manor, they're having clandestine clinches in the bracken. But, it apparently being true about leaving one's fight in the bedroom, Wright starts losing his timing, and, more urgently, an important match Valk arranges, thus jinxing his career. But Payton has money, or rather will have once her husband goes down for the count. She feigns a suicide attempt and a pregnancy, then dangles the possibility of murder. The diffident Wright, thinking the child is his, falls in with the plan...

Somebody besides Payton must have been obsessed with Wright's body: The camera finds every opportunity to linger over it, in the ring and under the water, in trunks and towels and bathing briefs. Did this male-fixated aspect of the movie, originally titled The Flanagan Boy with Wright its title character, cause sufficient panic to have the movie renamed and remarketed? As Bad Blonde, it capitalizes on Payton's aggressive allures, soon to be available on the open market: The actress would drift into tabloid scandals, check-kiting and ultimately prostitution. Only four more films would remain before her last, Murder Is My Beat, in 1955. Twelve years later she would be dead of alcohol-related causes.

I saw this under its alternate title "Bad Blonde." Though Barbara Payton is billed before the title, I was confused: Yes, the actress had quite a reputation. She had life that was messy and ultimately very sad. It was more sordid and more interesting than the tabloid girls of today.

And the character she played was bad, to be sure. Yet, the movie makes much more sense under its original title: It's primarily about the character played by Tony Wright. Ms. Payton wears some alluring costumes but we hardly ever see Wright with his shirt on. When he's not boxing, he's swimming.

It's a sad story. Sort of a film noir, yes. But we feel bad for the basically decent people who are trampled on because of others' greed and desires. Frederick Valk is excellent as Giuseppi, the man drawn into representing the title character in his fight career.

The plot reminded me, particularly in his character, of Tennessee Williams" "Orpheus Descending." An interesting movie, if ultimately not an especially good one.