Bad Blonde

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.

The plot is not that interesting but not that lousy either. And it is from Reginald LeBorg, a B pictures film maker whose stuff is always worth seeking, except some Joe Palooka gentle junk, trash. So this scheme of a young prize fighter in love with a blonde femme fatale can be annoying because so many times evoked in the past in many movies, but it' is not a good reason to avoid this rare gem because the story is riveting, tough, you don't wish to stop the viewing. And acting is pretty good for this low budget material. This definitely a noir drama which seemed to have been inspired by a James Hadley Chase's novel.

I see many compared this to the Postman Always Rings Twice. I just found it a typical beautiful wife encouraging a young lover to kill her husband. You can compare it to lots of films.

Bad Blonde stars the real thing, Barbara Payton, as the young woman who is married to Giuseppe (Frederick Valt), a fight promoter and businessman.

When she meets his latest find (Tony Wright) there is an instant attraction, disguised as hostility. It then goes the ordinary route. Wright doesn't put up much resistance.

Barbara Payton had one look - bored out of her mind - throughout the film. She was extremely beautiful and desirable - desirable enough for Tom Neal to beat Franchot Tone into a coma.

Payton's best film was at the start of her career, and it was downhill from there.

She wound up an alcoholic prostitute. When offered rehab, she said, "I'd rather drink or die." At age 39, she managed to do both.

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.

An ambitious undertaking for Exclusive, strictly speaking based on a novel by Max Catto, but suspiciously resembling 'The Postman Always Rings Twice'; it bears viewing today as a showcase for the ill-fated Barbara Payton and an almost spectral appearance by Selma Vas Diaz as the cuckolded husband's vengeful sister.