AKA..."The Flanagan Boy"
That Was the Original British Title, from the Famous "Hammer Studios" that Copied America's Film-Noirs in the Early 50's,
Before the "Lighting in a Bottle" was Captured by Copying America's "Universal Studios" Horror Icons (Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy, The Wolf Man, The Phantom of the Opera, etc.).
Hammer Imprinted its Own Gravitas by Brilliantly Overlaying the "Monsters" in Luscious Rich Color, Detailed Beautiful Sets, and to Top it Off...Low-Cut Displays of the Female Form, Modernized Bloody Violence, and to Top-Off the Top-Off,
Brought Forth 2 Dynamic Actors, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee who Became Icons of Horror with Long and Distinguished Careers.
But "Bad Blonde" was Made Before All That, when "Hammer" was a Low-Budget Studio Doing Solid, Entertaining, B-Movie Genre Entertainment on a Shoestring, Noirs and Adventure Movies Mostly.
In this One, a Real-Life "Bad Girl", Barbara Payton, Supersedes Everything and Everyone in this British Copy-Cat Plot,
by Bringing to the Character and Screen the "Real Deal", for She in Real-Life was Living the Caricature that was so Much in Demand in the Hard-Boiled World of Pulp Fiction and the Big Screen.
Looking "Hard as Nails" that Barely Hid Her Behind the "Performance" of a Lustful, Alluring, Magnetic, Femme Fatale that was "Rotten to the Core". She Didn't "Nail It"...She Was It.
Hammer Made this with Prolific B-Master, Director Le Borg who Sensibilities were Aligned with the Budget and Style of Genre
and Delivered Along with the Cinematographer, some Angels and Sets that were "Artistically" Above Average and Worthy of the B-Movie Sensationalism that its Fans Loved, Admired, and Supported.
Tony Wright, in His 1st Movie is a Bit Stiff...
after Ogling Payton Licking Her Lips and Sliding Her Stockings, who Wouldn't Be? He Never Recovers.
But the Biggest Gripe has to be Frederic Valk as the Rich Husband and Boxing Promoter is So Gregarious and Over the Top,
Loudly Expressing His Every Thought, Shouting Louder and Louder Like Everyone in the Room is Near-Deaf.
It is Hard to Stomach and may Drive Sensitive Types Away Faster than You Can Say..."Maybe bumping him off isn't such a bad thing". But Seriously!
Other than that bit of Sarcastic Criticism, Hammer's British Take on Film-Noir is Stylish, Competent and Obviously Very British.
It Would be Less than 5 Years Later when "Hammer Studios" Hits Artistic and Commercial Success that Lasted Almost 20 Years.
Still Remember Fondly Today for its Contribution of Excellent Cinema Done with a Panache that Many Imitated but Never Came Close to Duplicating the Aforementioned "Lightning in a Bottle".
If it's a Hammer Film...It's...Worth a Watch.
That Was the Original British Title, from the Famous "Hammer Studios" that Copied America's Film-Noirs in the Early 50's,
Before the "Lighting in a Bottle" was Captured by Copying America's "Universal Studios" Horror Icons (Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy, The Wolf Man, The Phantom of the Opera, etc.).
Hammer Imprinted its Own Gravitas by Brilliantly Overlaying the "Monsters" in Luscious Rich Color, Detailed Beautiful Sets, and to Top it Off...Low-Cut Displays of the Female Form, Modernized Bloody Violence, and to Top-Off the Top-Off,
Brought Forth 2 Dynamic Actors, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee who Became Icons of Horror with Long and Distinguished Careers.
But "Bad Blonde" was Made Before All That, when "Hammer" was a Low-Budget Studio Doing Solid, Entertaining, B-Movie Genre Entertainment on a Shoestring, Noirs and Adventure Movies Mostly.
In this One, a Real-Life "Bad Girl", Barbara Payton, Supersedes Everything and Everyone in this British Copy-Cat Plot,
by Bringing to the Character and Screen the "Real Deal", for She in Real-Life was Living the Caricature that was so Much in Demand in the Hard-Boiled World of Pulp Fiction and the Big Screen.
Looking "Hard as Nails" that Barely Hid Her Behind the "Performance" of a Lustful, Alluring, Magnetic, Femme Fatale that was "Rotten to the Core". She Didn't "Nail It"...She Was It.
Hammer Made this with Prolific B-Master, Director Le Borg who Sensibilities were Aligned with the Budget and Style of Genre
and Delivered Along with the Cinematographer, some Angels and Sets that were "Artistically" Above Average and Worthy of the B-Movie Sensationalism that its Fans Loved, Admired, and Supported.
Tony Wright, in His 1st Movie is a Bit Stiff...
after Ogling Payton Licking Her Lips and Sliding Her Stockings, who Wouldn't Be? He Never Recovers.
But the Biggest Gripe has to be Frederic Valk as the Rich Husband and Boxing Promoter is So Gregarious and Over the Top,
Loudly Expressing His Every Thought, Shouting Louder and Louder Like Everyone in the Room is Near-Deaf.
It is Hard to Stomach and may Drive Sensitive Types Away Faster than You Can Say..."Maybe bumping him off isn't such a bad thing". But Seriously!
Other than that bit of Sarcastic Criticism, Hammer's British Take on Film-Noir is Stylish, Competent and Obviously Very British.
It Would be Less than 5 Years Later when "Hammer Studios" Hits Artistic and Commercial Success that Lasted Almost 20 Years.
Still Remember Fondly Today for its Contribution of Excellent Cinema Done with a Panache that Many Imitated but Never Came Close to Duplicating the Aforementioned "Lightning in a Bottle".
If it's a Hammer Film...It's...Worth a Watch.