I watched this movie because I am a Barbara Payton fan. She is, unfortunately, most remembered as the movie star who crashed and burned, ending her life as an impoverished alcoholic skid row prostitute. However, this tragic woman was bountifully talented. She was also, during her young years, stunningly gorgeous. She gave brilliant, and brilliantly natural, performances in "Trapped," "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye," the campy "Bride of the Gorilla," and (her cinematic swan song) "Murder Is My Beat."
"Bad Blonde" was originally entitled "The Flanagan Boy" in England where it was made. It could have been called "Blonde Boy" since Tony Wright is just as light-haired as Barbara Payton.
With either title, the movie clearly intends to capitalize on Payton's personal tragedies. In 1951, actors Tom Neal and Franchot Tone got into a brawl over Payton, with Neal (who had been an amateur boxer) easily battering Tone into a coma. After his recovery, she married Tone but soon broke up with him to re-unite (although they never wed) with Neal. The original trailer for the movie says, "Barbara Payton as she lures a man to destruction for her own insatiable delight" and adds "bad is the word for Barbara." Payton plays Lorna Vecchi, a former taxi dancer turned housewife to Guiseppe Vecchi, an Italian immigrant to England who is a boxing promoter. As the film starts, he starts promoting Johnny Flanagan who is played by Tony Wright.
Lorna and Johnny dislike each other, then fall in passionate love. What to do about her hubby? Divorce just does not seem to be in the cards for film noir characters so we can guess they will off the poor man.
The "bad" of the title also applies to the film itself. It is an uninspired mishmash of a boxing film and a film noir. Directed by Reginald Le Borg, with a screenplay by Guy Elmes and Richard H. Landau based on a novel by Max Catto, the film is fast-paced but predictable.
There are a few sexy moments as when Payton adjusts her nylon stockings or lets a fur slip off her shoulders. I also liked watching her briefly dance as she showed grace and fluidity. The film is rather daring in underlining female lust when Lorna licks her lips while gazing at the boxer's body.
The paint-by-numbers and lackadaisical script does not give Payton the space to create a layered or subtle character. Tony Wright is similarly limited. Frederick Valk, of German origin, is believable as the blustery Italian but sometimes a bit over-the-top. Sidney James as Sharkey, a boxing assistant and friend to Johnny, gives a performance consisting mostly of eyebrow raising and knowing looks. Selma Vaz Dias, who plays Guiseppe's sister from Italy, looks oddly like a man in drag.
Although "Bad Blonde" is fast-paced, neither story nor characters grab and maintain interest. I would recommend it to other Barbara Payton fans to see at least once just for her performance. But I would not advise anyone to expect a memorable or meaningful viewing experience from this movie.
With either title, the movie clearly intends to capitalize on Payton's personal tragedies. In 1951, actors Tom Neal and Franchot Tone got into a brawl over Payton, with Neal (who had been an amateur boxer) easily battering Tone into a coma. After his recovery, she married Tone but soon broke up with him to re-unite (although they never wed) with Neal. The original trailer for the movie says, "Barbara Payton as she lures a man to destruction for her own insatiable delight" and adds "bad is the word for Barbara." Payton plays Lorna Vecchi, a former taxi dancer turned housewife to Guiseppe Vecchi, an Italian immigrant to England who is a boxing promoter. As the film starts, he starts promoting Johnny Flanagan who is played by Tony Wright.
Lorna and Johnny dislike each other, then fall in passionate love. What to do about her hubby? Divorce just does not seem to be in the cards for film noir characters so we can guess they will off the poor man.
The "bad" of the title also applies to the film itself. It is an uninspired mishmash of a boxing film and a film noir. Directed by Reginald Le Borg, with a screenplay by Guy Elmes and Richard H. Landau based on a novel by Max Catto, the film is fast-paced but predictable.
There are a few sexy moments as when Payton adjusts her nylon stockings or lets a fur slip off her shoulders. I also liked watching her briefly dance as she showed grace and fluidity. The film is rather daring in underlining female lust when Lorna licks her lips while gazing at the boxer's body.
The paint-by-numbers and lackadaisical script does not give Payton the space to create a layered or subtle character. Tony Wright is similarly limited. Frederick Valk, of German origin, is believable as the blustery Italian but sometimes a bit over-the-top. Sidney James as Sharkey, a boxing assistant and friend to Johnny, gives a performance consisting mostly of eyebrow raising and knowing looks. Selma Vaz Dias, who plays Guiseppe's sister from Italy, looks oddly like a man in drag.
Although "Bad Blonde" is fast-paced, neither story nor characters grab and maintain interest. I would recommend it to other Barbara Payton fans to see at least once just for her performance. But I would not advise anyone to expect a memorable or meaningful viewing experience from this movie.