Teufel in Blond (1953)

Teufel in Blond: Directed by Reginald Le Borg. With Barbara Payton, Frederick Valk, John Slater, Sidney James. A scheming blonde seduces a fighter and convinces him to murder her husband, a fight manager.

“In the Hammer British Film Noir BAD BLONDE originally titled THE FLANAGAN BOY, a bulky and not altogether brilliant English boxer gets a shot when his trainer connects with a rich Italian promoter who can make it all happen…u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBut there are a few catches… First, everyone has to live at a rural lakeside estate where the fighter, Charlie Sullivan (Tony Wright), will prepare for future moneymaking matches…u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSecond and most important, Charlie needs to get along with the rich manu0026#39;s baby-faced, perpetually pursed-lipped wife Lorna, played by goading, manipulating, voluptuous and built-for-action with sparks-flying starlet Barbara Payton.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBasically, the first moment Charlie sets his smitten eyes on the sullen temptress, his edge is gone… As is his sanity, to his traineru0026#39;s chagrin. Liken to, years later, when Burgess Meredith barks at Sylvester Stalloneu0026#39;s dame-distracted Rocky Balboa: u0026quot;Women weaken legs!u0026quot; Nothing changes in the boxing game, it seems…u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eNor do the stock ingredients of Film Noir as, inspired by the American-made POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE, thereu0026#39;s a naive, ugly, fat little rich guy… herein the lusty, drunken, jovial promoter… naive enough allow his wife to hang around a young and muscular, good looking stud: Leading to temptation for temptationu0026#39;s sake…u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBut what helps BAD BLONDE work beyond the cliches are the boxing scenes, filmed like youu0026#39;re watching each bout from the first row: in every corner. Meanwhile, the eventual murder attempt of Lornau0026#39;s husband is wickedly intense, with some terrific and inspired perspective angles…u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBut overall, too much time wallows in soap operatic dialogue between the boxer and the title character, whose villainy was better when she had a few more rungs to climb.”