The fate of sultry actress Barbara Payton is an incredibly tragic one. She had it all! This is an all too common scenario in Hollywood. She fell in love with a lot of actors and movie people, none of it worked out. In the end, the formerly sultry dame fell to alcohol, prostitution, and abuse. At the age of 39, she succumbed to liver failure. In today's film, her fate and the fate of those around her appear heading for mega-tragedy. Sure, all sultry blonde babes are psycho. But would we call them psycho if men just used an ounce of smarts? Let us look at 1953's "Bad Blonde," directed by Reginald Le Borg.
Sharkey (Sidney Jones) and trainer Charlie (Josh Slater) discover a strong lad in the boxing ring. Johnny (Tony Wright) is blonde, strong, and uber-handsome. He has what it takes. The trio go to see boxing promoter Giuseppe Vecchi (Frederick Valk). The jolly, round, balding Italian guy agrees to promote him. Johnny, Charlie, and Sharkey movie into Vecchi's country estate to train. There they all meet Vecchi's sultry, much younger wife, Lorna (Payton). She used to be a dancer and then Vecchi "bought her." Johnny and Lorna pretend to hate one another but hormones take over. Soon the duo are sneaking away for kissing and passion. A lot of spit is swapped and the duo even do the dirty deed.
Now Lorna sees an opportunity to get rid of her greaseball husband in favor of this young hunk. Johnny realizes Lorna is no good for him as his boxing career goes down the toilet whenever she is around. He tells her to scram. She turns on the seduction. Guess who wins! Yep...hormones and sultry blondes are hard to overcome. Now a murder plot exists and Lorna seems adept at manipulating the young hunk any way she wants. Sharkey and Charley see Lorna for what she is and try to tell Johnny. He doesn't take their wisdom. Vecchi is clueless that his young wife might have homicide in her heart.
Is there any chance that Lorna and Johnny will live happily ever after? Will Lorna smarten up and learn to love and be happy with the old, fat, greaseball Italian guy? Will Johnny ever listen to the warnings of his buddies Sharkey and Charlie? Barbara Payton is extremely sultry and provides us with great cheese. As much as a tragedy that appears to unfold on the screen, it doesn't compare the the tragedy that was her true life, albeit brief life. See "Bad Blonde" and see what a truly sultry dame looks like...today's Hollywood has none.
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