The Challenge (1960)

A femme fatale (Jayne Mansfield), who heads a crime ring, lures a dupe (Anthony Quayle) into joining her gang for a major robbery. What he doesn't know is that he's the fall guy. When he's released from prison five years later, both the police and the gang are after him to find out where he hid the loot. Directed by John Gilling (THE MUMMY'S SHROUD). Although set in London, this noir-ish crime thriller hearkens back to the B&W Hollywood film noirs of the 1940s and early 50s. One can easily see Robert Mitchum and Gloria Grahame in the Quayle and Mansfield roles. Unfortunately with the exception of Quayle, it feels like the British cast (Mansfield is the only American) is play acting at it. Mansfield isn't bad at all. She's still a sexpot but gone is the trademark high pitched girlish and breathy voice. Her voice drops to a lower and more natural pitch and she's tougher and stronger than her usual baby doll roles. But it's still a fairly routine crime film and much of its suspense derives from harm coming to a child. With Edward Judd, Carl Mohner and Peter Reynolds.