Game of Murder

Young American woman, cycling through Spain without a lot of money, is prostituted out to a wealthy older man who is blind; she begins to spend time with him and eventually agrees to get married, but only so she can be closer to the millionaire's handsome valet--who's got his eye on the old man's fortune. After a bungled opening, this Euro-trash melodrama actually becomes a rather tasty dish, helped by the Spanish locations and a decent cast. Fernando Rey and Gloria Grahame are both good, though it is Sue Lyon's movie and she's an intriguing presence, a lovely enigma. With her luscious white-blonde hair and dry resolve, Lyon at first doesn't appear to take charge of this acting opportunity (she goes with the flow), but this non-approach works for the character, who may be either an opportunist or just your average tarot card-reading girl with a heart of gold. The low-end production is pretty much held together with tape, and the editing on the version I saw was just a notch above incompetent, but the narrative-heavy plot is an entertaining one. ** from ****