In 1959, Fox cast her in two independent gangster films shot in the United Kingdom: "The Challenge" and "Too Hot to Handle". Both films were low-budget, and their American releases were delayed. "Too Hot to Handle" was not released in the United States until 1961 as "Playgirl After Dark". "The Challenge" was released in 1963 as "It Takes a Thief". In the United States, censors objected to a scene in "Too Hot to Handle" in which Mansfield, wearing silver netting with sequins painted over her nipples, appears nearly nude.