Last night I decided to watch Ed Wood's crime film, "Jail Bait." Now, much like Wood's other films, the storyline, acting, direction, music and just about everything else are completely weak. However, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The acting is enjoyable because it's so bad that you have to laugh. I would recommend this film to anyone looking for a good time. Plus, the twist actually impressed me. I did not see it coming. A lot of people like to go on about how Ed Wood is the worst director of all time, but how can this be when he's made movies that so many people have enjoyed? Sure, they're awful movies, but he's done his job and entertained us. That's all I ask for.
70 Reviews
Predictable, Laughable, Absurd, Funny, Awful Lines, Ham Actors and Actresses - But Absolutely Cult
claudio_carvalho4 March 2006
Warning: Spoilers
As most of the movie lovers, I discovered Ed Wood after watching Tim Burton's "Ed Wood", and since then, I try to see all his movies. I have just watched "Jail Bait", his attempt to make a serious film-noir, and I really laughed along its 72 minutes running time. The first points that call the attention in "Jail Bait" are the ham actors and actresses, and the awful lines. The cast seems to be amateurish, and the screenplay seems to be written by a stupid teenager so ridiculous and silly the dialogs and situations are. The next point to attract me was the beauty and elegance of Theodora Thurman, in the character of the lover of the gangster Vic Brady. Another point is that it is always night along the story. The annoying music score is probably one of the worse I have ever listened in a movie. The funniest parts, in my point of view, are the arrival of Lt. Bob Lawrence to Dr. Boris Gregor's house: from the outside, the lights are turned-off, but when Marilyn Gregor opens the door, the lights are on; the death of Don Gregor is simply hilarious; and what about the surgery of Vic Brady in a sofa? This movie certainly is predictable, laughable, absurd, funny, but it is also absolutely cult. My vote is four.
Title (Brazil): "Jail Bait - A Face do Crime" ("Jail Bait - The Face of the Crime")
Title (Brazil): "Jail Bait - A Face do Crime" ("Jail Bait - The Face of the Crime")
"I don't like dead men cluttering up my place."
classicsoncall21 July 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Oh my God, where does one even start! This is probably the most overtly 'serious' film that you'll ever see and die laughing in the process. Instead of celluloid, legendary director Ed Wood used cardboard to film this extravaganza, and it's my contention that anyone who's ever seen a movie MUST watch this flick!
On the surface, the plot seems reasonable enough. The adult son of a respected plastic surgeon falls into a life of crime and winds up killing a former cop while pulling off a payroll heist with his mentor, small time hood Vic Brady (Timothy Farrell). Virtually everything else is window dressing for shabby sets, grammar school stage play acting and cheap dialog.
But Oh, what dialog! My favorite examples: Brady kills Don Gregor; his girlfriend moll Loretta (Theodora Thurman) exclaims - "Maybe you shouldn't have done that!"
Or how about when Loretta has her moment of doubt about Brady and threatens to leave. Brady - "I didn't set you up in all this luxury just to have you walk out on me." LUXURY!!! A living room with a chair and couch!!
The picture even takes it's name from a line from Don Gregor's sister Marilyn (Dolores Fuller), admonishing her brother about his association with Brady - "You know that gun is jail bait!"
On top of that, did you ever expect to see the future Hercules in this flick? Almost unrecognizable without a beard and loin cloth, Steve Reeves teases the audience with a quick upper torso shot while putting on a shirt, which made me think, what was he doing with his shirt off in the police chief's office? - he was already at work! See what I mean?
Oh, and don't let me forget the scene where Miss Willis ID's Brady and Gregor as the two who held up the theater and killed the night watchman. Inspector Johns (Lyle Talbot) has only two pictures of possible suspects to show her, and they're the right ones!!! Amazing!
But man oh man, you just had to see it coming! When Brady blackmails Doc Gregor for a facial do-over, you just HAD to know how it would all come out. That ending was the 'Twilight Zone' on acid, especially if you kept a sharp eye on Brady/Gregor's facial scars. The first time the bandages come off, the scar on his forehead runs diagonal from the top of his nose to well above the eye. However when he's shot by the pool, the scar runs laterally across the middle of his forehead. The perfect ending to an Ed Wood masterpiece!
Through it all you had just the perfect musical accompaniment, what with the strumming Mexican guitar background. You know, in thinking about it, the only thing that could have made this picture more bizarre would have been the inclusion of a night club comedy routine done in black face. Oh... wait a minute!
On the surface, the plot seems reasonable enough. The adult son of a respected plastic surgeon falls into a life of crime and winds up killing a former cop while pulling off a payroll heist with his mentor, small time hood Vic Brady (Timothy Farrell). Virtually everything else is window dressing for shabby sets, grammar school stage play acting and cheap dialog.
But Oh, what dialog! My favorite examples: Brady kills Don Gregor; his girlfriend moll Loretta (Theodora Thurman) exclaims - "Maybe you shouldn't have done that!"
Or how about when Loretta has her moment of doubt about Brady and threatens to leave. Brady - "I didn't set you up in all this luxury just to have you walk out on me." LUXURY!!! A living room with a chair and couch!!
The picture even takes it's name from a line from Don Gregor's sister Marilyn (Dolores Fuller), admonishing her brother about his association with Brady - "You know that gun is jail bait!"
On top of that, did you ever expect to see the future Hercules in this flick? Almost unrecognizable without a beard and loin cloth, Steve Reeves teases the audience with a quick upper torso shot while putting on a shirt, which made me think, what was he doing with his shirt off in the police chief's office? - he was already at work! See what I mean?
Oh, and don't let me forget the scene where Miss Willis ID's Brady and Gregor as the two who held up the theater and killed the night watchman. Inspector Johns (Lyle Talbot) has only two pictures of possible suspects to show her, and they're the right ones!!! Amazing!
But man oh man, you just had to see it coming! When Brady blackmails Doc Gregor for a facial do-over, you just HAD to know how it would all come out. That ending was the 'Twilight Zone' on acid, especially if you kept a sharp eye on Brady/Gregor's facial scars. The first time the bandages come off, the scar on his forehead runs diagonal from the top of his nose to well above the eye. However when he's shot by the pool, the scar runs laterally across the middle of his forehead. The perfect ending to an Ed Wood masterpiece!
Through it all you had just the perfect musical accompaniment, what with the strumming Mexican guitar background. You know, in thinking about it, the only thing that could have made this picture more bizarre would have been the inclusion of a night club comedy routine done in black face. Oh... wait a minute!
An Ed Wood-Style Crime Drama
Snow Leopard13 February 2006
In "Jail Bait", Ed Wood applies his boundless enthusiasm and limited talent to the crime movie genre. From a technical viewpoint, it's actually one of his less unsound features, although that cuts down somewhat on the unintentional laughs that it provides. The story is actually pretty solid, and could have served as the basis for a pretty good film-noir. Most of its weaknesses are in the acting, pacing, and dialogue, plus the occasional zany out-of-place detail.
The story uses a basically familiar setup, but adds a couple of extra components to it. Lyle Talbot and Steve Reeves play a pair of policemen investigating the misdeeds of a young man whose father is a highly respected doctor. The doctor and his daughter, meanwhile, try to protect the son both from the police and from the career criminal who has led him astray. For the most part, the story is conventional but believable, with a rather clever ending.
Most of the rest of the production does not come up to the level of the story. The ever-loyal Talbot gives his typically earnest performance, trying to make the dialogue sound as good as possible, while enduring some amusingly awkward interactions with the stilted Reeves. The rest of the cast is generally nondescript, and sometimes noticeably out of their depth.
The dialogue contains some of the expected unintentional laughs, and the characters often overexert themselves on unnecessary exposition or on pointing out details that were already completely obvious. The pacing, likewise, is inconsistent from scene to scene, although with fewer of the kinds of direction and editing slip-ups that generally characterize Wood's features.
No one could ever deny that Wood loved making movies, and he made sincere efforts to make them as well as he could, which is what has kept his movies so watchable despite their shortcomings. "Jail Bait" attempts to emulate the classics of its genre, but it is severely limited by the lack of talent and other resources.
The story uses a basically familiar setup, but adds a couple of extra components to it. Lyle Talbot and Steve Reeves play a pair of policemen investigating the misdeeds of a young man whose father is a highly respected doctor. The doctor and his daughter, meanwhile, try to protect the son both from the police and from the career criminal who has led him astray. For the most part, the story is conventional but believable, with a rather clever ending.
Most of the rest of the production does not come up to the level of the story. The ever-loyal Talbot gives his typically earnest performance, trying to make the dialogue sound as good as possible, while enduring some amusingly awkward interactions with the stilted Reeves. The rest of the cast is generally nondescript, and sometimes noticeably out of their depth.
The dialogue contains some of the expected unintentional laughs, and the characters often overexert themselves on unnecessary exposition or on pointing out details that were already completely obvious. The pacing, likewise, is inconsistent from scene to scene, although with fewer of the kinds of direction and editing slip-ups that generally characterize Wood's features.
No one could ever deny that Wood loved making movies, and he made sincere efforts to make them as well as he could, which is what has kept his movies so watchable despite their shortcomings. "Jail Bait" attempts to emulate the classics of its genre, but it is severely limited by the lack of talent and other resources.
JAIL BAIT (Edward D. Wood Jr., 1954) *1/2
Bunuel19761 May 2006
Not as well-known as Wood's notorious 'horror' output but this truly lamentable attempt at a film noir - demonstrating, if only in its ramshackle production values, an affinity with the cinema of Orson Welles and Edgar G. Ulmer - is at least equally inept and hilarious, if still emerging as perhaps his most tolerable effort!
It's practically a manual on how NOT to make a noir: despite a generous dose of hard-boiled - yet godawful - dialogue (particularly in the scenes depicting the gangster's constant bickering with his moll), the film has absolutely no sense of atmosphere, a headache-inducing and inappropriate score, an irrelevant musical number (in blackface, to boot!) and some of the worst, most amateurish acting you're ever likely to see! Perhaps the main culprit in this regard is elderly Herbert Rawlinson (who, amazingly, kept working on such rubbish when he was dying of lung cancer and, in fact, kicked the bucket a day after production wrapped!) as an eminent surgeon who has to contend with a delinquent son; the latter gets embroiled in armed robbery and murder and is subsequently killed by his associate, after the surgeon persuades him to give himself up to the Police. However, the gangster blackmails the old man into doing a makeshift job of plastic surgery in order to avoid capture - but, in perhaps the most uproarious scene of the entire film, the doctor discovers his son's corpse in the gangster's kitchen, without so much as a reaction, and decides to turn the tables on him. While not unpredictable, I must say that the twist ending works...but, unfortunately, the TV reception got screwed up during the last few minutes of the film, so I missed out on some of the details!
By the way, the younger of two cops who tail Rawlison's son throughout the film is none other than future peplum icon Steve Reeves in his film debut - and he looks as uncomfortable in a suit and tie as Chuck Heston!!
It's practically a manual on how NOT to make a noir: despite a generous dose of hard-boiled - yet godawful - dialogue (particularly in the scenes depicting the gangster's constant bickering with his moll), the film has absolutely no sense of atmosphere, a headache-inducing and inappropriate score, an irrelevant musical number (in blackface, to boot!) and some of the worst, most amateurish acting you're ever likely to see! Perhaps the main culprit in this regard is elderly Herbert Rawlinson (who, amazingly, kept working on such rubbish when he was dying of lung cancer and, in fact, kicked the bucket a day after production wrapped!) as an eminent surgeon who has to contend with a delinquent son; the latter gets embroiled in armed robbery and murder and is subsequently killed by his associate, after the surgeon persuades him to give himself up to the Police. However, the gangster blackmails the old man into doing a makeshift job of plastic surgery in order to avoid capture - but, in perhaps the most uproarious scene of the entire film, the doctor discovers his son's corpse in the gangster's kitchen, without so much as a reaction, and decides to turn the tables on him. While not unpredictable, I must say that the twist ending works...but, unfortunately, the TV reception got screwed up during the last few minutes of the film, so I missed out on some of the details!
By the way, the younger of two cops who tail Rawlison's son throughout the film is none other than future peplum icon Steve Reeves in his film debut - and he looks as uncomfortable in a suit and tie as Chuck Heston!!
"You know that gun is jail bait!"
El-Stumpo1 November 2007
Jail Bait (1954) is Ed's second feature, a brave attempt at creating a straight noir-ish thriller on less than a shoestring budget. What we do get is ludicrous tough guy dialog like "You're a dumb dame!" delivered with deadpan (or is it bedpan?) earnestness.
Dolores Fuller follows up her lead role in Glen Or Glenda as Marilyn, a respectable girl from a respectable family who bails out her delinquent and less-than-respectable brother Don for firearms possession. Don, it seems, is up to his eyeballs in trouble, and is mixed up with tin-pot gangster Vic Brady (Timothy Farrell, also in the Ed-scripted The Violent Years). Marilyn pleads with her brother to give up his life of crime - "You know that gun is jail bait" she says but to no avail. Brady talks Don into robbing the payroll from a nearby theater, but things go horribly wrong Don shoots the aging security guard and retired policeman, and unknowingly winds the secretary who later identifies the two as Cop Killers. Don admits to his trusting aging father he's killed a man, and dear old dad reluctantly decides to help him; Vic, meanwhile, blackmails the father, who just happens to be a "world famous plastic surgeon", into grafting him a new face. It all turns out horribly of course in an outrageous ending that Ed cribbed from a 30s potboiler, but ultimately makes it all Wood.
On the trail of the cop killers is dependable Ed Wood regular Lyle Talbot (Glen Or Glenda, Plan 9 ) as Inspector Johns, and a surprise early appearance by bodybuilder and future Hercules star Steve Reeves as his Lieutenant. To say Steve's performance is wooden is unfair let's just say he looks like he's carved out of a Dutch Elm. Ed gave Steve a somewhat gratuitous not to mention slightly homo-erotic scene, laboriously putting on a shirt and jacket in front of the Inspector. According to Dolores, it took Steve 27 takes to tie that tie. Steve's choice scene with Dolores is even more painful their strained on-screen exchange is like watching two pained cows chewing their cud.
Herbert Rawlinson, a veteran star of the silent era, plays the father Dr Gregor. According to Ed, Herbert passed away the morning after his final scene was shot from lung cancer. Which means, as he's wheezing through Ed's convoluted dialog, we're listening to him literally taking his last breaths. Creepy.
At one point Brady's moll says to Dolores: "Take a look at this place, sweetheart. Does this stuff look cheap to you?" Well, sweetheart, it does. It's a lesser film by Ed, for sure, and the whole production screams "poverty"; for some salacious padding, Ed even spliced in a burlesque sequence from another feature "Yes Sir, Mr Bones" by Z film specialist Ron Ormond (who, by no coincidence, was Bela Lugosi's neighbor). And the muzak! The same "suspenseful" flamenco guitar line! It may drive you to a life of crime, if you're not there already, as we go cruising the streets of 1950s LA looking for Jail Bait.
Dolores Fuller follows up her lead role in Glen Or Glenda as Marilyn, a respectable girl from a respectable family who bails out her delinquent and less-than-respectable brother Don for firearms possession. Don, it seems, is up to his eyeballs in trouble, and is mixed up with tin-pot gangster Vic Brady (Timothy Farrell, also in the Ed-scripted The Violent Years). Marilyn pleads with her brother to give up his life of crime - "You know that gun is jail bait" she says but to no avail. Brady talks Don into robbing the payroll from a nearby theater, but things go horribly wrong Don shoots the aging security guard and retired policeman, and unknowingly winds the secretary who later identifies the two as Cop Killers. Don admits to his trusting aging father he's killed a man, and dear old dad reluctantly decides to help him; Vic, meanwhile, blackmails the father, who just happens to be a "world famous plastic surgeon", into grafting him a new face. It all turns out horribly of course in an outrageous ending that Ed cribbed from a 30s potboiler, but ultimately makes it all Wood.
On the trail of the cop killers is dependable Ed Wood regular Lyle Talbot (Glen Or Glenda, Plan 9 ) as Inspector Johns, and a surprise early appearance by bodybuilder and future Hercules star Steve Reeves as his Lieutenant. To say Steve's performance is wooden is unfair let's just say he looks like he's carved out of a Dutch Elm. Ed gave Steve a somewhat gratuitous not to mention slightly homo-erotic scene, laboriously putting on a shirt and jacket in front of the Inspector. According to Dolores, it took Steve 27 takes to tie that tie. Steve's choice scene with Dolores is even more painful their strained on-screen exchange is like watching two pained cows chewing their cud.
Herbert Rawlinson, a veteran star of the silent era, plays the father Dr Gregor. According to Ed, Herbert passed away the morning after his final scene was shot from lung cancer. Which means, as he's wheezing through Ed's convoluted dialog, we're listening to him literally taking his last breaths. Creepy.
At one point Brady's moll says to Dolores: "Take a look at this place, sweetheart. Does this stuff look cheap to you?" Well, sweetheart, it does. It's a lesser film by Ed, for sure, and the whole production screams "poverty"; for some salacious padding, Ed even spliced in a burlesque sequence from another feature "Yes Sir, Mr Bones" by Z film specialist Ron Ormond (who, by no coincidence, was Bela Lugosi's neighbor). And the muzak! The same "suspenseful" flamenco guitar line! It may drive you to a life of crime, if you're not there already, as we go cruising the streets of 1950s LA looking for Jail Bait.
No minor girls
bkoganbing27 November 2016
First off I have to say that Jail Bait wasn't what I expected. Given its title I thought Jail Bait would be about the evils of having sex with minors. It certainly would have been in the Ed Wood tradition. But the Jail Bait here is the weapon that our protagonist Clancy Malone was carrying.
Malone is an irresponsible young punk, son of Dr. Herbert Rawlinson who likes hanging out with hoods like Timothy Farrell. He's already been picked up for gun possession and he's the cause of grief for Rawlinson and sister Dolores Fuller.
But one night Malone and Farrell pull a stickup at a theater and retired cop Bud Osborne is killed who is employed as a night watchman. The police in the people of Lyle Talbot and Steve Reeves investigate this one like Osborne was still on active duty.
This is as far as I go, the film takes some bizarre twists that only the mind of an Ed Wood could conceive.
When I say Steve Reeves that is indeed the original Hercules. And of course Ed Wood had him take his shirt off. He bulked up a bit in the 4 years since for the Hercules role.
As usual Wood shoots a most economical film. Players like Lyle Talbot, Herbert Rawlinson, and Bud Osborne who've got an impressive list of credits looked pained beyond belief. I'd love to know how Talbot got associated with Wood. Rawlinson died right after completing his part. He looks very ill in his scenes.
Jail Bait is an Ed Wood project through and through.
Malone is an irresponsible young punk, son of Dr. Herbert Rawlinson who likes hanging out with hoods like Timothy Farrell. He's already been picked up for gun possession and he's the cause of grief for Rawlinson and sister Dolores Fuller.
But one night Malone and Farrell pull a stickup at a theater and retired cop Bud Osborne is killed who is employed as a night watchman. The police in the people of Lyle Talbot and Steve Reeves investigate this one like Osborne was still on active duty.
This is as far as I go, the film takes some bizarre twists that only the mind of an Ed Wood could conceive.
When I say Steve Reeves that is indeed the original Hercules. And of course Ed Wood had him take his shirt off. He bulked up a bit in the 4 years since for the Hercules role.
As usual Wood shoots a most economical film. Players like Lyle Talbot, Herbert Rawlinson, and Bud Osborne who've got an impressive list of credits looked pained beyond belief. I'd love to know how Talbot got associated with Wood. Rawlinson died right after completing his part. He looks very ill in his scenes.
Jail Bait is an Ed Wood project through and through.
Great fun.
chocho-327 August 1999
People who criticize this picture and its director are missing the point. The movie is the equivalent of a badly produced school play. And that's just the point, the parents who go to see a school play do not go for the acting, directing or any other professional artistic endeavor but for the pure enjoyment of seeing their loved ones on stage. Ed Woods was in love with the movies and no matter what people thought about him and his films he just got pure enjoyment out of making them; and that after all is what entertainment is all about.
Really terrible, but difficult not to be entertained by it
TheLittleSongbird8 May 2013
None of Ed Wood Jnr's movies are not what I deem great, however I also don't consider any of them among the worst movies of all time or him the worst director. There are better written, made and acted movies out there, but no matter how bad they are they are kind of like guilty pleasures. I do prefer Plan 9 from Outer Space, Bride of the Monster and Glen and Glenda over Jail Bait, but Jail Bait is at least better than Night of the Ghouls, Orgy of the Dead and especially The Sinister Urge. That is my opinion of course. The ending is huge fun, obvious but it does have to be seen to be believed. Jail Bait while having a lot of continuity errors is also one of Wood's better-looking movies, the camera work is not as static and the sets not as wobbly. There is much that is really terrible though, especially the music which is very repetitive and cheesy, it also gets far too much very quickly. The dialogue is truly horrendous as well, though I admit I did bust a gut from laughing at some of the howlers. The story is thankfully more coherent than the likes of Orgy of the Dead and also not as deadly dull as The Sinister Urge, however it is rather sluggish and often illogical, the ending is the highlight and where things really liven up. The acting is really amateurish as well, the best is Herbert Rawlinson while the rest are as stiff as a robot. Steve Reeves does have sex appeal, but it doesn't disguise his very bland acting or that his shirtless scene felt out of place. In conclusion, terrible but somewhat entertaining. Even more entertaining actually is the facts behind the movie, they make for a fascinating read. 3/10 Bethany Cox
Nasty things, these shootings.
JoshSpurling7 April 2007
Two "hold-up boys," Don Gregor and Vic Brady, get caught in the act, and Gregor is forced to shoot an ex-police officer. Brady plays it cool, but Gregor insists that they turn themselves in. "We're cop killers. They don't like that," Gregor explains. Brady shoots him and hides his body behind a curtain in his kitchen.
Wishing to disappear to escape the police, Brady enlists the help of Gregor's father, a plastic surgeon who admits, "Plastic surgery, at times, seems to me to be very, VERY complicated." The surgeon shows up to give Brady his new face, but when he finds his son's dead body STANDING(???) behind a curtain in the kitchen, he decides to have a little fun with Brady instead. Two weeks later, Brady's bandages come off, and he's horrified to find whose face is underneath.
"Jail Bait," Ed Wood's attempt at gangster film noir, is unintentionally silly, ludicrous, and terribly enjoyable. And despite what Wade Williams says on the back of the DVD, the script is far from clever. Other highlights include: an embarrassing racist Vaudeville act(some versions replace this scene with a striptease show because it's apparently less offensive to degrade women as it is to degrade blacks) laughably inappropriate Spanish guitar score, and Dolores Fuller who is possibly the worst actress in history.
Wishing to disappear to escape the police, Brady enlists the help of Gregor's father, a plastic surgeon who admits, "Plastic surgery, at times, seems to me to be very, VERY complicated." The surgeon shows up to give Brady his new face, but when he finds his son's dead body STANDING(???) behind a curtain in the kitchen, he decides to have a little fun with Brady instead. Two weeks later, Brady's bandages come off, and he's horrified to find whose face is underneath.
"Jail Bait," Ed Wood's attempt at gangster film noir, is unintentionally silly, ludicrous, and terribly enjoyable. And despite what Wade Williams says on the back of the DVD, the script is far from clever. Other highlights include: an embarrassing racist Vaudeville act(some versions replace this scene with a striptease show because it's apparently less offensive to degrade women as it is to degrade blacks) laughably inappropriate Spanish guitar score, and Dolores Fuller who is possibly the worst actress in history.
Not that bad...
Thorsten-Krings27 March 2007
After having watched "Jesse James meets Frankenstein's Daughter" I have to reevaluate Wood's classification as the worst director of all times. To be fair: the story is decent, has a nice twist at the end but it's just to long. It actually would have made a pretty good 40-50 minutes TV film. The acting is just about okay but for Ed Wood it's the pinnacle of Thespian art. It's all surprisingly normal, not even funny. But the soundtrack is positively weird, a Spanish guitar soloist, playing the same tune throughout the film. And you get the occasional actor bumping into doors. However, given the fact that Ed had no previous experience, I have to say that the film actually does show some promise. So it's interesting to watch, 15 minutes shorter and it would be a reasonably good b-movie.
An enjoyable two-cent attempt at film noir trash by the infamous Ed Wood
Woodyanders2 December 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Meek aspiring criminal Don Gregor (a hysterically twitchy portrayal Clancy Moore) gets drawn into the seedy underworld of gangland crime by no-count hoodlum Vic Brady (a pleasingly slimy turn by Timothy Farrell). After Don accidentally shoots a cop during a bungled hold-up, he finds himself in deep trouble that not even his rich and illustrious plastic surgeon father Dr. Gregor (played with surprising dignity by Herbert Rawlinson) can get him out of. Writer/director Ed Wood's typically cheap and clumsy foray into film noir shows a bit more competence than usual (William C. Thompson's stark black and white cinematography makes nifty occasional use of fades and wipes), but nonetheless is still silly and laughable enough to size up as an amusingly inane piece of schlock. For example, the characteristically overripe dialogue boasts a few choice hard-boiled howlers (sample line: "I don't like dead men cluttering up my place"). The ratty sets and lurid back alley locations add to the pervasively tawdry atmosphere. The hit-or-miss acting is likewise a lot of fun: Lyle Talbot does well as no-nonsense Inspector Johns, lovely blonde Dolores Fuller ain't half bad as Don's concerned girlfriend Marilyn Cooper, and legendary muscleman Steve Reeves in his less-than-sterling film debut as Johns' hopelessly stolid partner Lt. Bob Lawrence gives a performance that's so incredibly stiff and wooden you could use it as an ironing board (Steve even goes shirtless once to show off his admittedly impressive six-pack for no real credible reason as well!). Wood handles the sporadic action with his customary ineptitude; the climactic shoot-out in particular is uproariously fumbled. As a nice added bonus a voluptuous showgirl struts her sizzling sexy stuff on stage in a nightclub. Best of all, there's a wildly inappropriate score with a pounding piano and jittery flamenco guitar blaring away constantly throughout the whole picture. A total crummy riot.
DANGER!..These Girls are Hot!
eifert10 October 2004
First of all, let me say that the title Jail Bait has to do with a gun and not under-age sex. This is one of Ed Wood's classics. Yes, it's horrible and the movie is so cheap it's funny. However, it's not as "good" as Plan 9.
Things to watch for:
The doctor's office. His desk is huge. When ever anyone wants to sit down, the have to squeeze between a plant and chair.
The music - it's horrible and ALWAYS playing. Even when someones parking a car the suspenseful guitar music begins strumming.
The doc performs plastic surgery in a guys living room! On his couch! At gun point!
Steve Reeves first movie - he takes his shirt off to prove it's him.
Worth the rental. The scenes in the theater (with the exception of a horrible and really kind of shocking black-face act thrown in for no reason at all) made me laugh out loud.
Things to watch for:
The doctor's office. His desk is huge. When ever anyone wants to sit down, the have to squeeze between a plant and chair.
The music - it's horrible and ALWAYS playing. Even when someones parking a car the suspenseful guitar music begins strumming.
The doc performs plastic surgery in a guys living room! On his couch! At gun point!
Steve Reeves first movie - he takes his shirt off to prove it's him.
Worth the rental. The scenes in the theater (with the exception of a horrible and really kind of shocking black-face act thrown in for no reason at all) made me laugh out loud.
Film Noir Ed Wood style
W.P.30 July 1999
Ed Wood is mostly known for his complete ineptness behind (and in front of) the camera in such "bad" film "classics" as "Glen or Glenda" "Bride of the Monster" and "Plan 9 From Outer Space." However, Wood's brief foray into film noir, "Jail Bait", is notable for a few reasons. The first and foremost of which is that it was the first screen appearance of the legendary muscle man Steve Reeves, who was later immortalized in the "Hercules" pictures. "Jail Bait" is a somewhat misleading title, as it is a phrase that usually refers to women who are trouble, more specifically, underaged women who are trouble. In this film that simply isn't the case - the "jail bait" is more the main character's fascination with the underworld. The Rhino Video release of this film is labeled the "director's cut" because it features a short burlesque striptease segment in the place of the original segment which featured a comedian in blackface. Unfortunately, the edit is so poorly executed that it becomes painfully obvious that this "director's cut" was most likely made by the owner of the copyright. The film is just as inept as most of Ed Wood's films, though it is a little more intriguing, as it is set in a less "fictional" environment and features attempts, late in the running time, at plot twists. Plus, lovely international model Theadora Thurman plays the femme fatale (though she's a terrible actress). A necessary rental for Ed Wood or "bad movie" fans, and possibly an educational video on how NOT to do film noir.
Silly Movie About Stupid Gangsters
hrkepler4 June 2018
'Jail Bait' is somewhat lesser known Ed Wood 's movie. Probably because it is slightly better than his most famous works. The dialogue is ridiculously written and actors chewing themselves through the silly lines thus destroying acting with every scene. Weird jump cuts in an inappropriate moments that doesn't add anything to scene but just demolishing the flow of it. 'Jail Bait' has much more coherent story line and consistent script than we are used from Ed Wood movie. That can be associated to co-writer Alex Gordon (who also produced couple of Roger Corman's movies). Thanks to tight writing 'Jail Bait' is more serious in tone and offers less unintentional comedy and as that it just stays a badly made film-noir, but stands as 'best' film directed by infamous Ed Wood.
The film's score with its pseudo flamenco guitar and obnoxious piano pounding takes off lot of tension from several scenes and adds some weird atmosphere to the movie. The mood of otherworldly is enhanced by that, that all the action takes place at night time and we see California without sunshine - dark and murky place instead of bright scenery we are used to.
'Jail Bait' has its charm and it is entertaining to watch wooden actors sleepwalking through bad dialogue and unbelievable procedures (plastic surgery done on the living room sofa without almost no medical equipment). The viewer also gets awarded with nice ending twist. Not quite Ed Wood at his best, but more at his 'best'.
The film's score with its pseudo flamenco guitar and obnoxious piano pounding takes off lot of tension from several scenes and adds some weird atmosphere to the movie. The mood of otherworldly is enhanced by that, that all the action takes place at night time and we see California without sunshine - dark and murky place instead of bright scenery we are used to.
'Jail Bait' has its charm and it is entertaining to watch wooden actors sleepwalking through bad dialogue and unbelievable procedures (plastic surgery done on the living room sofa without almost no medical equipment). The viewer also gets awarded with nice ending twist. Not quite Ed Wood at his best, but more at his 'best'.
Don't take the bait.
st-shot16 October 2020
Those in search of Jeff Epstein hijinks will be sorely disappointed by this standard Ed Woods Jr. travesty in which the "bait" is not a high schooler but a gun. Displaying the same sloppy, barely coherent style to be found in all of his work the title hook is the sharpest thing about this movie.
Donny Gregor is the spoiled punk son of a famed plastic surgeon. Instead of admiring his father he's influenced by unctuous thug Vin Brady who is leading Gregor down a felonious path of destruction. A less than titanic struggle ensues between Brady and Gregor's father and sister in which the boy's survival hinges.
Auteur of awful Woods needs to be approached in a different way than other directors. Having helmed what many reviewers have called the worst film of all time (Plan 9 from Outer Space), you settle in for a display of bad acting, poor editing and end to end mess en scene. Piling absurdity upon absurdity the entertainment is in witnessing the audacity of Woods pasting all this inanity together and selling it to the public. In it's own way Jail Bait does not disappoint in the least.
Donny Gregor is the spoiled punk son of a famed plastic surgeon. Instead of admiring his father he's influenced by unctuous thug Vin Brady who is leading Gregor down a felonious path of destruction. A less than titanic struggle ensues between Brady and Gregor's father and sister in which the boy's survival hinges.
Auteur of awful Woods needs to be approached in a different way than other directors. Having helmed what many reviewers have called the worst film of all time (Plan 9 from Outer Space), you settle in for a display of bad acting, poor editing and end to end mess en scene. Piling absurdity upon absurdity the entertainment is in witnessing the audacity of Woods pasting all this inanity together and selling it to the public. In it's own way Jail Bait does not disappoint in the least.
Mourning Wood
NoDakTatum3 October 2023
Yes, yes, yes, Ed Wood made movies that were "so bad, they're good." Well, not being a believer in this mantra, I watched this so I could have it out with the spirit of Ed once and for all. The basic plot for this film reads like a rejected Rod Serling script idea. Poor misguided Don (Clancy Malone) is bailed out of jail by his sister Marilyn (Dolores Fuller). Their father is the world famous plastic surgeon Dr. Gregor (Herbert Rawlinson). Cops Johns (Lyle Talbot) and Lawrence (Steve Reeves) try to convince Gregor that his son is up to no good. Don confirms this by robbing a theatre with his mentor in crime Vic (Timothy Farrell). Don kills a night watchman, and Vic wounds a secretary, who later identifies them. Don wants to give himself up, but Vic has other plans.
I will never understand the worship of Ed Wood. His films were out-and-out lousy, whether he was a wide eyed neophyte in Hollywood or a cross-dressing talentless drunk. The entire cast is bad. Wood's script is laughable despite a half-decent idea. He lets entire subplots come and go (the newspaper reporter), and has no concept about basics like camera placement or story. The title is a misnomer, the jail bait referred to is not a girl, but a gun. Somehow, "Jail Bait" got made. It is truly terrible, and the mere vomiting forth of a bad film like this can no longer justify its existence or serve as an excuse to like it. Ed, you were one awful film maker.
I will never understand the worship of Ed Wood. His films were out-and-out lousy, whether he was a wide eyed neophyte in Hollywood or a cross-dressing talentless drunk. The entire cast is bad. Wood's script is laughable despite a half-decent idea. He lets entire subplots come and go (the newspaper reporter), and has no concept about basics like camera placement or story. The title is a misnomer, the jail bait referred to is not a girl, but a gun. Somehow, "Jail Bait" got made. It is truly terrible, and the mere vomiting forth of a bad film like this can no longer justify its existence or serve as an excuse to like it. Ed, you were one awful film maker.
Ed Wood's most "complete" film.
ninjacatcyrus10 July 2010
This film occupies the difficult middle ground between the "Ed Wood" style of film making and just mediocre film making. It's definitely his best work (although that's not saying much). There's a coherent, if simple, plot, and Wood even goes in for a (predictable) twist ending. The acting is what you would expect from an Ed Wood movie, the music is stock (and terrible and repetitive), and the direction is poor, however it's the plot of this movie that sets it apart from his other films. This plot is coherent, and actually makes sense. Unfortunately, this is not quite enough to save this film. In the end, this films quality proved its undoing: it's not good enough to enjoy for its own merit, but it's not really bad enough to laugh at either. However, anyone with any interest in Ed Wood should watch it, just to see what he is capable of.
Ed Wood: Racist?
Lord_Kingsley20 February 2006
Many times, if I'm watching an Ed Wood movie and something inexplicable comes across the screen, I can usually take a deep breath and say to myself, "Well, at least I can see what he's *trying* to say." But when I was bludgeoned with an old Vaudvillian sketch in the middle of "Jail Bait" for seemingly no reason, I was speechless. This little nugget of racism, complete with Old-Tyme-White-Guy-In-Blackface-Talking-Like-A-Retarded-Bill-Cosby, took me completely by surprise. As if that weren't enough, he ends the bit by doing a shuffling Uncle Tom-ish song and dance number while wiggling a cigar up and down in his mouth in a very disturbing manner. Finally, I had seen something in and Ed Wood movie that I couldn't explain.
This scene is probably a good reason this film never ended up on MST3K. Though I must say that if it were cut from the film, it wouldn't change anything at all, except the audience would only have its intelligence insulted. Now, I'm not saying Ed Wood was a racist, but this scene does make it hard to recommend this movie to friends. Even those who enjoy bad movies.
This scene is probably a good reason this film never ended up on MST3K. Though I must say that if it were cut from the film, it wouldn't change anything at all, except the audience would only have its intelligence insulted. Now, I'm not saying Ed Wood was a racist, but this scene does make it hard to recommend this movie to friends. Even those who enjoy bad movies.
Actually bad in a non-camp redeemable way
Polaris_DiB23 April 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Ed Wood movies are bad. This is an indisputable fact recognized by his fans and detractors, that is both the reason why people want to watch his movies and the reason they're worth watching at all. Ed Wood movies are the very definition of camp, a style of humor that involves laughing at the incompetence of the movie itself more so than anything intentionally developed within the plot.
The thing is, though, camp is fun due to being goofy and weird, but what really makes camp work is the outrageous things that filmmakers will sometimes do, things that make the audience state out loud, "WHAT were they thinking?!" Maybe that exclamation can come up a few times in this film. After all, the characters were more unbelievable than Gigli and the dialog was worse than From Justin to Kelly. But...
The problem with Ed Wood's Jail Bait is, though it's just as technically incompetent, terribly realized, and flatly stated as all his other works, it's also incredibly, obnoxiously, and drudgingly dull. Somehow, somewhere, Wood was able to conjure up a decent lighting technician and cinematographer. He was able to get a score that, though poorly done in its own way, at least knew which chords to strike to create suspense. And he even got a few people who TRIED to act! But in Jail Bait, all of it is for naught as literally the minutes tick by with hardly a single moment of inspiration or campy outrageousness to keep our interest--Jail Bait manages the sin of being bad, but it doesn't make up for it because it's boring! After about an hour of pointlessness and the worst styles of flat acting, finally a moment of pay off arrives during the "unveiling", so to speak. During this one moment, Ed Wood finally seems to learn something about reserve and the ability to build anticipation with off-screen space. For one tiny, little, understated moment, it seems like this movie might just have something redeemable in it.
And then it doesn't. The swan song that is the character's demise is the swan song of the movie, one of the most incompetent renderings of justice ever put onto celluloid. But that would be fine, if it were hi-lar-ious crazy. Instead, the true problem is that Ed Wood's denouement is even more boring than the rest of the proceedings. Sad, sad, sad.
--PolarisDiB
The thing is, though, camp is fun due to being goofy and weird, but what really makes camp work is the outrageous things that filmmakers will sometimes do, things that make the audience state out loud, "WHAT were they thinking?!" Maybe that exclamation can come up a few times in this film. After all, the characters were more unbelievable than Gigli and the dialog was worse than From Justin to Kelly. But...
The problem with Ed Wood's Jail Bait is, though it's just as technically incompetent, terribly realized, and flatly stated as all his other works, it's also incredibly, obnoxiously, and drudgingly dull. Somehow, somewhere, Wood was able to conjure up a decent lighting technician and cinematographer. He was able to get a score that, though poorly done in its own way, at least knew which chords to strike to create suspense. And he even got a few people who TRIED to act! But in Jail Bait, all of it is for naught as literally the minutes tick by with hardly a single moment of inspiration or campy outrageousness to keep our interest--Jail Bait manages the sin of being bad, but it doesn't make up for it because it's boring! After about an hour of pointlessness and the worst styles of flat acting, finally a moment of pay off arrives during the "unveiling", so to speak. During this one moment, Ed Wood finally seems to learn something about reserve and the ability to build anticipation with off-screen space. For one tiny, little, understated moment, it seems like this movie might just have something redeemable in it.
And then it doesn't. The swan song that is the character's demise is the swan song of the movie, one of the most incompetent renderings of justice ever put onto celluloid. But that would be fine, if it were hi-lar-ious crazy. Instead, the true problem is that Ed Wood's denouement is even more boring than the rest of the proceedings. Sad, sad, sad.
--PolarisDiB
A true face off...
yonhope11 June 2005
Hi, Everyone, So you need a new face and you know a guy who has a little black bag... Before we analyze whether this movie is great or just really good, let's mention Herbert Rawlinson who plays the Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Gregor. He does a good job here. He is in the 1954 movie looking quite healthy. He died in 1953 of lung cancer. He was born in 1885. He was 68 but he looked more like 58. Not only was this movie released after his death, but there were some movies released in 1966, 13 years after his death, in which he was credited with an acting role. Check his page here at IMDb and you will see one of the longest lists of movie credits ever to exist anywhere.
With him in this film we see a young, sexy Steve Reeves showing his tummy in one shirtless scene. Steve does an OK job with little dialog. It is obvious in his scenes he is too good looking to be just a minor player. He, of course, became much better known just shortly after this movie was released when he appeared in his Hercules movies as the top dog.
The sets are decorated by what would now seem to be 99 Cent Store motif. The opening credits mention who supplied the "Knitwear," "Ladies' Suits," "Dresses," "Lingerie" and the locations which included the Monterey Theatre in Monterey Park, Ca. and The Hunter Inn in Temple City, Ca. Today's product placement units would be hard pressed to do a better job.
The plot line is excellent. The acting is not good, but fun to watch. This movie beats anything Hollywood is now offering. The focus here is on the criminal and his desire to beat the rap and also the cop who is going to bring the offender to justice. The police drive 1954 Nash sedans. There is also a Rambler convertible and a 1951 Chevy that are featured.
The swimming pool scene at the end could be used to lead into a second feature of "Sunset Blvd." which seems to start where this one ends. It would have been fun to have watched Steve Reeves at this age playing in Sunset Blvd. opposite Gloria Swanson. Not that Bill Holden wasn't good, just that Steve looked like a boytoy at the time and it would have been a daring casting choice.
Ed Wood understood what was needed in a movie. He did not waste a lot of money just to get his scenes. He had the co-operation of several police departments in Southern California when he made this. They are also credited and my guess is they are actually used in many scenes as extras and one liner actors.
If you want great sound and color and big names, this ain't it. If you want to have a movie that has a little historical significance try this one. It is safe for all ages if you don't mind lots of gunfire.
Tom Willett
With him in this film we see a young, sexy Steve Reeves showing his tummy in one shirtless scene. Steve does an OK job with little dialog. It is obvious in his scenes he is too good looking to be just a minor player. He, of course, became much better known just shortly after this movie was released when he appeared in his Hercules movies as the top dog.
The sets are decorated by what would now seem to be 99 Cent Store motif. The opening credits mention who supplied the "Knitwear," "Ladies' Suits," "Dresses," "Lingerie" and the locations which included the Monterey Theatre in Monterey Park, Ca. and The Hunter Inn in Temple City, Ca. Today's product placement units would be hard pressed to do a better job.
The plot line is excellent. The acting is not good, but fun to watch. This movie beats anything Hollywood is now offering. The focus here is on the criminal and his desire to beat the rap and also the cop who is going to bring the offender to justice. The police drive 1954 Nash sedans. There is also a Rambler convertible and a 1951 Chevy that are featured.
The swimming pool scene at the end could be used to lead into a second feature of "Sunset Blvd." which seems to start where this one ends. It would have been fun to have watched Steve Reeves at this age playing in Sunset Blvd. opposite Gloria Swanson. Not that Bill Holden wasn't good, just that Steve looked like a boytoy at the time and it would have been a daring casting choice.
Ed Wood understood what was needed in a movie. He did not waste a lot of money just to get his scenes. He had the co-operation of several police departments in Southern California when he made this. They are also credited and my guess is they are actually used in many scenes as extras and one liner actors.
If you want great sound and color and big names, this ain't it. If you want to have a movie that has a little historical significance try this one. It is safe for all ages if you don't mind lots of gunfire.
Tom Willett
Yeah it's terrible but I enjoyed it
preppy-32 August 2006
Muddled mess about a gangster drawing a nice young kid into a life of crime. His family and the police try to help him to no avail. Then he kills a cop and things really go crazy. The ending is so bad and ridiculous that I loved it!
I saw this at a theatre years ago on a twin bill with "Plan 9 from Outer Space". This is even worse than "Plan 9" but also funnier! This one has a more coherent story and (for a Wood film) some high production values. The acting is terrible--the worst are Dolores Fuller, Lyle Talbot and Steve Reeves (yes THAT Steve Reeves). The dialogue is terrible (no surprise) but it's quite amusing to see this talentless cast sputter out some truly stupid lines. By the end of the film the audience I saw it with was laughing and yelling back at the screen! There were two big reactions in my audience--when Steve Reeves is shown with his shirt off (VERY impressive) there were wolf whistles from guys and girls, and when someone was rolling on the ground near a pool the audience was saying (in seconds), "Fall into the pool!" They were not disappointed and everybody burst into applause!
I actually think this is one of the best bad/good films Wood ever did. It's a textbook example of how NOT to do a movie but it's still a lot of fun! I give it a 7. Oh yes--the title has no bearing in the film whatsoever!
I saw this at a theatre years ago on a twin bill with "Plan 9 from Outer Space". This is even worse than "Plan 9" but also funnier! This one has a more coherent story and (for a Wood film) some high production values. The acting is terrible--the worst are Dolores Fuller, Lyle Talbot and Steve Reeves (yes THAT Steve Reeves). The dialogue is terrible (no surprise) but it's quite amusing to see this talentless cast sputter out some truly stupid lines. By the end of the film the audience I saw it with was laughing and yelling back at the screen! There were two big reactions in my audience--when Steve Reeves is shown with his shirt off (VERY impressive) there were wolf whistles from guys and girls, and when someone was rolling on the ground near a pool the audience was saying (in seconds), "Fall into the pool!" They were not disappointed and everybody burst into applause!
I actually think this is one of the best bad/good films Wood ever did. It's a textbook example of how NOT to do a movie but it's still a lot of fun! I give it a 7. Oh yes--the title has no bearing in the film whatsoever!
No. Jail Bait's Not About That Kind Of "Jail Bait"!
strong-122-4788852 April 2015
Yes. 1954's "Jail Bait" (with its cardboard sets, its poverty-row production values, its cheap atmosphere, etc., etc.) is a perfect example of cinematic ineptitude like no other - But, hey, that's because it's an Ed Wood picture (which, pretty much, explains everything). And being an Ed Wood production, I don't think that it could (or should) be any other way.
Apparently inspired by the TV show "Dragnet", within the first 10 minutes of Jail Bait's dry and clumsy story of murder, robbery and plastic surgery miracles, you'll be glad to know that this film's running time is only a mere 70 minutes. So having to endure the unbearable is over soon enough.
One notable detail about Jail Bait is that it co-starred the 28-year-old "Mr. Universe", bodybuilder Steve Reeves, as Lt. Bob Lawrence, in one of his first screen-roles. 4 years later Reeves would go on to star as Hercules and instantly become one of filmdom's most famous bronzed gods.
All-in-all - Regardless of this film's low, 3-star rating (which is all it deserves), I still think it's worth a view purely from a nostalgic standpoint.
Apparently inspired by the TV show "Dragnet", within the first 10 minutes of Jail Bait's dry and clumsy story of murder, robbery and plastic surgery miracles, you'll be glad to know that this film's running time is only a mere 70 minutes. So having to endure the unbearable is over soon enough.
One notable detail about Jail Bait is that it co-starred the 28-year-old "Mr. Universe", bodybuilder Steve Reeves, as Lt. Bob Lawrence, in one of his first screen-roles. 4 years later Reeves would go on to star as Hercules and instantly become one of filmdom's most famous bronzed gods.
All-in-all - Regardless of this film's low, 3-star rating (which is all it deserves), I still think it's worth a view purely from a nostalgic standpoint.
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