Rating: NR
Genre:
Thriller
Release Date: 02/15/2000
Sound: 1/5.1
Run Time: 71 Minutes
Flags: Mild Violence, Questionable for Children
Distributor/Studio: Image Entertainment
Jail Bait was the place where
Edward D. Wood Jr.'s career as a director entered the mainstream. Having exposed the world of transvestism in
Glen or Glenda, he now turned to less ambitious fare in an effort at commercial success. Loosely patterned after the television series
Dragnet,
Jail Bait tells the story of
Don Gregor (
Clancey Malone), the spoiled, arrogant son of a successful plastic surgeon (
Herbert Rawlinson), who is out for some kicks and excitement and hooks up with
Vic Brady (
Timothy Farrell), a career criminal. Opening with
Don's arrest for illegal possession of a pistol, the film tracks his interaction with a pair of detectives (
Lyle Talbot,
Steve Reeves); his deceiving of his sister (
Dolores Fuller) and his father; the robbery that goes wrong and leads him to murder an ex-cop; and his attempt to go straight, which gets him killed. That action, and
Brady's attempt to force
Dr. Gregor to alter his face, leads to a bizarre revenge that makes up the final 15 minutes of the movie. Little of this plot is unfolded skillfully --
Wood was already out of his depth in directing actors -- but having access to
Howco's finances (meager as they were) and facilities gives
Jail Bait a slightly smoother, less emaciated look than most of
Wood's later movies. Coupled with the fact that he was trying to do a straight
crime film, and the resulting restraint he showed in the writing,
Jail Bait can just about "pass" as a normal, albeit very low-budget film, although, as with all of
Wood's movies, there is still an unintended laugh every minute or so. And just to show how close to the edge
Wood was working even at the outset of his career, in terms of using marginal talent, neophyte performers, and one-time successful actors,
Bela Lugosi was
not the first leading actor in a
Wood movie to die during production -- that distinction went to
Herbert Rawlinson, who played
Dr. Gregor here. The former silent-era leading man reportedly died the night after he finished shooting his role in
Jail Bait.
~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
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