Jail Bait (1954 film)
| Jail Bait | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Ed Wood |
| Written by | Alex Gordon Ed Wood |
| Produced by | Ed Wood |
| Starring | Timothy Farrell Dolores Fuller Clancy Malone Herbert Rawlinson Steve Reeves Lyle Talbot |
| Cinematography | William C. Thompson |
| Edited by | Charles Clement Igo Kantor |
| Music by | Hoyt Curtin (as Hoyt Kurtain) |
| Distributed by | Howco Productions Inc Something Weird Video |
Release date | May 12, 1954 |
Running time | 72 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | US$22,000 (adjusted by inflation: $249,606) |
Jail Bait (also known as Hidden Face) is a 1954 American crime film directed by Ed Wood, with a screenplay by Wood and Alex Gordon. The film stars Timothy Farrell as a gangster who undergoes plastic surgery to elude the police. Famed bodybuilder Steve Reeves made his first screen appearance in the film.
Plot
Don Gregor (Clancy Malone), the son of a plastic surgeon, is jailed by the police for carrying an unlicensed handgun. Inspector Johns (Lyle Talbot) and Lt. Lawrence (Steve Reeves) suspect he is an associate of gangster Vic Brady (Timothy Farrell). Don’s sister Marilyn (Dolores Fuller) bails her brother out of jail, and the siblings agree to keep their father uninformed about Don’s indiscretions. While Dr. Gregor (Herbert Rawlinson) is aware of his son’s secret life, he believes Don is a good person and that everything will “straighten itself out nicely.”
Brady plans to rob a theater. Don is reluctant to become involved but is bullied into participating by Brady. During the robbery, Don kills a night watchman (Bud Osborne) and Brady wounds the theater’s bookkeeper (Mona McKinnon). The two crooks get away with the theater’s payroll, but Brady senses Don is having second thoughts about his involvement. Fearing Don will turn himself in to the police, Brady kills him and stuffs his body into a closet.
In order to elude the police, Brady decides to undergo plastic surgery. He contacts Dr. Gregor, telling him he is holding his son hostage until plastic surgery is completed. Dr. Gregor begins the surgery in Brady's apartment, but discovers his son’s corpse in the closet. He controls himself, and completes the surgery. Two weeks later, Brady's bandages are removed and, to everyone‘s horror and amazement, Brady’s facial features resemble those of Don's. The police arrive with the theater bookkeeper who identifies “Don” as the man who killed the night watchman. Brady makes a break for it, but dies in a shoot-out with the police.
Cast
- Lyle Talbot as Inspector Johns
- Steve Reeves as Lt. Bob Lawrence, the Inspector’s associate
- Herbert Rawlinson as Dr. Gregor, a plastic surgeon and father of Don and Marilyn
- Clancy Malone as Don Gregor, Dr. Gregor’s son and an associate of gangster Vic Brady
- Dolores Fuller as Marilyn Gregor, Dr. Gregor’s daughter and Don’s sister
- Timothy Farrell as Vic Brady, a gangster
- Theodora Thurman as Loretta, Brady’s mistress
- Bud Osborne as a Night Watchman in a theater
- Mona McKinnon as Miss Willis, a bookkeeper in a theater
- La Vada Simmons as Miss Lytell, Dr. Gregor’s receptionist
- Regina Claire as a Newspaper Reporter
- John Robert Martin as Detective McCall
- Don Nagel as Detective Dennis
- John Avery as a Police Doctor
Production
The film, originally titled The Hidden Face, was inspired by producer Edward Small’s Let 'Em Have It (1935) which told the story of a gangster undergoing plastic surgery to elude the police.
The role of Dr. Gregor was originally intended for Bela Lugosi, who died the night after shooting the film. (Grey, p201)
See also
References
- The Haunted World of Edward D. Wood, Jr. (1996), documentary film directed by Brett Thompson
- Rudolph Grey, Nightmare of Ecstasy: The Life and Art of Edward D. Wood, Jr. (1992) ISBN 978-0-922915-24-8
- Killer Joe (2011), a film by William Friedkin
External links
- Jail Bait at IMDb
- Jail Bait is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
- Philly 'burbs Ed Wood guide movie review