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'{{Short description|American noir film by Hugo Haas}} {{Infobox film | name = Bait | image = Bait (1954 film) poster.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = Theatrical release poster | director = [[Hugo Haas]] | producer = Hugo Haas | screenplay = [[Samuel W. Taylor]]<br>Hugo Haas | narrator = | starring = [[Cleo Moore]]<br>[[Hugo Haas]]<br>[[John Agar]] | music = Václav Divina | cinematography = Eddie Fitzgerald | editing = Robert S. Eisen | studio = Hugo Haas Productions | distributor = [[Columbia Pictures]] | released = {{Film date|1954|02|24|United States}} | runtime = 80 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = | gross = }} '''''Bait''''' is a 1954 American [[film noir]], written, directed and produced by [[Hugo Haas]]. Haas himself, [[Cleo Moore]] and [[John Agar]] star in the film.<ref>{{AFI film|id=51125|=Bait}}</ref> ==Plot== Middle-aged Marko (Haas) is searching for his gold mine, the entrance to which has been lost for nearly 20 years, at which time his partner died, a death for which some locals think he is to blame. To share expenses for a prospecting expedition he teams up with bright young Ray Brighton (Agar). When they find the mine, Marko decides he doesn't want to share with his partner and plans to murder him. He proposes to Peggy, a young widow with a baby to whom he knows Ray is attracted, and who Marko and the local people prefer to label as a 'fallen woman'. Marko tells her he is sorry he misjudged her, and she eventually accepts his proposal in order to obtain security for her child. However, the cabin has only one room, and although Ray offers to sleep in the mine, Marko says he will freeze out there. It is soon clear that the marriage is one in name only, and Ray begins to believe that Marko only married Peggy to get an unpaid servant. Marko encourages Peggy and Ray to be friendly, even to dance together, and some months later, at Christmas, Ray suggests that they split the gold three ways, since Peggy works just as hard as he and Marko do. Later, Marko says he forgot to get salt on the last trip into town, and that he will go for it the next day, returning the day after. There is snow on the ground and Peggy suggests the younger Ray go, but Marko insists. While he is away, Ray and Peggy keep working, but also enjoy their evening together playing cards and talking. Ray tells Peggy he loves her but she says although she feels the same, she cannot betray Marko, to which Ray agrees. He goes to get some more tobacco, and finds a bag of salt where Marko hid it. He then spots a slightly melted spot in the ice on the windows, and realises Marko had been spying on them. He whispers to Peggy to go to the bed and then hold her arms out as if beckoning him to join her. Although puzzled, Peggy obeys, and they extinguish the light. Marko then bursts into the cabin, but Ray has hidden behind the door and knocks a weapon from Marko's hand. Ray says he now understands that Marko had deliberately pushed them together, then pretended to go into town so that he could come back unexpectedly, hoping to catch them in adultery, so he can use the "unwritten law" to kill Brighton and thus escape punishment from the law. Disgusted at Marko's betrayal, Ray and Peggy pack up their things, and, leaving Marko his share of the gold, start off to walk to the highway and safety. As they leave, Marko lunges at Ray with a knife, but Peggy screams a warning and Ray grabs the knife and pushes Marko away. Peggy says she'll be in touch about arranging their divorce. Marko tries to get up, but realises he has broken his leg. He calls to Peggy and Ray for help, but they think it's a trick and keep walking, and finally reach safety, not realising that Marko's incapacity means he will not survive the winter, an echo of the death of his previous partner. ==Cast== * [[Cleo Moore]] as Peggy * [[Hugo Haas]] as Marko * [[John Agar]] as Ray Brighton * [[Emmett Lynn]] as Foley * [[Bruno VeSota]] as Webb * [[Jan Englund]] as Waitress * [[George Keymas]] as Chuck * [[Cedric Hardwicke]] as Prologue Speaker ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== * {{IMDb title|id=0046743|title=Bait}} * {{Amg movie|id=84325|title=Bait}} * {{tcmdb title|id=27591|title=Bait}} [[Category:1954 films]] [[Category:1954 crime drama films]] [[Category:American crime drama films]] [[Category:American black-and-white films]] [[Category:Columbia Pictures films]] [[Category:Films directed by Hugo Haas]] [[Category:Treasure hunt films]] [[Category:Films about mining]] [[Category:1950s English-language films]] [[Category:1950s American films]] {{1950s-crime-drama-film-stub}}'