Director: Edward D. Wood Jr.
Written by: Alex Gordon, Edward D. Wood Jr.
Cast: Lyle Talbot, Dolores Fuller, Herbert Rawlinson, Steve Reeves

Year / Country: 1954, USA
Running Time: 71 mins.

Marilyn Gregor bails out her brother Don who was caught carrying a gun. It appears that Don is under the influence of the hardened gangster Vic Brady. After Don’s release, he and Vic commit another robbery that ends with the death of an ex-cop. Don is now a murderer. His father, who is a plastic surgeon, wants to help him, but Vic has plans of his own.

Jail Bait is one of the least Ed Woodish films Ed Wood made. It is a crime movie for one thing, rather than a sci-fi / monster flick. There is also no Lugosi, less wooden acting and a whole lot less mistakes, although there are still plenty. One typical Wood element is still there: the message. This time it is ‘Never carry a gun or you will use it.’

The story gets kind of ridiculous as it unfolds, but hardly fails to amuse. The cast holds up well too. Fuller, who appears in many of Wood’s movies, is an enjoyable presence and the ending is really hilarious. Those elements together make this second feature film directed by Wood, one of his finer achievements.

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Biography: Edward D. Wood Jr. (1924, New York – 1978, Hollywood) is widely considered as the world’s worst filmmaker. His low-budget movies, usually mergers of science-fiction and horror, are mostly complete disasters in terms of production values and continuity. In 1994, Edward D. Wood Jr. became the subject of an amazing biopic directed by Tim Burton called Ed Wood.

Filmography: The Sun Was Setting (1951, TV short), Trick Shooting with Kenne Duncan (1953, short), Glen or Glenda (1953), Crossroad Avenger: The Adventures of the Tuscon Kid (1953, TV short), Boots (1953, short), Jail Bait (1954), Bride of the Monster (1955), The Night the Banshee Cried (1957, short), Final Curtain (1957, short), Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959), Night of the Ghouls (1959), The Sinister Urge (1960), Take It Out in Trade (1970), The Young Marrieds (1971), Necromania: A Tale of Weird Love (1971)