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.
