BAIT

An interesting but atypical shot from Bait

BAIT (1954). Director: Hugo Haas. 

Marko (Hugo Haas) teams up with young Ray Brighton (John Agar) to find a lost gold mine and agrees to split everything fifty-fifty with him. But Marko is supposedly tempted by the Devil (Cedric Hardwicke!) to want all of the gold for himself, so he cooks up a scheme involving sexy and allegedly immoral waitress Peggy (Cleo Moore) in which he hopes to murder Ray without consequence. Marko makes Peggy his wife, and they all stay in the same small cabin together, while Marko watches the two younger people like a hawk, hoping they will eventually succumb to their obvious attraction to one another ... 

John Agar has gold fever

Bait is one of several films that director Haas made with his favorite leading lady, Moore, but this is not one of the better ones. The plot makes it sound like this might at least be entertaining, trashy fun, but be forewarned that it isn't. Moore and Agar both seem too old for their roles, and as for their performances, they hardly work up a sweat trying to act. Haas is much better, as usual, but not as good as he has been in other films directed by himself or others. Worse, the movie moves slowly -- very slowly -- and nothing much happens until the last few minutes, where there's just a slight bit of irony in play. Somehow Haas inveigled Sir Cedric Hardwicke to play the Devil in a prologue -- he's terrific -- and to add some observations in voice-overs throughout the movie. Bruno VeSota has a small role.

Verdict: A misfire on virtually all levels. Haas and Moore fans would be better off with the far superior Hit and Run with Vince Edwards. *1/2.