Jail Bait * (1954, Timothy Farrell, Lyle Talbot, Steve Reeves, Dolores Fuller, Herbert Rawlinson, Clancy Malone) – Classic Movie Review 5169

‘Plastic surgery, at times, seems to me to be very, very complicated.’ – Dr Boris Gregor.

Director Edward D Wood Jr strikes again in this 1954 film noir thriller starring Timothy Farrell, Lyle Talbot, Steve Reeves, Dolores Fuller, Herbert Rawlinson and Clancy Malone.

Farrell stars as crook Vic Brady, who gets his girl Marilyn (Fuller)’s plastic surgeon dad Dr Boris Gregor (Rawlinson) to give him a new face in order to escape the law.

Transvestite film director Edward D Wood Jr casts muscleman Steve Reeves (in his movie debut) as a police detective called Lieutenant Bob Lawrence, in his shamelessly exploitative and desperately cheap, no-talent movie. Lyle Talbot plays Inspector Johns and Clancy Malone plays Don Gregor.

Though its dialogue, acting, direction and score are impressively bad, it is a tiny, tiny bit better made than Wood Jr’s ultimate so bad it’s good movie Plan 9 from Outer Space (1956), alas. But it is still funny and enjoyable nonetheless.

Reeves was up for the lead in Samson and Delilah (1949), but refused to lose about 15 lb of his musculature to have a chance at the role. Just before Jail Bait, he previously appeared uncredited as an Olympic Team Member in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5169

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com

Steve Reeves makes his feature debut as Lieutenant Bob Lawrence.