Ed Wood (“Plan 9 From Outer Space”) directs “Jail Bait”, a rather bland film noir picture that is nowhere near as entertaining as Wood’s science-fiction movies. If you are looking for a good crime film then I sincerely suggest searching elsewhere.

In “Jail Bait”, the son of a plastic surgeon, Don Gregor (Clancy Malone), is drawn into a life of crime despite protests from his family. When he kills a man during a robbery, he must decide whether he wants to run from the law or hand himself in. When he chooses the latter, his crime partner decides to take desperate measures to counter Don’s decision.

The characters in “Jail Bait” are not very interesting. The lines are never as ridiculous nor are the performances as exaggerated as they are in other Ed Wood films so I felt very disappointed by them. You could even argue that many of the performances here and actually fairly competent, it’s just that the movie itself is not very captivating. Lyle Talbot (“Chinatown Squad”, “They Raid By Night”) is probably the most famous face in here and some will recognise him from “Plan 9 From Outer Space”. He plays one of the cops that pursues Don.

“Jail Bait” is a very underwhelming movie. Fans of Ed Wood’s cheesy sci-fi films are going to be left unimpressed by how sensible this seems in comparison. Really, the only reason to watch it is for the novelty of seeing an Ed Wood film that is not ridiculous. If you want a great film noir movie then may I direct you towards “The Maltese Falcon”, a truly magnificent detective film starring Humphrey Bogart. “Jail Bait” is a very short movie but it feels very long and there is just nothing on offer to get enthusiastic about. I cannot think of anybody to recommend it to.