3.0 out of 5 stars
A Drama About Identification, December 12, 2010
This review is from: Jail Bait [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Jail Bait, 1954 film
The movie begins on a quiet street at night. A police car stops by a "Police Dept." building. Miss Marilyn Gregor puts up bail for her brother Don, arrested for carrying a concealed pistol without a permit. They return home, Don takes a drink, then takes another pistol when he leaves. Is Don heading for trouble? Bad company? We see a minstrel show for entertainment. [Hidden identification?] Don and Brady plan a robbery. [No masks or gloves?] But a young woman shows up, shots are fired. There is a car chase but the killers escape and go to Brady's flat. Miss Willis identifies the two robbers. Don is in big trouble for shooting the night watchman. Doctor Vic Gregor talks to the police. Don wants to surrender, Brady disagrees.
Doctor Gregor and Marilyn discuss what can happen next. A telephone call from Brady requests help from Doctor Gregor. Lieutenant Lawrence visits Gregor's home but leaves. Doctor Gregor goes to Brady's place for the operation. [Did you get the clue for the ending?] They prepare for the operation. Afterwards Brady must return to the Doctor's house in two weeks. Doctor Gregor calls Inspector Johns. Brady shows up and his bandages are removed. Miss Willis shows up to check his identity. He doesn't look like Brady! There is a struggle, shots are fired, with an ending that echoes an earlier death.
This is like the type of story that used to be on "The Outer Limits". It is a low-budget movie but has a good story. It ignores the use of fingerprints as an identifier for a person but uses mistaken eyewitness identification. Filming at night must have reduced costs. What does it tell about life in that era?
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