Bait

Here's a quota quicky where the story is as murky as the print I saw -- the sound was in bad shape too. As near as I can figure, a bunch of crooks are planning an insurance fraud, by having one of their number 'borrow' an expensive diamond necklace form a lover, then returning paste. After ringleader Diana Napier is finished negotiating with fence Willoughby Goddard, young lover John Bentley enters. He wants to get married to Patricia Owen, but first he must settle with Goddard over the mismanagement of his estate. Goddard brains him with a poker, and then is shot from the curtains. The crooks then confer, making things more confused, then exeunt while the police are bashing down the door, to arrest an unconscious Bentley, who hid the diamonds. Eventually it turns into a Dark House thriller.

It's from a stage show by the director, Frank Richardson. Perhaps it held together better on the stage; apparently the critics slagged the movie so severely that a reel and a half were cut, reducing this to second feature length. As it exists, it's a mess, and ended the film careers of several of the personnel, including the director and Miss Napier.

This is a very entertaining British murder mystery. The plot concerns a gang of four jewel thieves, led by Diana Napier, who steal two highly valuable diamonds out of a set of earrings. Napier sells them to a dishonest businessman (Willoughby Goddard) at his country estate, but the gang plans to return later and steal them back. However, Goddard's long-lost half-brother (John Benley) suddenly returns to the estate accompanied by his new fiancée (Patricia Owens). Bentley wants to claim his half of the inheritance, but soon discovers that his half-brother has squandered the family fortune and is now engaged in buying and selling stolen gems. He confronts Goddard, who panics, and hits Bentley over the head with a poker. As he is about to strike a death blow, a shot rings out and Goddard falls dead. The police arrest Bentley for the murder but soon have to release him for lack of evidence. Meanwhile, Patricia Owens tries to find the real killer by playing up to one of the members of the gang, who happens to be an old boyfriend of hers. The best scenes in the movie occur when Diana Napier pulls a gun on Patricia Owens and ties her hands behind her back. Later, while tied hand and foot and gagged, Patricia manages to stand up and hop to a table where she grabs a telephone by its cord. She then hops across the room and is able to hurl the telephone through a glass window to attract attention and get help. Eventually, John Bentley comes up with a plan to lure the gang to the mansion and expose the real killer. There is a neat plot twist and surprise at then end of the movie. It is definitely worth watching, especially for mystery fans.

This has to be one of the cheapest looking quota films that I have ever seen.Most of the action takes place in a small room,which is often dimly lit as if they didn't have a shilling for the meter.The most surprising aspect of this film is to see Diana Napier,appearing in her last film,as the leader of the gang of thieves.This is completely different from anything she had done previously.Obviously she just did it for the money.Also featured is John Bentley who is clearly at home in low budget crime films of this nature.The climax,such as it is occurs within the confines of this small room.I found this to be rather dull and mercifully brief.

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