Date Bait

I accidentally stumbled on this rarely seen movie and it was pleasant surprise. Almost like finding a hidden gem. The story was rather silly and naive but still interesting enough to engage you to screen. A girl from wealthy family is in love to lower class boy and there are many obstacles standing on their way. Girl's parents aren't much supportive and then there is obsessive drug addict who is desperately in love of the girl. And mix into a pair of brutal but funny gangsters and you get quite intriguing little movie. Nice mixture of classical love story and crime film.

The acting wasn't cheesy. Another reason to be pleasantly surprised. Specially I liked Richard Gering as drug addictive Brad. Don't wait anything Oscar worthy though but I already know you won't.

Date Bait is nice small JD film and I was personally more entertained than watching Transformers. But it's just me. I am a sucker for old movies.

It's funny, but in a three film DVD involving juvenile delinquents, the lowest rated on IMDb entertained me most ("High School Big Shot") and this film, which was the highest rated, bored me the most! It seems that some people really did like "Date Bait"--I just thought it had tons of plot problems and spent too much time on two stories when it probably would have been best to just stick with one plot...and do that one better.

The film begins with a psycho teenager getting out of months of drug treatment. It seems, however, that his biggest problems aren't the drugs but that he's a loony hot-head! Within minutes of arriving in the hangout where the teens (most of which looked in their 20s) go to dance, he pulls out a knife and tries to kill another guy--all because this other guy 'stole his girl'---but the loony druggie never really did go out with the girl more than a couple times. A bit later, the loony druggie's brother arrives and convinces him to go home. BUT, this is not the end of it...then the brother and one of his friends chase the innocent guy who was almost stabbed--running him of the road and beating him! Yet, despite a knife fight and near vehicular homicide, NO ONE BOTHERS TO CALL THE POLICE!!!!! Up until near the end of the film, you just assume this town doesn't have a police force!!! Now at this point, the film appears to be an exposée on drug abuse or juvenile delinquency or perhaps on a weird relationship between brothers. However, oddly, much of the next 40 minutes or so consists of the relationship between the girl and guy who was attacked at knife-point. The idea of two frisky young lovers wanting to defy her parents and run off to get married was rather interesting--even if her father in the film was silly! The dad was rather irrational and his acting consisted of irrational screaming 'for her own good'! His character really was dopey.

Late in the film, the loony druggie AND the two teens (who have since secretly married) come together once again when loony-boy kidnaps the young lady! Finally, after a knife fight and about a dozen assaults through the course of the film someone thinks to get the police! And it's a showdown in which you don't know who will and won't survive...but by this point, who really cares?! Too disjoint, too cheap and too unbelievable to be much good for anything but a few unintended laughs.

I disagree with the other comment on here. I really enjoyed this film. There are hot car chase scenes, heroin junkies, cute guys (Logan!), crazy gangster power struggles, dumb older brothers, cool music and the greatest awkward wedding night scene I've ever seen in a movie. Perhaps I'm easy to captivate, but I was into the movie the whole time, not bored once! The acting and characters were interesting, too. I loved Frida, who was always playing jokes on her lanky, tolerant boyfriend. Danny Logan just keeps getting crapped on even though he seems to do everything right, and you can't help but cheer him on the whole time. The gangsters are laughably dumb and the heroin junkie Freddy is very entertaining with his obsessive face-covering. I thought it was well directed film and well thought out plot. If you think '50s teen movies are lame, then don't watch this one because it's pretty classic in my book.

Date Bait (1960) is a film that captures the spirit of its era but struggles to resonate with modern audiences. The story revolves around teenage romance and the tensions that arise from parental and social expectations, a premise that could still be compelling today if executed differently. Unfortunately, the screenplay often feels rigid and simplistic, with dialogue and character motivations that lack depth. The pacing is slow, and key plot points are delivered in a way that feels predictable and formulaic.

The performances reflect the acting style of the early 1960s-exaggerated and theatrical-which can make it hard to empathize with the characters. While some of the younger actors bring energy to their roles, it's not enough to overcome the stilted script. Directionally, the film adheres to classic studio conventions of the time, with static camera work and minimal visual flair, which contributes to the feeling of watching a relic rather than a story meant to engage contemporary viewers.

Visually, the film is shot in black-and-white, which gives it a nostalgic charm but also emphasizes its datedness. The costumes and sets are period-accurate, reflecting the 1960s teen culture, but modern audiences may find them unrelatable. The film attempts to explore youthful rebellion and the generation gap, but it does so in a way that feels heavy-handed, failing to make the stakes emotionally compelling.

Despite its flaws, Date Bait has value as a historical artifact. It provides insight into how teen stories were framed during the era, highlighting cultural norms, societal pressures, and cinematic storytelling conventions. For film historians or enthusiasts of vintage cinema, this can make it a worthwhile watch.

Overall, while Date Bait is not particularly engaging as a standalone film in 2025, it has charm as a period piece and can be appreciated for its place in film history. However, casual viewers seeking a compelling or timeless story may find it frustratingly outdated and difficult to connect with.

Date Bait (1960)

* (out of 4)

Romeo and Juliet type story of a rich girl who falls for a poor kid. Her father is against them dating as is her ex-boyfriend who just happens to be crazy and has a gangster for an older brother. Bad acting, bad direction and a bad script make for a pretty bad film that feels five times longer than it actually is. The title song is a real hoot however.

High School Caesar (1960)

* 1/2 (out of 4)

A bully fixes a vote so that he can be elected Class President where he then plans on stealing even more money from students. Here's another drive-in era teen flick that tries to tell a message but even at just over 60-minutes this thing drags along. No camp value whatsoever and not bad enough to get any laughs. Just plain dull.

High School Big Shot (1959)

** (out of 4)

Drive-in era drama about a nerdy teen who gets his shot at the big time when he hears about a million dollar drop off. If you're a fan of these teenage "B" films of the 50s then this here is certainly one of the better ones but we're certainly a long way off from Rebel Without a Cause. The film runs out of steam around the fifty minute mark but the bad acting leads to some nice laughs.