Bait *** (1954, Cleo Moore, Hugo Haas, John Agar) – Classic Movie Review 14,028

‘…The Door’s Open… Come On In !’ The 1954 American noir thriller film Bait is written, directed and produced by Hugo Haas, who also stars with his muse Cleo Moore and handsome John Agar.

‘…The Door’s Open… Come On In !’ Director Hugo Haas’s 1954 American noir thriller film Bait stars Cleo Moore, Hugo Haas and John Agar.

Intriguing, entertaining, cheaply made B-movie crime melodrama from director Haas, in which he also stars as middle-aged Marko, a prospector falling out with his bright, handsome young partner Ray Brighton (John Agar) over a gold mine and alluring beautiful blonde femme fatale Peggy (Cleo Moore), a young widow the locals call a ‘fallen woman’, to whom Ray is also attracted.

Marko decides he doesn’t want to share his gold mine that he’s been searching for so long with his friend and partner and plans instead to murder him to turn his 50 per cent into the full 100. He doesn’t want to share Peggy with Ray either. He proposes to Peggy, and she eventually accepts his proposal for security for her baby.

Haas’s movie muse Cleo Moore and John Agar are well cast and have nice, easy, attractive screen chemistry, and Hugo Haas shows again that he can be a fine, credible villain. The greed-themed film may be minor and have its rough edges, but is effectively made and written by Haas, with some flashes of style and imagination, and it looks pretty good too. One of the most intriguing (and amusing) things about the movie is Sir Cedric Hardwicke’s pre-credits appearance as the Devil.

Cast: Hugo Haas as Marko, Cleo Moore as Peggy, John Agar as Ray Brighton, Emmett Lynn as Foley, Bruno VeSota as Webb, Jan Englund as Waitress, George Keymas as Chuck, Sir Cedric Hardwicke as Prologue Speaker.

© Derek Winnert 2026 – Classic Movie Review 14,028

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