Hetzjagd im Sumpf

A young deputy by the name of "Billy" (Clyde Ventura) and a friend "Ben Bracken" (Ben Sebastian) are in the swamps lying in wait for a young vixen named "Desiree Thibodeau" (Claudia Jennings) to come along and examine her illegal alligator traps. They figure that if they can catch her red-handed she will agree to have sex with them rather than go to jail. But what they don't figure upon is her ability to evade arrest even though they have a more powerful boat than she does. Not only that but she is also quite resourceful when cornered as she throws some venomous snakes into their boat to aid in her escape. Unfortunately, while Deputy Billy is busy shooting the snakes he accidentally shoots and kills Ben. Not wanting to risk retaliation by the Bracken clan he tells his father, "Sheriff Joe Bob Thomas" (Bill Thurman) that Desiree killed Ben. This results in the sheriff, the deputy and three members from the Bracken clan to venture deep into the swamp to get Desiree. In the process they kill Desiree's sister, "Julie" (Janit Baldwin) which turns Desiree from being the hunted into the hunter. Anyway, so much for the plot. What I liked most about the film was the presence of Claudia Jennings (1970 Playmate of the Year) and the bayou scenery. What I didn't care for were some of the scenes involving the Bracken clan which were too stereotypical and over-the-top. It's one thing to depict a family as uncouth or undisciplined. But the scene where one of the young men tries to rape his sister was simply not necessary. At any rate, while the film managed to keep my attention for the most part, I found it to be a bit too simple and crude for my tastes.

My friend and I rented this film one evening, along with its sequel (which was released 12 years later) in order to have a "bad movie night" of sorts. Well, we were not disappointed. "Gator Bait" is a very bad film, although most of the time it is literally quite harmless. Although Claudia Jennings was included in the cast as the swamp girl presumably because she had been a nude model, there is very little skin to speak of in this film. At times, of course, the filmmakers cross the lines of bad taste and include scenes of strong implied violence that can make you squirm. The only reason it seems out of place here, however, is because most of the film does not follow this violent tone. It is basically the story of a bunch of rednecks who attempt to destroy the swamp girl and her family, who are freeloading in the swamps. It's that basic white-trash dilemma: get offa my property. Luckily, swamp girl (a.k.a. Desiree) and her brother Big T. rise to the challenge. The film was laughable in most parts, and usually quite boring, but it did have one thing going for it: where some "bad" movies are just too horrible to even make fun of, this one lended itself perfectly to the "bad but fun" movie mentality, and my friend and I even named his truck Big T. after one of the characters. The soundtrack consists of warbling banjo music and a hilarious song about Desiree, and just adds to the fun. A good example of a movie that deserves commentary by you and your friends.

The answer to that riddle would be at least more than five, as the male lead characters are clearly too retarded to accomplish anything... Ah, 70's exploitation of the trashiest kind; you hate to love it and 'Gator Bait is unquestionably one of the most rancid, gratuitous and shameless examples available on film. The basic concept of this movie shows a lot of potential and ingenuity, yet the makers didn't seem to care the least bit about that and exclusively contemplated about ways to make the movie even more sleazy and exploitative. Obviously inspired by the success of "Deliverance", judging by the outback setting, the character drawings and the massive overload of banjo-music, 'Gator Bait is a simplistic story about murder & retribution starring the luscious former Playmate-of-the-year Claudia Jennings as a poaching wildcat versus a sleazy bunch of Cajun rednecks. When the cowardly son of Sheriff Joe Bob Thomas frames Desiree for a murder he accidentally committed, a quintet of sniveling weirdies goes into the swamp to arrest her. But when the sexually frustrated hicks then also barbarically kill her younger sister, Desiree prepares from some old-fashioned Cajun justice. The directors' duo Beverly and Ferd Sebastian clearly enjoyed filming Claudia Jennings whilst she bend over in her boat during her poaching activities, but they totally neglected the swamp's potential as a moody setting full of death traps and dangerous animal threats. Despite the exhilarating title, I only saw two alligators and, moreover, not even in action! Desiree's killing spree is monotonous, uninspired and even quite boring and – naturally – every move of her opponents is incredibly predictable. They're typical hillbillies, with names like Billy Boy and Leroy, with incestuous tendencies and trigger-happy gunshot fingers. 'Gator Bait is irredeemably bad, but at the same time charming and a must for feminists. Yeeeeeeeeee Haaaw!

'Gator Bait (1974)

** (out of 4)

Playboy Playmate Claudia Jennings stars as Desiree, a Cajun woman who finds herself seeking revenge when she's blamed for a crime she didn't commit, which leads to a sheriff and a redneck family killing her youngest sister. Soon there's a showdown in the Louisiana swamps as the redneck woman shows some true vengeance. 'GATOR BAIT was released in a time when redneck action pictures had a place to be screen on drive-in screens on the weekends. This type of movie could never be made today and perhaps that's a good thing because stuff like this belongs in the 1970s and when viewed today you can't help but feel a bit of nostalgia. The film certainly isn't a masterpiece but fans of this sort of thing should find enough entertainment to make it worth watching. I'd argue that the film's first half is actually a lot better than what follows but those who enjoy exploitation should be entertained either way. I really thought the first ten-minutes or so were pretty funny as the two redneck men go around trying to catch this wild woman. Their little chase made for a couple nice laughs and we also have some rather funny dialogue. From this point on it's basically just the men walking around the swamp trying to capture the girl. I think the film slows down a bit too much here and a little more action or at least less dialogue would have helped keep things moving at a better pace. The performances really aren't all that memorable and this includes Jennings. I'm not sure if the directors asked her to talk the way she does in the film but it was rather hard to understand her. Considering this is an exploitation picture, the lack of any real nudity was somewhat surprising with the Playmate only giving a couple quick shots. The Louisiana settings are certainly a major plus as you really do feel as if you're down in this dirty swamp. 'GATOR BAIT isn't a masterpiece but it's certainly a decent way to kill ninety-minutes.

This is the Deep South y'all. No, this isn't "Deliverance", this before "The Dukes of Hazzard", if you're in gator country, you're "'Gator Bait" if you are not prepared. Desiree (Claudia Jennings,1949- 79)is a barefoot poacher who knows the swamps since birth. She and her family have trapped alligators for years. Then a sheriff deputy and friend catches her in the act. They would chase her, and she outsmarted them. She sets a trap. They get it. The deputy gets freaked out. He shoots the snakes, but he accidentally shoots the friend. His father happen to be the sheriff. He lies to his father about the situation, and send the father of the deceased to look for her. The search party looks for Desiree. They found out the place where she lives, and attacked her brother and sister. After they killed the sister, it's a all out war on the search party. But secrets are exposed when the truth is out. And Desiree shows no mercy! Revenge is sweet. When you mess with Desiree, you're 'GATOR BAIT! This is a exploitation that is nice to see. Only the mature should watch it. If you like "Deliverance", you'll this movie as well. 3 out of 5 stars