The Bait

I became a Donna Mills fan with "Play Misty for Me", and here working in TV she has a starring breakthrough with a fabulous performance as a lady cop. Though it didn't go to series, the show fleshes out her character and the story format/solid supporting cast that definitely merited a pickup.

Leonard Horn sustains suspense artfully, and the structure carefully injects clues, red herrings and plot twists par excellence. William Devane is strong as the adversary, but there's no doubt that such a strong character that Mills has created will prevail.

Only sad note, for me at least, is late in the show a fleeting closeup (plus that voice) identifies the allt-me great (and eccentric) character actor popping up in a pointless part as the night clerk manning the front desk of Mills' workplace building. What a shame that this great talent went unappreciated.

Contrary to what was posted in a previous comment, The Bait was first broadcast on March 13, 1973, more than a year and a half before Police Woman debuted in September 1974. It was actually based on a 1968 novel by former policewoman Dorothy Uhnak. Sure, it seems cheesy today -- just like all those other made-for-TV thrillers from the early 70's -- but The Bait was exciting and, with a young and super hot Donna Mills in the lead role, it definitely held your attention. I thought Donna gave a strong performance. She was effective and appealing. I'm not sure if it was in reference to this particular film, but I remember a reviewer stating that nobody does wide-eyed looks of terror as well as Donna Mills! Looking back, it's funny to see what was considered provocative at that time. The short skirts and outfits that Mills' character wore to catch the attention of the rapist-killer are pretty tame by today's standards.

Since Knots Landing, I have always been a fan of Donna Mills as she is believable in most TV roles, and still looks wonderful at age 60!.

While this film is about a typical stalker issue, it was a little before its time, now we have stalker films every week on Lifetime Movie Network.

Hollywood hills, and some of the scenery where she attempts to bait the killer, are interesting and intriguing. This film was made around the same time as the real "Hillside Strangler" serial killers, Bianchi and Buono, were terrorizing Southern California. I do not think this film is simply a copy of "Police Woman" with Angie Dickinson. She has a completely different presence, Mills is more attractive and interesting to watch.

Overall recommended, interesting film for a rental. 7/10.

This film is based on a 1968 novel by Dorothy Uhnak. It is a very good book that I recommend. There is a condensed version of it in Reader's Digest Volume 2. The movie, as usual, doesn't do justice to the book. The names were changed from the characters in the book, ruining the feel for those who have read the story. It just felt like another bland cop story. They could have done so much more with it, but this can be said of most good books that end up being bad films. It was an ill-conceived project. Many of the subtleties that were in the book, you just can't feel them on film. I don't feel that they made a concerted effort to convey these subtleties to begin with. There is much more to Uhnak's book than a simple detective story. There are other things that lie beneath the surface which were not conveyed on the screen.

"The Bait" is an interesting idea for a film and back in 1973 it was very modern and innovative. After all, rape was hardly ever talked about and it's one of the earlier made for TV films that addresses it. Unfortunately, the script has a few holes and the star, Donna Mills, while a lovely actress was just out of her element here playing a tough cop!

When the film begins, Tracy Fleming (Mills) is an undercover cop on duty on buses. It seems that some pervs have been annoying women and she is busting these jerks. However, while these crimes might seem petty, this rookie cop soon will deal with a seriously deranged rapist--one who not only molests his victims but kills them! I was shocked when a character played by Arlene Golonka was attacked and killed by him, as she always played the sweet girl next door type. And now, Tracy is out to rid the world of this baddie.

The biggest problem I had was watching Tracy busting criminals came off as kind of cute. The thin, not at all muscular Mills just was impossible for me to believe as a tough cop. Additionally, late in the film her character seemed really dumb and ineffectual when confronted by the killer--something very inconsistent. Overall, a film that tried but just didn't quite hit the mark.