This southern drive-in movie was apparently a big hit more than forty years ago, but I have a feeling that many viewers at the time probably felt a bit let down by what they saw. I think viewers watching the movie today will feel even more let down than viewers in the 1970s. They will probably be expecting star Claudia Jennings to show off her "attributes" a lot, but as it turns out, she only gives us a couple of (very) brief glimpses in the opening few minutes, and that's it. Jennings' Cajun accent is pretty lousy, which may explain why she is given what seems to be less than three dozen words of dialogue in the entire movie. Because of her limited dialogue, it's hard to warm up to her character and root her on as she seeks vengeance. It also doesn't help that the quest for vengeance is REALLY slow. There's only about a half hour or so of plot here, and the padding is relentless. Some good action scenes would have helped, but none of the action is particularly engaging. The scenery looks nice and authentic, and there is a pretty good musical score, both of which will help viewers not to fall asleep - barely. Somehow I don't think that the belated sequel (without Jennings) is any better in quality, so I'd suggest you skip that as well.

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

The late Claudia Jennings is in fine form here, displaying all that sexuality and screen presence that made her one of the queens of drive-in pictures in the 1970s. Totally rocking a loose top and a pair of Daisy Duke shorts, she proves to be extremely easy to watch playing Desiree, a 'gator poacher in the Louisiana swamps with a loving sister, Julie (Janit Baldwin, very cute as always) and brother, Big T (Tracy Sebastian). Desiree ends up accused of something she didn't do and is pursued by local cops and an enraged local hick family led by burly and bearded T.J. (Sam Gilman). Naturally, they underestimate her cunning and she soon enough turns the tables on them. The brainchild of filmmaking duo Ferd and Beverly Sebastian, "'Gator Bait" is simply exquisite trash. Shameless, sordid, super trash. The characters are comfortably stereotypical, with Desirees' pursuers a mindless, horny bunch so damn ugly they probably break every mirror they look into. The acting may not have been destined to merit any Oscar contention, but it's still perfectly fine for the kind of movie this is. Gilman, and Douglas Dirkson and Don Baldwin as his creepy sons, make for fun antagonists, with the always welcome Bill Thurman in the role of the morally compromised but not purely evil lawman. His is the most interesting role in the film, other than that of Desiree. Jennings is extremely striking as this primal sort of gal, and the Sebastians make sure to film her from every leering angle imaginable. The setting is very effective, with wilderness as far as the eye can see; the predictable but entertaining story works as a mixture of the later films "First Blood" and "Southern Comfort". The music has lots of flavour to it, with Desirees' theme song rating as a standout. The pacing is impressive as things race right along, and there are some well done chases through the swamp. All things considered, this is a good bet for exploitation lovers, although the film does get very nasty in terms of violence perpetrated against a particular character. You can hardly blame Desiree for getting as mad as she gets, and enjoy every bit of her revenge. Well worth watching. Followed by a sequel 14 years later. Eight out of 10.

With its violent revenge theme, backwater setting, and Playboy playmate Claudia Jennings in the lead role, one might expect Gator Bait to be an unmissable 70s exploitation classic. However, with dreadful direction from Beverly and Ferd Sebastian, awful acting from just about everyone, and not nearly enough graphic violence, the movie stinks like a rotting armadillo in a stagnant pool.Jennings plays Desiree Thibodeau, a 'purty' Cajun wildcat who hunts down the dumb hicks responsible for the violent murder of her sister Julie (Janit Baldwin). Dressed in the shortest of shorts and a loosely buttoned top, the feisty beauty first traps the men in the swamp (by destroying their boats), and then proceeds to exact bloody revenge. Whilst this sounds like perfect trash entertainment, in reality Gator Bait is a tedious, drawn-out series of dull fights, (mostly) bloodless deaths, and unexciting chases.Admittedly, there are a couple of scenes which occasionally show promise (an early moment of incestuous fun between a brother and sister, the shotgun blast to Julie's cooch, and an occasional bit of welcome nudity from Jennings and Baldwin), but Gator Bait needed a far grittier approach from its makers and a willingness to get real nasty when necessary in order for it to succeed.