Bait

Bait starts out with a cunning pre-credits sequence, wherein a dapper, erudite gentlemen (Cedric Hardwicke), after signing a series of autographs for his admiring fans, introduces himself as the Devil. Addressing the viewer, His Satanic Majesty introduces a cautionary tale of sex and greed—which turns out to be yet another steamy Hugo Haas-directed melodrama, this one titled Bait. Once more, Haas casts himself as a truculent middle-aged man who succumbs to the charms of trashy young blonde Cleo Moore. The plot concerns a lost gold mine, which Haas has been seeking out for nearly 20 years. All he needs is a bright young man to share expenses and responsibilities for a prospecting expedition.