The Bait is a television film about LAPD Detective Tracy Fleming, who is out to catch a serial killer preying on women in Los Angeles. Filmed in 1971 and released in 1973, it stars Donna Mills.[1] The film was based on former police officer Dorothy Uhnak's first novel, also titled The Bait, which won the MWA's Edgar for Best First Novel. She was reportedly embarrassed over the liberties taken with her work by this film. The film itself was the pilot for an unlaunched weekly TV series.[2]

The Bait
GenreDrama
Written byGordon Cotler
Don Mankiewicz
Directed byLeonard Horn
StarringNoam Pitlik
Donna Mills
Music byJack Elliott
Allyn Ferguson
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producersLeonard Goldberg
Aaron Spelling
ProducersPeter Nelson
Robert Monroe (associate producer)
Production locations20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California
Downtown, Los Angeles, California
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles County Music Center - 135 N. Grand Avenue, Downtown, Los Angeles, California
City National Plaza, 525 South Flower Street, Los Angeles, California
5th Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California
1326 Londonderry View Dr, Los Angeles, California
560 South Los Angeles Street, Los Angeles, California
W. Pico Blvd. and Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, California
CinematographyGert Andersen
EditorsLeon Carrere
Neil Travis
Running time78 minutes
Production companiesABC Circle Films
Spelling-Goldberg Productions
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseMarch 13, 1973 (1973-03-13)

The Ledger, a later book by Ms. Uhnak featuring the same character, NYPD Detective Christie Opara, was adapted into the TV-film Get Christie Love! It also took liberties with the source material, but was, nonetheless, successfully turned into a TV series the following season.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Terrace, Vincent (2019). Encyclopedia of Television Pilots: 2,470 Films Broadcast 1937-2019, 2d ed. McFarland p. 136. ISBN 978-1-4766-7874-0.
  2. ^ Carlson, Michael (July 26, 2006). "Dorothy Uhnak". The Guardian. Retrieved December 11, 2019.

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