Baby Doll

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Baby Doll

U.S., 1956

Baby Doll, the tour de force first screenplay of noted playwright Tennessee Williams, is taken from his play 27 Seven Wagons Full of Cotton. Director Elia Kazan puts his comical stamp on this look at marriage between Baby Doll (Carroll Baker), a 19-year-old child-like woman, who keeps her husband, Archie Lee Meighan (Karl Malden), a failed cotton gin owner, waiting until her 20th birthday to consummate their marriage. Filmed in Beniot, Mississippi, with African American locals given bit roles lending this film an air of authenticity, Baby Doll was considered risqué at the time of its release. Despite leaving much to the imagination, the allure and the salaciousness of the film and its promotions earned the condemnation of the Catholic Legion of Decency and made it a sleeper hit of 1956 before it went on to win four Academy Awards, including Best Supporting Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Actress.

35mm, b&w, 116 min. Director: Elia Kazan. Screenwriter: Tennessee Williams. With: Karl Malden, Carroll Baker, Mildred Dunlock, Eli Wallach.

Restoration funding provided by The Film Foundation. Restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive.

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