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Baby Doll

  • 19561956
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 54m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
7.6K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Carroll Baker in Baby Doll (1956)
Theatrical Trailer from Warner Bros. Pictures
Play trailer3:00
1 Video
46 Photos
  • Comedy
  • Drama

An immature child bride holds her anxious husband at bay while flirting with an amorous Sicilian farmer.An immature child bride holds her anxious husband at bay while flirting with an amorous Sicilian farmer.An immature child bride holds her anxious husband at bay while flirting with an amorous Sicilian farmer.

IMDb RATING
7.3/10
7.6K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Elia Kazan
  • Writer
    • Tennessee Williams(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Karl Malden
    • Carroll Baker
    • Eli Wallach
Top credits
  • Director
    • Elia Kazan
  • Writer
    • Tennessee Williams(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Karl Malden
    • Carroll Baker
    • Eli Wallach
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 79User reviews
    • 43Critic reviews
    • 83Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 4 Oscars
      • 3 wins & 13 nominations total

    Videos1

    Baby Doll
    Trailer 3:00
    Baby Doll

    Photos46

    Carroll Baker and Eli Wallach in Baby Doll (1956)
    Karl Malden, Carroll Baker, and Eli Wallach in Baby Doll (1956)
    Carroll Baker in Baby Doll (1956)
    Carroll Baker in Baby Doll (1956)
    Carroll Baker in Baby Doll (1956)
    Carroll Baker in Baby Doll (1956)
    Carroll Baker in Baby Doll (1956)
    Carroll Baker in Baby Doll (1956)
    Carroll Baker in Baby Doll (1956)
    Carroll Baker in Baby Doll (1956)
    Carroll Baker in Baby Doll (1956)
    Carroll Baker and Eli Wallach in Baby Doll (1956)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Karl Malden
    Karl Malden
    • Archie Lee Meighanas Archie Lee Meighan
    Carroll Baker
    Carroll Baker
    • Baby Doll Meighanas Baby Doll Meighan
    Eli Wallach
    Eli Wallach
    • Silva Vacarroas Silva Vacarro
    Mildred Dunnock
    Mildred Dunnock
    • Aunt Rose Comfortas Aunt Rose Comfort
    Lonny Chapman
    Lonny Chapman
    • Rockas Rock
    Eades Hogue
    • Town Marshalas Town Marshal
    Noah Williamson
    • Deputyas Deputy
    R.G. Armstrong
    R.G. Armstrong
    • Townsman Sidas Townsman Sid
    • (voice)
    • (uncredited)
    Madeleine Sherwood
    Madeleine Sherwood
    • Nurse in Doctor's Officeas Nurse in Doctor's Office
    • (uncredited)
    Rip Torn
    Rip Torn
    • The Dentistas The Dentist
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Elia Kazan
    • Writer
      • Tennessee Williams(screenplay) (based upon his one act play, "Twenty Seven Wagons Full of Cotton")
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Living in Tiger Tail County, Mississippi, middle-aged Archie Lee Meighan and 19-year-old "Baby Doll" Meighan née McCargo have been married for close to two years. Their marriage is not based on love, but on each getting what they want from the other. Their marriage agreement has them consummating their marriage on her 20th birthday, which is in three days, and she's not looking forward to it. But she does taunt him and other men with her overt "baby doll" sexuality, fostering the baby-doll aspect by sleeping in a crib in their house's nursery. Baby Doll's now-deceased father allowed the marriage on the stipulation that Archie Lee provide Baby Doll financial security as displayed by the most resplendent house in the south. They currently live in a dilapidated mansion with her Aunt Rose Comfort, and although Archie Lee is making some renovations on it, he no longer has the financial means to make it what Baby Doll wants as his cotton-ginning competitor, the recently-arrived Sicilian Silva Vacarro who runs the cotton plantation syndicate, has effectively put him and many others in the area out of business. The Meighans' fortunes could change after Vacarro's cotton gin burns down in a case of arson. Vacarro is certain Archie Lee is the arsonist. After meeting the Meighans and learning more about their marriage, Vacarro believes the way to get what he wants is through Baby Doll. This action begins the three-way battle of wills among Vacarro, Archie Lee, and Baby Doll. —Huggo
    • dilapidated house
    • sicilian american
    • furniture repossession
    • benoit mississippi
    • southern gothic
    • 266 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Her role is raw electricity! Her portrayal is a sensation! CARROLL BAKER
    • Genres
      • Comedy
      • Drama
    • Certificate
      • Approved
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Feature film debut of Eli Wallach.
    • Goofs
      After Silva bursts through the door in the attic, Baby Doll is shown running from him with her blanket wrapped around her. The instant before she falls on to the attic beam, she removes the blanket, and holds it in her left hand. In the very next shot, after she has fallen, the blanket is wrapped around her body once again.
    • Quotes

      Baby Doll: Sometimes, big shot, you don't seem to give me credit for very much intelligence at all. I've been to school in my life - and I'm a magazine reader!

    • Connections
      Featured in Elia Kazan: An Outsider (1982)
    • Soundtracks
      Shame, Shame, Shame
      (uncredited)

      Written by Kenyon Hopkins and Ruby Fisher

      Sung by Smiley Lewis

    User reviews79

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    We're definitely not in Kansas anymore!
    The crumbling ruins of a deep south plantation, circa 1956. Karl Malden running through empty rooms, yelling "BayBee DOLLLLL!" The dementia-ridden elderly aunt forgetting to turn on the stove before cooking the greens. The old guys lounging around the yard, laughing and watching Malden's frenzied activities like it's must-see TV. Kooky gorgeous Baby Doll sucking her thumb, sleeping in her crib. And Eli Wallach: ah, what a specimen. He's intense, he's irresistible. He's relentlessly "handsy" like a high school boy on a date; he never, ever, for a moment, lets up. It's impossible to take your eyes off of him.

    This movie is perplexing and wonderful, it really is more of a place and an atmosphere than a story. Twisted, and in a good way. The characters are as wild and inexplicable as any you've seen in a David Lynch movie. Your jaw will drop, you'll laugh out loud, and the whole weird place just gets better each time you watch it.
    helpful•64
    11
    • zestygirl
    • Dec 18, 2003

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 29, 1956 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • HBOMAX (United States)
      • Official site
    • Languages
      • English
      • Italian
    • Also known as
      • Mississippi Woman
    • Filming locations
      • Benoit, Mississippi, USA
    • Production company
      • Newtown Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $2,300,000
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 54 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    Sunny Leone reunites with ‘Baby Doll’ hitmaker Kanika Kapoor for new track
    Sunny Leone reunites with ‘Baby Doll’ hitmaker Kanika Kapoor for new track
    Nov 24GlamSham
    Kanika Kapoor's new song 'Jhanjhar' out
    Kanika Kapoor's new song 'Jhanjhar' out
    Sep 24GlamSham

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