IMDb > Pretty Baby (1978)
Pretty Baby
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Pretty Baby (1978) More at IMDbPro »

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Pretty Baby (1978) -- YouTube
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Overview

User Rating:
6.5/10   3,237 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 12% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Louis Malle
Writers:
Polly Platt (story)
Polly Platt (screenplay) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for Pretty Baby on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
5 April 1978 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | History more
Tagline:
In 1917, in the red-light district of New Orleans, they called her "Pretty Baby" more
Plot:
A pre-teen girl grows up in a house of prostitution in the Storyville section of New Orleans in 1917. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination more
User Comments:
An incredibly frank but humane movie of the type that doesn't seem to be made anymore. more (58 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

Brooke Shields ... Violet

Keith Carradine ... Bellocq

Susan Sarandon ... Hattie
Frances Faye ... Nell
Antonio Fargas ... Professor
Matthew Anton ... Red Top

Diana Scarwid ... Frieda
Barbara Steele ... Josephine
Seret Scott ... Flora
Cheryl Markowitz ... Gussie
Susan Manskey ... Fanny

Laura Zimmerman ... Agnes
Miz Mary ... Odette
Gerrit Graham ... Highpockets
Mae Mercer ... Mama Mosebery
Don Hood ... Alfred Fuller
Pat Perkins ... Ola Mae
Von Eric Thomas ... Nonny
Sasha Holliday ... Justine
Lisa Shames ... Antonia
Henry Braden ... Harry
Patrick M. Burke ... Fanny's Customer
C.C. Courtney ... Naval Officer
Joe Catalanotto ... Hattie's Customer
Philip H. Sizeler ... Senator
Don Lutenbacher ... Violet's First Customer
Hobe May ... Farmer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stocker Fontelieu ... Brothel Patron (uncredited)
Bill Holliday ... Gussie's client (uncredited)
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Directed by
Louis Malle 
 
Writing credits
Polly Platt (story)

Polly Platt (screenplay)

Louis Malle  story

Produced by
Louis Malle .... producer
Polly Platt .... associate producer
 
Original Music by
Gerald Wexler 
 
Cinematography by
Sven Nykvist 
 
Film Editing by
Suzanne Fenn 
 
Casting by
Gary Chason 
Juliet Taylor 
 
Production Design by
Trevor Williams 
 
Set Decoration by
James L. Berkey  (as Jim Berkey)
 
Makeup Department
Dave Grayson .... makeup artist
Charlene Johnson .... hair stylist
Charlene Roberson .... makeup artist
 
Production Management
Tony Wade .... unit production manager
Lindsley Parsons Jr. .... executive production manager: Paramount (uncredited)
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Donald Heitzer .... assistant director (as Don Heitzer)
Toby Lovallo .... second assistant director
John M. Poer .... assistant director
 
Art Department
Mark Wade .... property master
Richard Speed .... carpenter's apprentice (uncredited)
 
Sound Department
Donald F. Johnson .... sound mixer (as Don Johnson)
Dick Vorisek .... sound re-recordist
Skip Godwin .... sound engineer (uncredited)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Maureen Lambray .... special photography
Michael McGowan .... camera operator (as Mike McGowan)
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mina Mittelman .... costume supervisor
 
Editorial Department
Suzanne Baron .... supervising editor
Ruth Blakeslee .... assistant editor
Mateel Hoppe .... assistant editor
Alice Miller .... assistant editor
 
Music Department
Raymond Burke .... musician: clarinet
Louis Cottrell .... musician: clarinet
Bob Greene .... musician: piano solo
Ferdinand 'Jelly Roll' Morton .... composer: additional music
Kid Thomas .... musician: trumpet
Jerry Wexler .... music adaptor
Jerry Wexler .... music supervisor
 
Transportation Department
Greg Van Dyke .... transportation coordinator (uncredited)
 
Other crew
Alan Greedy .... script supervisor
Al Rose .... researcher
Karen Moore .... assistant to director (uncredited)
 
Crew believed to be complete


Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies
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Additional Details

Runtime:
110 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Dana Plato later claimed that she had been offered the lead role but her mother Kay had turned it down. more
Quotes:
Bellocq: Her father unknown, and her mother deserted the child.
Violet: My mother's name was Hildegarde. Hildegarde Marr. M-A-R-R.
Priest: And she was Caucasian, or other?
Violet: She was a whore, Father.
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in "20 to 1: Child Stars: Where Are They Now? (#6.6)" (2008) more
Soundtrack:
Swipesy more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
28 out of 31 people found the following comment useful.
An incredibly frank but humane movie of the type that doesn't seem to be made anymore., 9 June 2005
8/10
Author: Ham_and_Egger from Indianapolis, Indiana

A beautifully filmed movie which tells a difficult story with a subtlety and power that leaves you thinking about it during odd moments for days. It's that much more disconcerting because all the while you're keenly aware that this isn't based on "a true story" but on millions of true stories throughout history, including today, and in every part of the globe.

Due to my age I'd never seen 'Pretty Baby' in the theater or, for some reason, read much about it. I was aware of the basic plot but didn't know I'd be seeing quite so much of a naked 12 year-old Brooke Shields. A couple of moments were honestly difficult for me to watch, but I've come to the conclusion that the nudity is absolutely essential to the telling of the story. You *have* to be forced to see exactly what those men were paying for.

The brilliance of director Loius Malle's film is that he constantly subverts the audience's desire to be aghast at what we see. The camera finds happy little moments throughout the movie, your mind is left to fill in the ugly realities. This trend continues to the end, which is like a cruel mirror image of the typical happily ever after Hollywood ending.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (58 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Pretty Baby (1978)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Strange scene zaphod1957
Pretty Baby: Is it true? zaphod1957
$400 in 1917 daveharrison84
Nudity jminn1000
Wasnt she underdeveloped for her age????? plonkeh
'Papa' no hero, no love, no nothing kernal-3
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