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Pretty Baby (1978) 6.6
A teenage girl lives as a prostitute in the early decades of America, only to know her body is for bounty. Director:Louis Malle |
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Brooke Shields | ... | ||
| Keith Carradine | ... | ||
| Susan Sarandon | ... | ||
| Frances Faye | ... | ||
| Antonio Fargas | ... | ||
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Matthew Anton | ... | |
| Diana Scarwid | ... | ||
| Barbara Steele | ... | ||
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Seret Scott | ... | |
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Cheryl Markowitz | ... | |
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Susan Manskey | ... |
Fanny
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Laura Zimmerman | ... |
Agnes
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Miz Mary | ... |
Odette
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| Gerrit Graham | ... |
Highpockets
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Mae Mercer | ... |
Mama Mosebery
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Plot Summary
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Plot Synopsis
See All (96) »
Storyline
In 1917, in the red light district Storyville, New Orleans, the prostitute Hattie lives with her twelve year-old daughter Violet in the fancy brothel of Madame Nell, where she works. Photographer Ernest J. Bellocq has an attraction to Hallie and Violet and he is an habitué of the whorehouse. One day, Madame Nell auctions Violet's virginity and the winner pays the fortune of US$ 400 to spend the night with the girl. Then Hattie marries a wealthy client and moves to Saint Louis, leaving Violet in the brothel alone. Violet decides to marry Bellocq and she moves to his house. Until the day that Hattie, who has overcome her past, comes to Bellocq's house with the intention to take Violet with her. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Plot Keywords:
tween girl | child prostitute | virginity auction | prostitute | photographer |Taglines:
In 1917, in the red-light district of New Orleans, they called her "Pretty Baby" See more »Genres:
DramaParents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
5 April 1978 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Niña bonita See more »Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
Color (Metrocolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
Edit
Bellocq: No, thank you. Perhaps we can take another one now, if you like.
Hattie: Yeah, why not? My breasts are very nice, nicer than the other girls'. Do you think maybe I should show them a little better?
Bellocq: Yes, that would be better. Let me see.
See more »
(uncredited)
Music by Egbert Van Alstyne and Tony Jackson
Lyrics by Gus Kahn
Performed by Antonio Fargas
Also played when the kids are in the barn
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Although Violet has underage sex, it happens off-screen, which makes the film more disturbing. See more »Goofs
When Bellocq is posing Hattie on the chaise lounge, the boom mic dips into the screen above them. See more »Quotes
Hattie: Before the war, we used to close down in the summertime. But since the naval base came, we're busy all year round, now. Can I buy you a drink?Bellocq: No, thank you. Perhaps we can take another one now, if you like.
Hattie: Yeah, why not? My breasts are very nice, nicer than the other girls'. Do you think maybe I should show them a little better?
Bellocq: Yes, that would be better. Let me see.
See more »
Crazy Credits
The closing credits include a card that states, "With our gratitude for the priceless music of FERDINAND "JELLY ROLL" MORTON." See more »Soundtracks
Pretty Baby(uncredited)
Music by Egbert Van Alstyne and Tony Jackson
Lyrics by Gus Kahn
Performed by Antonio Fargas
Also played when the kids are in the barn
See more »
Pretty Baby started off very well and I immediately thought: This is gonna be a gem! But it seemingly lost steam in the second half, petering out quite disappointingly towards the end. It was as if Louis Malle had been in a bit of a rush to conclude the story. Brooke Shields really was an angelically beautiful child - she seemingly peeked so early! The atmosphere in the brothel scenes was the best thing about the movie, probably helped by the fact that the photographer Bellocq's real photographs were used to get a sense of the time and place and evoke it with authenticity. Viewers particularly touchy to the issue of underage sex beware, as the movie doesn't spare modern sensibilities with the fact that the concept of a girl being too young for sex (if she was deemed sexually attractive) wasn't even an issue for most men in the early 20th century! That said, there are thankfully no explicit scenes - you just know what is happening and painfully squirm in your chair while it does! One qualm I did have with the movie was some of the slightly sloppy costuming: some of the clothes worn here seemed a little earlier than 1917, more like a decade earlier. Furthermore, the way everyone reacted to the pictures Bellocq, the young photographer took of the prostitutes seemed very anachronistic, and made me lose respect for the movie (Bellocq is a figure that actually existed, though the specific story built around him in the movie is fictional). Photography was by 1917 no longer considered a sort of "magic", viewed with incredulous wonder (as the characters in the movie react to it). This would have been more historically exact for a story set in, say, 1850 or thereabouts! I found that aspect to be a ridiculous - its makers really should have known better.