A teenage girl lives as a prostitute in New Orleans in 1917.
Director:
Louis Malle
Popularity
2,397
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Title: Pretty Baby (1978)
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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
Nell: What's going on with you? You don't have to worry about her. She's made a lot of money. She can do as she likes.
Bellocq: She's only twelve. She's completely alone.
Nell: Bellocq, you're in love with her.
Bellocq: Don't be absurd.
Nell: I've seen it a thousand times. I am old, and I know one thing - life is very long.
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Christopher Reeve turned down the role of Bellocq, in order to prepare for his role in Superman (1978). See more »Goofs
Violet is shown completely nude when lying on the sofa but when she sits up she is wearing panties. See more »Quotes
Bellocq: [about Violet] What will become of her now?Nell: What's going on with you? You don't have to worry about her. She's made a lot of money. She can do as she likes.
Bellocq: She's only twelve. She's completely alone.
Nell: Bellocq, you're in love with her.
Bellocq: Don't be absurd.
Nell: I've seen it a thousand times. I am old, and I know one thing - life is very long.
See more »
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.