Pretty Baby
The image of an adult world seen through a child's eyes.
1978 | 110m | English
Popularity: 3 (history)
| Director: | Louis Malle |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Louis Malle, Polly Platt |
| Staring: |
| Hattie, a New Orleans prostitute, meets a photographer named Bellocq at her brothel one night and, after he photographs her, he befriends her 12-year-old daughter, Violet. When Violet is brought on as a working girl by her mother's madam and Hattie skips town to get married, Violet quickly loses her innocence and focuses on reuniting with Bellocq. But a life with Bellocq is compromised for Violet after her mother returns to town. | |
| Release Date: | Apr 05, 1978 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Louis Malle |
| Writer: | Louis Malle, Polly Platt |
| Genres: | Drama |
| Keywords | prostitute, photographer, brothel, virgin, new orleans, louisiana, photography, young prostitute, loss of virginity, brothel madam, 1910s, child prostitution, demeaning, disheartening, distressing, inflammatory |
| Production Companies | Paramount Pictures |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $5,786,368
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Feb 01, 2025 Entered: Apr 13, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| Gerrit Graham | Highpockets |
| Don Hood | Alfred Fuller |
| Seret Scott | Flora |
| Cheryl Markowitz | Gussie |
| Susan Manskey | Fanny |
| Laura Zimmerman | Agnes |
| Miz Mary | Odette |
| Mae Mercer | Mama Mosebery |
| 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 |
| Stocker Fontelieu | Brothel Patron (uncredited) |
| Bill Holliday | Gussie's Client (uncredited) |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Louis Malle | Director, Story |
| Polly Platt | Screenplay, Story |
| Juliet Taylor | Casting |
| Sven Nykvist | Director of Photography |
| Suzanne Fenn | Editor |
| James L. Berkey | Set Decoration |
| Trevor Williams | Production Design |
| Dave Grayson | Makeup Artist |
| Charlene Roberson | Makeup Artist |
| Skip Godwin | Sound Engineer |
| Donald F. Johnson | Sound Mixer |
| Charlene Johnson | Hairstylist |
| Donald Heitzer | Assistant Director |
| Toby Lovallo | Second Assistant Director |
| John M. Poer | Assistant Director |
| Mark Wade | Property Master |
| Michael McGowan | Camera Operator |
| Mina Mittelman | Costume Supervisor |
| Suzanne Baron | Supervising Editor |
| Ruth Blakeslee | Assistant Editor |
| Mateel Hoppe | Assistant Editor |
| Alice Miller | Assistant Editor |
| Raymond Burke | Musician |
| Louis Cottrell | Musician |
| Bob Greene | Musician |
| Jelly Roll Morton | Additional Music |
| Kid Thomas | Musician |
| Jerry Wexler | Music Supervisor |
| Alan Greedy | Script Supervisor |
| Greg Van Dyke | Transportation Coordinator |
| Al Rose | Researcher |
| Lindsley Parsons Jr. | Production Manager |
| Gary Chason | Casting Director |
| Tony Wade | Unit Production Manager |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Louis Malle | Producer |
| Polly Platt | Associate Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 81 | 156 | 47 |
| 2024 | 5 | 71 | 111 | 53 |
| 2024 | 6 | 55 | 83 | 42 |
| 2024 | 7 | 76 | 170 | 30 |
| 2024 | 8 | 51 | 110 | 28 |
| 2024 | 9 | 32 | 50 | 21 |
| 2024 | 10 | 41 | 75 | 25 |
| 2024 | 11 | 39 | 64 | 21 |
| 2024 | 12 | 34 | 64 | 23 |
| 2025 | 1 | 33 | 43 | 24 |
| 2025 | 2 | 26 | 37 | 5 |
| 2025 | 3 | 11 | 34 | 2 |
| 2025 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 5 |
| 2025 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 4 |
| 2025 | 6 | 5 | 12 | 3 |
| 2025 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| 2025 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| 2025 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 3 |
| 2025 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Trending Position
GenerationofSwine
1.0
So.... why one star? Because, honestly, it's boring. It kind of does to New Orleans' red-light district what Reds did to John Reed.... sucked all the excitement out of the story in an effort to make it artistic. It's well acted, but it's weak on plot, weak on story, weak on entertainment.... but, ... like Reds, it's one of those movies that you have to watch because 41 years after the fact it is still being talked about. But, to be fair, I guess it's hard to make a movie about someone that takes pictures and make it riveting. After all, E. J. Bellocq wasn't exactly Robert Capa
Jan 12, 2023