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Entertainment • Film

Pretty Baby (1978 film)

Pretty Baby is a 1978 American historical drama film directed by Louis Malle and written by Polly Platt.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 26, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

Pretty Baby is a 1978 American historical drama film directed by Louis Malle and written by Polly Platt. Set in 1917 New Orleans, it follows a 12-year-old girl raised in a Storyville brothel and is notable for its controversial subject matter and Brooke Shields’s starring role.

Plot

The film is set in 1917 and follows Violet, a girl growing up in a brothel in New Orleans’s Storyville district. Her life intersects with her mother, the prostitutes around her, and photographer Ernest Bellocq.

Production

Pretty Baby was directed by Louis Malle and written by Polly Platt, drawing on Al Rose’s history of Storyville and Bellocq’s photographs. It was released by Paramount Pictures in 1978.

Reception

The film attracted substantial controversy because of its subject matter, especially its portrayal of a child in a sexualized environment. Critics also noted its restrained, elegiac style and historical setting.

Cast and characters

Brooke Shields plays Violet, Keith Carradine plays Bellocq, and Susan Sarandon plays Violet’s mother Hattie. The supporting cast includes Frances Faye, Antonio Fargas, Diana Scarwid, and Barbara Steele.

Key facts

  • The film is set in Storyville, New Orleans, during the final months of legal prostitution there.
  • It centers on Violet, a 12-year-old girl living in a brothel with her mother.
  • The film stars Brooke Shields as Violet, with Keith Carradine and Susan Sarandon in supporting roles.
  • Its source material includes historian Al Rose’s 1974 book about Storyville and the real-life photographer Ernest Bellocq.
  • The title comes from the Tony Jackson song “Pretty Baby,” which appears on the soundtrack.
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Canadian context

Pretty Baby has relevance for Canadian readers as a major example of controversial late-1970s international art-house cinema and as a film by Louis Malle, whose work circulated widely in Canadian film culture and repertory screenings.

Frequently asked questions

What is Pretty Baby about?
It is about a 12-year-old girl named Violet who grows up in a Storyville brothel in 1917 New Orleans.
Who directed Pretty Baby?
Louis Malle directed the film.
Who wrote Pretty Baby?
Polly Platt wrote the screenplay.
Who stars in Pretty Baby?
The main cast includes Brooke Shields, Keith Carradine, and Susan Sarandon.
Is Pretty Baby based on a true story?
It is based partly on historical material about Storyville and on the life and photographs of Ernest Bellocq.
Why is Pretty Baby notable?
It is remembered for its controversial depiction of child exploitation and for Brooke Shields’s early lead performance.

References

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretty_Baby_(1978_film)
    Supports: Director, writer, cast, setting, source material, and title origin
  2. Turner Classic Movies — https://www.tcm.com/articles/218277/pretty-baby-1978
    Supports: Plot, cast, screenplay credit, and Storyville setting
  3. RogerEbert.com — https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/pretty-baby
    Supports: Critical description of the film and its controversial subject matter
  4. IMDb — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078111/
    Supports: Release year, plot summary, and principal cast
  5. Rotten Tomatoes — https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pretty_baby
    Supports: Director, writer, genre, rating, runtime, and synopsis
  6. Apple TV — https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/pretty-baby/umc.cmc.2yqsble2bqd6qrwyt8l7kd5hn
    Supports: Runtime, synopsis, and principal cast