Plot

An immature, naive teenage bride holds her anxious husband at bay while flirting with an amorous Sicilian farmer.

Living in Tiger Tail County, Mississippi, middle-aged Archie Lee Meighan and 19-year-old "Baby Doll" Meighan née McCargo have been married for close to two years. Their marriage is not based on love, but on each getting what they want from the other. Their marriage agreement has them consummating their marriage on her 20th birthday, which is in three days, and she's not looking forward to it. But she does taunt him and other men with her overt "baby doll" sexuality, fostering the baby-doll aspect by sleeping in a crib in their house's nursery. Baby Doll's now-deceased father allowed the marriage on the stipulation that Archie Lee provide Baby Doll financial security as displayed by the most resplendent house in the south. They currently live in a dilapidated mansion with her Aunt Rose Comfort, and although Archie Lee is making some renovations on it, he no longer has the financial means to make it what Baby Doll wants as his cotton-ginning competitor, the recently-arrived Sicilian Silva Vacarro who runs the cotton plantation syndicate, has effectively put him and many others in the area out of business. The Meighans' fortunes could change after Vacarro's cotton gin burns down in a case of arson. Vacarro is certain Archie Lee is the arsonist. After meeting the Meighans and learning more about their marriage, Vacarro believes the way to get what he wants is through Baby Doll. This action begins the three-way battle of wills among Vacarro, Archie Lee, and Baby Doll.—Huggo

In Tiger Tail County, Mississippi, decadent middle-aged Archie Lee Meighan has been married to spoiled, stupid Baby Doll Meighan for two years and they've never consummated the marriage--Archie promised his dying father-in-law to wait until Baby Doll is 20 years old to have sex with her. They live in a dilapidated mansion with Baby Doll's aunt. When the Sicilian Silva Vacarro brings a new cotton-spinning machine to the county, Archie loses his business and is completely broken. On the eve of Baby Doll's 20th birthday, Archie Lee burns down Vacarro's machine. The Sicilian suspects that Archie is responsible for the criminal fire and heads to Archie's property to use his old machine. While Archie is buying a cylinder to replace a damaged one in the machine, Vacarro seduces the despicable Baby Doll and forces her to sign a confession that Archie has burnt his equipment. When Archie returns home, he gets crazy with the situation.—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Director Elia Kazan's 1956 take on Tennessee Williams' ribald tale of a Mississippi child bride and the two men who lust after her was scandalous in its time, and is still steamy today. Times are tough for cotton-miller Archie (Karl Malden) but at least he has his child bride (Carroll Baker), who'll soon be his wife in title and truth. The one-year agreement keeping them under the same roof, yet never in the same bed, is about to end. But a game with a sly business rival (Eli Wallach) is about to begin. In Baby Doll, as in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), director Elia Kazan and writer Tennessee Williams broke new ground in depicting sexual situations--earning condemnation by the then-powerful Legion of Decency. They also earned laurels: four Academy Award nominations, Golden Globe Awards for Baker and Kazan, and a British Academy Award for Wallach. Watch this steamy classic that still sizzles.—Anonymous

Archie Lee Meighan, middle-aged cotton gin owner, can hardly wait for the 20th birthday of his childish bride Baby Doll, when he'll be allowed to consummate the marriage...he thinks. But rival owner Silva Vaccaro suspects Archie of burning his gin down, and takes an erotic form of Sicilian vengeance.—Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>

Archie Lee Meighan (Karl Malden), a middle aged cotton gin owner, lives with his teen bride, Baby Doll (Carroll Baker) and her eccentric Aunt Rose Comfort (Mildred Dunnock) in a dilapidated plantation house in Tiger's Tail County, Mississippi. Archie Lee and Baby Doll have yet to consummate their marriage; they have separate bed rooms, with Baby Doll sleeping in an oversized crib in hers. Archie Lee desperately wants to but Baby Doll keeps him at arm's length. But on her 20th birthday -- one day away -- Baby Doll has promised to give her virginity to Archie Lee. She and Archie Lee fight a lot, and she threatens to leave him and live in a hotel in town if he doesn't provide for her. The situation boils over when the furniture company repossesses their furniture.

Archie Lee's business is in terrible straits. All of the cotton fields are now working with the Syndicate Gin run by a Sicilian, Silva Vaccaro (Eli Wallach). Vaccaro has put many local business owners out of work with his large operation. One night, during a party in honor of the Syndicate Gin, Archie Lee burns the gin house to the ground. When the local authorities refuse to pursue an investigation because Vaccaro is an outsider, Vaccaro vows to take matters into his own hands. He realizes that Archie Lee was the only person not at the party and determines to prove his guilt.

The next day Vaccaro takes his cotton to Archie Lee to have it ginned. While Archie Lee tries to get his antiquated machinery working, Vaccaro flirts with Baby Doll. She lets slip that, contrary to what he had told Vaccaro a few minutes earlier, Archie Lee was not at home at the time of the fire. Becoming suspicious of Vaccaro's intentions, Baby Doll goes to Archie Lee for protection. But he is upset because his gin has broken down. Vaccaro demands that Archie Lee go wherever he has to to find a replacement part. Archie Lee agrees and immediately leaves. Vaccaro sends an associate to get the replacement out of Vaccaro's own storehouse then continues to pursue Baby Doll.

Baby Doll believes the plantation house is haunted. Vaccaro playfully uses this to "scare" Baby Doll and eventually get her to lower her guard. They play hide and seek, and Baby Doll hides in the attic. The floorboards are dangerously loose. Vaccaro, now forceful and angry, tells Baby Doll that she can't come out of the attic until she agrees to sign his handwritten "affidavit" that Archie Lee burned down the gin house. Baby Doll signs it. Vaccaro lets her out and prepares to leave. But Baby Doll persuades him to stay and take a nap with her in the crib, one of the few pieces of furniture left in the house.

Archie Lee returns with the part and is angered and embarrassed to discover that Vaccaro has begun to take over his business. These emotions are only amplified when he discovers Baby Doll lounging around the house with Vaccaro, he still curled up in that oversized crib, she clad only in her slip. Baby Doll suggests that Vaccaro is interested in becoming partners with Archie Lee and suggests they discuss it over dinner. When Archie Lee sneaks away to make a phone call to friends in hopes they will come over to he house and help him deal with Vaccaro, Baby Doll kisses Vaccaro. Over dinner, she and Vaccaro taunt Archie Lee about his poor luck and flirt openly. When Archie Lee tries to take his anger out on Aunt Rose by threatening to evict her from the house, Vaccaro offers to hire her as his cook.

Humiliated, Archie Lee loads his shotgun to kill Vaccaro. While Baby Doll calls the police, Vaccaro hides in a tree. Drunk, Archie Lee wanders the house and front yard looking for Vaccaro but can't find him. When the police arrive, they disarm Archie Lee; when Vaccaro shows them the affidavit signed by Baby Doll, they arrest Archie Lee as well. Baby Doll hopes Vaccaro will stay with her but he is more interested in ensuring his cotton is processed and goes home. Resigned, Baby Doll leads Aunt Rose back into the plantation house, telling her they will have to see what tomorrow brings.