Contains Nudity
Pretty Baby is a 1978 American historical drama film directed by Louis Malle, written by Polly Platt, and starring Brooke Shields, Keith Carradine, and Susan Sarandon. Set in 1917, it focuses on a 12-year-old girl being raised in a brothel in Storyville, the red-light district of New Orleans, by her prostitute mother. Barbara Steele, Diana Scarwid, and Antonio Fargas appear in supporting roles.
The film is based on the true account of a young girl who was sexually exploited by being groomed to engage in prostitution as a child, a theme that was recounted in historian Al Rose’s 1974 book Storyville, New Orleans: Being an Authentic Illustrated Account of the Notorious Red-Light District. It is also based on the life of photographer Ernest Bellocq, who photographed various New Orleans prostitutes in the early 20th century.
Filming took place on-location in New Orleans in the spring of 1977.
Although the film itself was mostly praised by critics, it caused significant public outcry and media controversy due to its depiction of child sexual exploitation, as well as the nude and semi-nude scenes featuring Shields, who was 11 years old at the time of filming, and whose character was a child being exploited for prostitution.
Shields maintained in later years that she “did not experience any distress or humiliation” while filming her nude scenes in the film. What she does remember was trying not to look as if she had “just sucked on a lemon” before her on-screen kiss with then-28-year-old Keith Carradine, adding that the actor was “so kind”.
Pretty Baby was, and still is one of the most controversial films, but it does not shy away from portraying an important story in the most accurate and thought-provoking way.
I have seen some pictures before, but cant remember seeing the clip. Good to see the character standing up for her self!