Baby Doll (1956)

In the stifling heat of Tiger Tail County, Mississippi, lies a story of twisted love, deceit, and rivalry. Middle-aged Archie Lee Meighan is bound by an unorthodox marital agreement to his naive and flirtatious nineteen-year-old wife, "Baby Doll" Meighan, née McCargo. Living in a decaying mansion, their odd union, far from a typical tale of love, is a transaction where both parties seek something from the other. Baby Doll’s provocative innocence teases Archie and fuels his anticipation for her upcoming twentieth birthday - the day he has been promised to consummate their marriage. However, beneath Baby Doll's youthful facade and playfully sexual demeanor, lies a woman unsure about the impending consummation, a fact she masks by sleeping in a nursery crib, embracing her 'baby doll' persona. The now-deceased father of Baby Doll had agreed to the marriage only if Archie could promise his daughter a life of financial security, a promise symbolized by the grandeur of the most splendid house in the South. Archie’s dreams of providing Baby Doll with the life she desires crumble when his cotton ginning business is threatened by the arrival of the cunning Sicilian, Silva Vacarro. Vacarro's innovative cotton-spinning machine has turned the tables in the cotton industry, leaving Archie and his fellow businessmen floundering in his wake. A spark of hope ignites for Archie when Vacarro's cotton gin mysteriously burns down - an act Vacarro is sure was orchestrated by Archie. Intrigued by the peculiar dynamics of the Meighan's marriage, Vacarro weaves himself into their lives. He manipulates Baby Doll's naiveté and uses her to strike back at Archie, setting the stage for a fiery battle of wills. As the tension rises, morality blurs, and the boundaries of love, lust, and revenge intertwine, culminating on the eve of Baby Doll's twentieth birthday. The simmering duel between Archie Lee and Vacarro, with Baby Doll caught in the crossfire, forms the crux of the story, leaving a trail of chaos and shocking revelations in its wake.

Baby Doll is a drama movie featuring Karl Malden and directed by Elia Kazan.

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