Pretty Baby - 1978 - Starring Brooke Shields - ... May 2026

Pretty Baby is a 1978 American historical drama film. It is most famous for launching the career of a then-12-year-old Brooke Shields. 🎬 Movie Overview Release Year: Louis Malle Screenwriter: Polly Platt

(Ernest J. Bellocq): Based on a real-life historical photographer, Carradine plays a man fascinated by the residents of Storyville, documenting a world that was on the verge of disappearing. The Legacy of Controversy Pretty Baby - 1978 - Starring Brooke Shields - ...

The Controversy: Art or Exploitation?

From the moment of its release, Pretty Baby was a battleground. Critics were sharply divided. Roger Ebert gave the film three stars, acknowledging its beauty but noting the “uneasy” feeling it provoked. Others, like Gene Siskel, were more condemning, questioning the ethics of filming a child in such scenarios. Pretty Baby is a 1978 American historical drama film

• Pretty Baby 1978 controversy
• Brooke Shields early career
• Louis Malle filmography