: Archie Lee Meighan (Karl Malden) has married the 19-year-old Baby Doll (Carroll Baker) on the condition that they do not consummate the marriage until her 20th birthday.
: The Catholic National Legion of Decency gave it a "C" (Condemned) rating, calling it "grievously offensive". Cardinal Francis Spellman of New York personally denounced it from the pulpit, leading to a boycott that saw the film pulled from nearly 77% of its scheduled theaters . Baby Doll (1956)
The film was the subject of a massive "cause célèbre" due to its suggestive themes. : Archie Lee Meighan (Karl Malden) has married
: Much of the furor centered on a scene between Baker and Wallach on a swing; because Wallach's hands are out of frame, audiences speculated on what was occurring beneath the surface—though the actors later noted the tight framing was actually to hide heaters used during the cold shoot. Production and Legacy The film was the subject of a massive
: The film's approval by the Production Code Administration (PCA) despite religious protests helped signal the decline of the strict Hays Code, eventually leading to the modern MPAA rating system.