The Baby

1973 "What goes on in this nursery isn't for kids!"
6.1| 1h24m| PG| en| More Info
Released: 01 March 1973 Released
Producted By: Quintet Productions
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

A social worker who recently lost her husband investigates the strange Wadsworth family. The Wadsworths might not seem too unusual to hear about them at first - consisting of the mother, two grown daughters and the diaper-clad, bottle-sucking baby. The problem is, the baby is twenty-one years old.

Genre

Horror, Thriller

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The Baby (1973) is now streaming with subscription on AMC+

Director

Ted Post

Production Companies

Quintet Productions

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The Baby Audience Reviews

Fluentiama Perfect cast and a good story
Exoticalot People are voting emotionally.
FeistyUpper If you don't like this, we can't be friends.
Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.
Michael Ledo This is a cult classic, that is a bit odd, slow at times, but stay with it. "Baby" is an adult male (David Mooney) being taken care of as a baby. He is "retarded" (they use the "R" word and have a powder blue dial up phone). Mrs. Gentry (Anjanette Comer) is the case worker who takes a special interest in baby to the dismay of his 2 sisters and mother (Ruth Roman).While the film is odd, the entertainment value is quirky and soft by today's standards. It isn't until the end twist, I no way no how saw coming in spite of the sparse clues, that I came to appreciate the production. However, now that I know how it ends, the re-watch factor is low.Guide: No f-word or nudity. Implied sex.
MartinHafer The early to mid-1970s were not a good period in the career of Ruth Roman. Although she'd been in some prestige films over the years (such as Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train"), by the 70s she started appearing in schlock pictures--such as "The Baby" and the supremely awful "Impulse". Her TV work at the time on shows like "Police Woman" and "Kung Fu" was vastly superior to her roles in films--though this really isn't saying much. It's a shame, as she was a decent actress--but one whose career had fallen on hard times.The film is rather embarrassing to watch---but it's also like a train wreck. You just can't stop watching and the film is clever despite its awfulness. It begins with an eager social worker stopping by a STRANGE household. It seems the mother (Roman) has three adult children--the youngest of which (age 20) acts exactly like a 6 month-old child! It's very creepy and only gets creepier when the caseworker begins to dig deeper. At first the family seems cooperative but as the film progresses it gets crazier and crazier--so crazy that you need to see this to believe it.Overall, it's a bit uneven--ranging from very creative to a bit clichéd. The most serious is when the family threatens the social worker and behaves horribly (having made allegations of impropriety by the caseworker). The caseworker then goes to a party at their home and brings along no escort for protection nor does she tell her superiors where she is going! Can anyone be THAT stupid?! I hate horror films with such huge and obvious plot problems that SHOULD have been worked out before the film was shot. Also, the family's about-face from VERY threatening and inappropriate to sweet as sugar is just too fast and only an idiot would fall for this! Weak...very, very weak. But, one thing that DID impress me was something no one ever does in this sort of film--when she escapes their clutches, she stops to puncture the clan's tires--now THAT'S good writing! But what happens next....that I didn't expect!! Again, it's uneven and seldom makes sense....but it IS compelling to watch.So is "The Baby" worth seeing? Well, it's NOT the sort of film to watch with your kids, your mother or anyone you want to impress. It's a guilty pleasure and is amazingly sick and twisted--and folks' opinions of you might drop a bit if they know you watch this sort of movie! Subtle? No way...but also entertaining providing you can stand to watch it! And definitely one of a kind!! By the way, I was just thinking that if the caseworker lived in such a HUGE and luxurious house, why did she drive a crappy old Dodge Dart? I used to drive one and it's certainly NOT something I'd drive unless I had few other options!
Leonard Smalls: The Lone Biker of the Apocalypse I went into this one totally blind- I was actually expecting a cheeseball, low budget ripoff of "Rosemary's Baby." Boy was I mistaken.This movie is totally strange and uniquely disturbing; and I mean that in a good way. The image of the baby playing ball and trying to stand up will be forever burned into my psyche. The day after viewing, I found myself thinking of his awkward movements and his upsetting cries.Nice little twist at the end- not on the level of some flicks today. but hey for '73, it definitely impressed me.Recommended for fans of early John Waters, 70's TV horror movies, etc. Would make a good double feature with "Bad Boy Bubby." 8 out of 10, kids.
ashley wetherall They just don't make them like this any more.And to be honest, I don't think they'd be allowed to. The Baby is one of the strangest most warped, politically incorrect movies ever made. But strangely its made like a TV movie, so it catches the viewer off guard. The plot concerns a social worker Anne Gentry played by Anjanette Corner and her encounter with the Wadsworth family and they're 21 year old Baby,with whom she become obsessed.Anne believes that Baby is being abused and plans to save baby from the Wadsworth clan. But in this film nothing is what it seems.The family consists Ma, Played with relish by Ruth Roman. She's a female version of George C Scott, big with a whiskey rasping voice. Her oldest daughter Germaine played by Marianna Hill in a very complex performance. You almost feel sorry for her sadly unhinged character. Then you have Alba, sadistically played by Susanne Zenor, blonde with crazed eyes. The last member of the family is Baby Played by David Mooney who puts in a very carefully measured performance that never becomes parody or comical.As I said earlier the movie starts out like your usual 1970s TV thriller, even the score by Gerald Fried is slightly sad and melancholy.But as the film progresses it becomes darker , more twisted even during the lighter moments. The subject matter is twisted, but because the cast plays it straight you find that the film gets under your skin, you have to see it though to the end, and what an end.There are lots of twists, the last of which is truly jaw dropping. I found myself watching this film many times over the years and I found that none of the twists were their for convenience sake. When the end credits roll you may find your these questions.1. Why don't they make movies like this anymore. 2. Why didn't the director writer and actors in this movie go on to bigger things instead of making dodgy 70s television shows. 3. I hope they never remake The Baby.And finally… 4. I wish they would bring out a re-mastered edition with special features on DVD. Because when it comes to 70s Thrillers. The Baby is in a class of its own.