Baby Doll (1956) ****

While it may not be as controversial as it was upon its release (an effort to ban the film was carried out by the Roman Catholic advocacy group the National Legion of Decency), Elia Kazan's Baby Doll (1956) (Tennessee Williams' first solo screenplay) remains a fantastic, fearless, and sexually frank film. 

Williams' dialogue is awkward, funny, and it's fascinating to watch the power struggle at play. Carroll Baker is luminous, Karl Marlden is incendiary, and Eli Wallach is magnetic—all three give some of their best performances. Kazan's expert direction and Boris Kaufman's beautiful cinematography create a truly lived-in world that sets the perfect backdrop for this saucy southern drama.

You can find my Elia Kazan Feature Films Ranked list here.
You can find my Tennessee Williams Feature Film Adaptations Ranked list here.