Reviewed by Geno McGahee
There were a lot of strange movies that came out of the 1970s and I can’t think of many stranger than the 1973 film “THE BABY.” When I heard that this filmed surrounded a grown man acting like a baby, I didn’t have high hopes, but as I searched Netflix, I just couldn’t find anything else. I was just in an adult baby mood I guess. Haven’t you just ever been in one of those I want to see a man act like a baby moods? No? Just me? I don’t like what you’re implying there mister.
Ann Gentry (Anjanette Comer) is a social worker that has been assigned to the Wadsworth family, and the case of “Baby,” the mentally challenged son of Mrs. Wadsworth (Ruth Roman). Gentry fights like hell to help Baby, but gets resistance from Mrs. Wadsworth and her two hot daughters. Wow, it’s been thirty-five years since this movie was released and it may be safe to say that that the two hot daughters are no longer hot, but they are now probably in their fifties and some women that age look pretty good, right? Alba Wadsworth (Susanne Zenor) in now in her sixties, but at this time, she was a knockout and she abuses her brother Baby very well with a cattle prod. Her performance was outstanding and actually all of the actors in this film do an incredible job.
I was curious to know why they named him “Baby,” which has to be his name because Ann refers to him as such and therefore, it’s not just a nickname, but his actual name. Did they know that he was going to end up like this? Did they change his name legally when they realized that he had a baby’s mentality? I don’t know, but it was pretty strange to name a male “Baby.”
The struggle between the Wadsworths and Ann is very compelling and there is a mysterious and creepy tone that forces you to watch this from beginning to end. The performance by Ruth Roman was hilarious and when she was dancing and smiling, pretending to be nice to convince Ann that she is the loving parent of Baby and could take care of him, I was very amused. I was even more amused because she looked like my cousin in drag.
A physical and violent battle ensues between Ann and family Wadsworth over Baby, and when (spoiler) Ann wins this conflict, we get treated to a big surprise that is as funny as anything else in the movie…maybe even more so.
THE BABY is a funny movie and is about as strange as it gets with great performances, hot chicks, adult men acting like babies, and big smiles from mentally challenged people who have their heads wrapped in bandages. It definitely won’t scare you but if you don’t laugh, then there is something wrong with you. Maybe if you do laugh there’s something wrong with you. Maybe there’s something wrong with me.
Scared Stiff Rating: 7/10. Don’t be a Baby.
