Principal Cast
| Actor | Role | Age at Release | |-----------|----------|--------------------| | Brooke Shields | Violet | 12 (filmed at 11–12) | | Keith Carradine | Bellocq | 29 | | Susan Sarandon | Hattie | 32 | | Frances Faye | Madame Nell | 66 | | Antonio Fargas | Professor (piano player) | 32 | pretty baby 1978 starring brooke shields portable
Key Crew
Set in 1917 New Orleans, Pretty Baby tells the story of Violet (Brooke Shields), a 12-year-old girl living in a high-class brothel run by the elegant Madame Nell (Frances Faye). Violet’s mother, Hattie (Susan Sarandon), is a prostitute who is courted by a photographer, Bellocq (Keith Carradine). Principal Cast | Actor | Role | Age
When Hattie marries and leaves the brothel, Violet—innocent yet aware of her surroundings—is auctioned off to a wealthy client for her “virginity.” She then becomes a prostitute herself. Bellocq, fascinated by her youth and spirit, buys a contract to keep her for himself, leading to a complicated relationship that blurs the line between guardian, lover, and artist. Bellocq, fascinated by her youth and spirit, buys
The film is a slow, atmospheric character study, not a melodrama. It ends ambiguously, with Violet ultimately choosing to leave with Bellocq as a form of escape, though the power dynamics remain troubling.
Watching Pretty Baby on a portable device changes the relationship. On a big screen, it is a historical epic of decay. On an iPad or phone, it becomes a personal, invasive document.