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95-763: Filmed in Mississippi in late 1955, Baby Doll was released in December 1956. It provoked significant controversy, mostly because of its implied sexual themes, and the National Legion of Decency condemned the film. Despite the moral objections, Baby Doll enjoyed a mostly favorable response from critics and earned numerous accolades, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Director for Kazan and nominations for four other Golden Globe awards, four Academy Awards and four BAFTA Awards . Wallach won

190-452: A "C" rating were foreign films. Since it reviewed films when released for distribution, the Legion usually rated non-U.S. films a few years after their first release in their country of origin, occasionally years after. One such film was Jean Renoir 's 1938 La Bête Humaine about a homicidal alcoholic. Frank S. Nugent , film critic for The New York Times , said even though he gave the film

285-717: A brilliant and astute scenario by Tennessee Williams with a great invention and the most subtle insight...There are no bad performances, and those of Carroll Baker as Baby Doll and Eli Wallach as the Sicilian are outstanding." Not all reviews were positive. Edwin Schallert of the Los Angeles Times wrote that the film "offers an experience so basically sordid, and so trying besides, that if one does not manage to laugh at its fantastic ribaldry, he will think that he has spent two hours in bedlam." Harrison's Reports called

380-453: A generally favorable review that Tennessee Williams "has written his trashy, vicious people so that they are clinically interesting...But Mr. Kazan's pictorial compositions, got in stark black-and-white and framed for the most part against the background of an old Mississippi mansion, are by far the most artful and respectable feature of 'Baby Doll.'" Variety wrote that Kazan "probably here turns in his greatest directing job to date" and praised

475-611: A list drawn up by the Federation of Catholic Alumnae. During the early years, the Legion established a rating system that assessed films based on their moral content. The films were graded on a scale from "A" to "C," with “A” being morally permissible and “C” being morally unacceptable, or, "condemned." One of the first foreign films condemned was the 1933 Czechoslovak erotic romantic drama Ecstasy which featured an eighteen-year-old Hedy Lamarr swimming nude and chasing naked after her runaway horse, as well as an illicit affair and

570-507: A list of subjects and storylines they promised to avoid. However, there was no method of enforcement if a studio film violated the Thirteen Points content restrictions, and NAMPI proved ineffective. After several risqué films and a series of notorious off-screen scandals involving Hollywood stars, political pressure was increasing, with legislators in 37 states introducing almost one hundred movie censorship bills in 1921. Faced with

665-478: A loose set of guidelines for filmmakers, to get the movie industry to self-regulate the issues that the censorship boards had been created to address. "The Formula" requested that studios send synopses of films being considered to the MPPDA for review. This effort largely failed, however, as studios were under no obligation to send their scripts to Hays's office, nor to follow his recommendations. In 1927, Hays oversaw

760-890: A matter of policy. In 1938, the league requested that the Pledge of the Legion of Decency be administered each year on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8). United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office for Film and Broadcasting was an office of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and is best known for the USCCB film rating , a continuation of the National Legion of Decency rating system begun in 1933 by Archbishop of Cincinnati John T. McNicholas , OP . After

855-595: A mega-sports complex for young athletes. The Winterville Mounds Historic Site , with more than twelve earthwork mounds constructed by people of the Plaquemine Mississippian culture , is a survival north of the county seat of the deep indigenous history along the Mississippi River. This culture was particularly prominent from 13th to the 15th centuries, long before European exploration. Earthwork mounds were built by peoples in this area from

950-598: A nap in Baby Doll's crib, and is invited for supper at Baby Doll's request as a storm approaches. Archie, drunk and jealous of Baby Doll's romantic interest in Vacarro, angrily tells Aunt Rose she needs to move out of the house; Vacarro immediately offers to let her live with him as his cook, and Baby Doll and he flirt with each other and taunt Archie. After Vacarro confronts Archie with the affidavit, Archie retrieves his shotgun and chases Vacarro outside while Baby Doll calls

1045-473: A new site (the third, current Greenville) three miles away, at the highest point on the Mississippi River between the towns of Vicksburg and Memphis . Much of the land belonged to the Roach and Blanton families; the major part of the area selected was within property owned by Mrs. Harriet Blanton Theobald . She welcomed the idea of a new Greenville, and donated land for schools, churches and public buildings. She

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1140-462: A number of the items listed would become part of the later Code. Martin J. Quigley was publisher of Exhibitors Herald-World (a trade magazine for independent exhibitors). Daniel A. Lord was a Jesuit priest who had served as one of the technical consultants on Cecil B. DeMille 's 1927 The King of Kings . Quigley drafted Lord to write a code for motion pictures. With the blessing of Cardinal George W. Mundelein of Chicago, Father Lord authored

1235-522: A positive review, he felt uncomfortable watching it. "It is hardly a pretty picture, dealing as it does with a man whose tainted blood subjects him to fits of homicidal mania,... Sitting here, a safe distance from it, we are not at all sure we entirely approve of it or its telling." Sometimes the Hollywood studios would work with the Legion to avoid a "C" rating that might harm a film's distribution and profitability. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer made revisions to

1330-579: A second just west of the city near the Greenville Bridge known as Harlow's Casino Resort. Chicago Mill and Lumber Co. operated a lumber mill on the lake two-tenths of a mile south of the casino levee parking lot; the mill specialized in making hardwood boxes until it closed. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 27.7 square miles (72 km ), of which 26.9 square miles (70 km )

1425-1003: A small portion of the city lies in the Western Line School District . Greenville High School is the public high school of the Greenville district, while O'Bannon High School serves Western Line residents. The private schools, Washington School and Greenville Christian School , also serve the city, as well as St. Joseph Catholic School (K-12), a parochial school which is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jackson . The diocese formerly operated Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School, which merged into St. Joseph in 2016. The Greenville Higher Education Center offers non-credit community courses and credit courses from Delta State University , Mississippi Delta Community College (MDCC), and Mississippi Valley State University . All of Washington County

1520-610: A suicide. This was not a particularly difficult decision. After a Vatican journalist attended a screening at the Venice Film Festival, Pope Pius XI denounced it in the Vatican newspaper. Criticized by women's groups, it was also banned by the Pennsylvania state censor. The Legion also published and distributed pamphlets and fliers encouraging Catholics not to view certain films it viewed as immoral. The Legion

1615-447: A swinging chair, Wallach's character was fondling Baby Doll underneath her dress because his hands are not visible in the frame. According to both Baker and Wallach, the scene was intentionally filmed as such because Kazan had placed heaters all around them in the cold weather. The film was banned in many countries, including Sweden , because of "exaggerated sexual content." It also was condemned by Time , which called it "just possibly

1710-403: Is basically a child who Eli Wallach seduces through manipulation and guile. Maybe if Wallach had been played by a conventionally sexy actor... and/or Baker was more knowing, there would be an entirely different reading of the movie. As it is, Baby Doll is basically a film about a victim. The film was marketed as something titillating but when you watch it, the end result is far more complex." In

1805-594: Is currently provided by Contour Airlines with nonstop Embraer regional jet flights to Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and Nashville (BNA). U.S. Highway 61 , U.S. Highway 82 and the Great River Road ( Mississippi Highway 1 ) are the main transportation arteries through the Greenville area. U.S. Highway 82 is a major part of the Mississippi Delta's transportation network, as it connects to Interstate 55 and other major four-lane highways. In addition,

1900-645: Is in the service area of MDCC. Delta Democrat Times is the daily newspaper of the town. The Greenville Bucks were a minor-league baseball team in the Cotton States League from 1922 to 1955. The Greenville Bluesmen were an independent minor league professional baseball team from 1996–2001 in Greenville. The Mississippi Miracles , formerly the Mississippi Stingers , were an American Basketball Association franchise from 2004–2006 in Greenville. Greenville will become host to

1995-478: Is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km ) (2.82%) is water. As of the 2020 United States Census , there were 29,670 people, 12,142 households, and 7,405 families residing in the city. As of the 2013 American Community Survey , there were 33,928 people living in the city. 75.9% were African American , 21.7% White , 0.0% Native American , 0.8% Asian , 0.9% from some other race and 0.7% from two or more races . 1.2% were Hispanic or Latino of any race. As of

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2090-558: Is the ninth-most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi , and the largest city by population in the Mississippi Delta region. It is the county seat of Washington County . The population was 29,670 at the 2020 Census . This area was occupied by indigenous peoples for thousands of years. When the French explored here, they encountered the historic Natchez people . As part of their colony known as La Louisiane ,

2185-569: The Motion Picture Production Code . Hays appointed conservative Catholic Joseph Breen to head it. In 1957, Pope Pius XII issued the encyclical Miranda Prorsus ("The Remarkable Inventions"), which suggested that Catholics should be more concerned about encouraging good movies than condemning bad ones, an approach taken earlier by the National Board of Review. The Legion revised its ratings process, increased

2280-537: The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children , upon re-issuance, the licensees were prohibited from operating on Sunday. He further indicated his intention to revoke the license of any motion picture show "...on evidence that pictures have been exhibited by the licensees which tend to degrade or injure the morals of the community." In 1909, Charles Sprague Smith and about a dozen prominent individuals from

2375-516: The census of 2000, there were 41,633 people, 18,784 households, and 14,422 families living in the city. The population density was 1,548.8 inhabitants per square mile (598.0/km ). There were 16,251 housing units at an average density of 604.6 per square mile (233.4/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 28.92% White , 69.60% Black , 0.07% Native American , 0.71% Asian , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 0.20% from other races , and 0.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.71% of

2470-582: The "superb performances," concluding that the film "ranks as a major screen achievement and deserves to be recognized as such." Richard L. Coe of The Washington Post called it "one of the finest films of this or many another year, a chilling expose of what ignorance does to human beings...and an excellent example of why the Motion Picture Association should follow Britain's lead in classifying films into distinct categories for children and adults." John McCarten of The New Yorker praised

2565-454: The 1940 Strange Cargo and the Legion changed its rating to "unobjectionable for adults". Columbia Pictures removed fifteen lines of dialogue from This Thing Called Love and the Legion revised the rating to "B". (The film was banned in Ireland, Australia, and British Columbia). By the late fifties, films considered "problematic" were viewed by the Legion two or three times; first by

2660-490: The 1940s and 1950s to the flourishing club scene to hear Delta blues , big band , jump blues and jazz . Record companies came to Greenville to recruit talent. It was similar to Beale Street in mid-20th century Memphis . In the early 21st century, the Mississippi Blues Commission was established to commemorate this music in the state's history and culture. It has identified sites throughout

2755-450: The 1970s controversies grew surrounding the intense rating system and inconsistent reviews. Examples of films which received the A-IV rating include The Exorcist and Saturday Night Fever , two films whose content was seen by many as being exaggerated by the mainstream press, perhaps leading to the wrong interpretations and false conclusions cited in the rating's full description. In 1995,

2850-526: The 1970s, Williams wrote the full-length stage play Tiger Tail , based on his screenplay for Baby Doll . The screenplay and stage play have been published in one volume. In 2015, the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey premiered a stage version of Baby Doll , adapted by Emily Mann , the theater's artistic director, and Pierre Laville, who had written an earlier version that premiered at

2945-577: The 9th century. The people in this region were influenced by the larger Mississippian culture , which built similar ceremonial sites throughout the Mississippi Valley and its tributaries. The historic Natchez people are considered the only contemporary surviving group of the Mississippian culture at the time of European exploration. The Winterville Mounds has been designated as a state park and National Historic Landmark . A museum on

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3040-619: The BAFTA award for Most Promising Newcomer. Baby Doll has been listed by some film scholars as among the most notorious films of the 1950s, and The New York Times included it in its Guide to the Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made . In the Mississippi Delta , bigoted, middle-aged cotton gin owner Archie Lee Meighan has been married to pretty, naïve 19-year-old "Baby Doll" Meighan for nearly two years. Archie Lee impatiently waits for her 20th birthday, when, by prior agreement with her now-deceased father,

3135-531: The Code was to avoid direct government intervention. Tasked with enforcing the code was the Studio Relations Committee, which very soon was overwhelmed by the number of films to view. The committee had a small staff and not much influence. Without the power to compel the editing of content deemed problematic, it was left with attempting to persuade the studios to make changes. From 1930 to 1934,

3230-597: The Delta as part of the Mississippi Blues Trail . Southern Whispers Restaurant on Nelson Street in Greenville was the second site identified on this trail; this was a stop on the Chitlin' Circuit in the early days of the blues. The historic marker in front of the restaurant commemorates its importance in the history of the blues in Mississippi. In 2020 the city ordered churches to shut down to prevent

3325-628: The French established a settlement at what became Natchez, Mississippi . Other Native American tribes also lived in what is now known as Mississippi. The current city of Greenville is the third in the State to bear the name. The first, (known as Old Greenville ) located to the south near Natchez , was the Jefferson County seat from 1803-1825 but became defunct soon after the American Revolution , as European-American settlement

3420-642: The Greenwood–Greenville rail line for freight traffic. North of Greenville, the Great River Railroad 's line to Rosedale branches off. Circa 2008 there were ten grocery stores operated by ethnic Chinese people . There were 42 such stores in the city in 1951, but since then there had been a flight of ethnic Chinese from the Delta. Most of Greenville is served by the Greenville Public School District , while

3515-428: The Legion was 1935's The Pace That Kills , which dealt with cocaine addiction, amorality and prostitution. For the first few decades, the Legion had a significant influence on the entertainment industry. Their influence stemmed from the popularity of their rating system, their skillful lobbying, and the circulation of a pledge at church services. From the 1930s through the 1960s, Catholic parishes in dioceses across

3610-405: The Legion would often diminish a film's chances for success because it meant the population of Catholics, some twenty million strong at the time (plus their Protestant allies), would avoid attending any screening of the film. The efforts to help parishioners avoid films with objectionable content sometimes backfired when it was found that they helped draw attention to those films. Although the Legion

3705-488: The Legion's classifications." In 1965, The National Legion of Decency was reorganized as the National Catholic Office for Motion Pictures (NCOMP). In 1980, NCOMP ceased operations, along with the biweekly Review, which by then had published ratings for 16,251 feature films. From the early days of cinema, the motion picture industry made several attempts to self-regulate the content of films to avoid

3800-520: The MPAA. Response to the film from Catholic laity was mixed, and Episcopal bishop James A. Pike argued that The Ten Commandments contained more "sensuality" than did Baby Doll . According to Baker, the cast and crew were unaware that the material would be perceived as controversial. The main reason for the backlash was believed to be the seduction scene between Baker and Wallach. Speculation arose among some audiences that during their scene together on

3895-682: The NCOMP failed to exert as much influence over Hollywood as the Legion. The original ratings of: were subsequently expanded by separating "A" into: Additional categories of A-III , for adults only, and A-IV , for adults with reservations were later added. The Legion of Decency condemned several films for morally offensive content. This was reflected in a "C" rating. Practicing Catholics were directed to refrain from viewing such films. More explicitly, they were directed to "remain away from all motion pictures except those which do not offend decency and Christian morality." Most motion pictures receiving

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3990-540: The National Catholic Office of Motion Pictures was re-established in 1960, it later became the Office of Film and Broadcasting (OFB). The Office of Film and Broadcasting merged with the National Catholic Office for Radio and Television in 1980. Together they reviewed motion pictures, radio, and television using the same rating scale the original Legion of Decency did in the 1930s and 1940s. They shared

4085-520: The Production Code was only slightly effective in fighting back calls for federal censorship. The SRC was considered generally ineffective. Lord considered the code a failure. Catholic bishops and laypeople tended to be leery of federal censorship and favored the Hays approach of self-censorship, and the influence of public opinion. The Catholic Legion of Decency was organized in 1934  under

4180-947: The Théâtre de l’Atelier in Paris in 2009. The latest adaptation supplemented parts of the film script with material based on several others of Williams' works, including Tiger Tail. National Legion of Decency The National Legion of Decency, also known as the Catholic Legion of Decency , was a Catholic group founded in 1934 by the Archbishop of Cincinnati , John T. McNicholas , as an organization dedicated to identifying objectionable content in motion pictures on behalf of Catholic audiences. Members were asked to pledge to patronize only those motion pictures which did not "offend decency and Christian morality". The concept soon gained support from other churches. Condemnation by

4275-514: The U.S. Highway 82 bypass is being constructed to provide a transportation route at the southern end of the Delta, connecting at the new Mississippi River Bridge and ending near Leland. The four-lane Greenville Bridge , a $ 206 million cable-stayed span crossing the Mississippi River into Arkansas , opened in 2010, replacing the two-lane Benjamin G. Humphreys Bridge , which opened in 1940. The Columbus and Greenville Railway operates

4370-772: The United States still adhering to the original rating system. The organization had been run by the United States Catholic Conference in their Communications Department but was later joined with the National Conference of Catholic Bishops and renamed the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2001. The Office of Film and Broadcasting carried the same film rating system as the Legion of Decency. The rating "A" meant morally unobjectionable but falling into

4465-519: The auspices of Cincinnati Archbishop John T. McNicholas. Members were asked to sign a pledge promising to "remain away from all motion pictures except those which do not offend decency and Christian morality." The idea soon caught on with other churches. The Episcopal magazine The Living Church printed the pledge for its readers to sign. It was also promoted by the Protestant Detroit Council of Churches. As its influence spread,

4560-404: The average family size was 3.34. In the city, the population was spread out, with 31.4% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.5 males. The median income for a household in the city

4655-475: The cast as "uniformly commendable" and wrote that the plot machinations "add up to some hilarious French-style farce, and it is only at the conclusion of the piece, when Mr. Kazan starts moving his camera around in a preternaturally solemn way, that one's interest in 'Baby Doll' briefly wanes." The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote "Kazan has often fallen afoul of his own cleverness, but in Baby Doll he responds to

4750-432: The city was 59.41% (26,867) Black or African American , 39.54% (17,881) White , 0.08% (37) Native American , 0.41% (185) Asian , and 0.01% (4) from other races . 0.56% (252) were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Greenville Mid Delta Regional Airport , located in unincorporated Washington County , northeast of downtown Greenville, serves the city and the Mississippi Delta region. Commercial passenger air service

4845-490: The code, which later became known as "The Production Code ", "The Code", and "The Hays Code". It was presented to Will Hays in 1930 and privately circulated by the MPPDA. The studio heads were less than enthusiastic but after some revisions, agreed to make The Code the rule of the industry, albeit with many loopholes that allowed studio producers to override the Hays Office's application of it. One main reason in adopting

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4940-477: The country administered yearly pledges in which millions of Catholics throughout the U.S. vowed to refuse to watch films that were condemned by the Legion. "Although the Legion was never officially an organ of the Catholic Church, and its movie ratings were nonbinding, many Catholics were still guided by the Legion's classifications." With the Legion of Decency rating films independently, and pressure on

5035-536: The country saw a “C” rating as a reason to see a particular film. He argued that as a result of the Church’s liberalization after the Second Vatican Council , and a decline in the initial enthusiasm for the Legion, the Legion ceased to exist by the mid 1960s. In 1965, the Legion was restructured as the National Catholic Office for Motion Pictures (NCOMP), but scholars such as Skinner argue that

5130-411: The county was named. This Greenville was thriving hamlet in the antebellum years, as cotton plantations developed in the area generated high profits for major planters. They used indentured Whites, captured Indians and African slaves as farmhands on the plantations. Washington County's two previous county seats, New Mexico and Princeton , were located along the Mississippi River and had been eroded by

5225-428: The creation of a code of "Don'ts and Be Carefuls" for the industry. This list outlined the issues that movies could encounter in different localities. Again, despite Hays' efforts, studios largely ignored the "Don'ts and Be Carefuls," and by the end of 1929, the MPPDA received only about 20 percent of Hollywood scripts before production, and the number of regional and local censorship boards continued to increase. However,

5320-416: The creation of numerous state and municipal censorship boards. Most of these efforts were relatively ineffectual. On December 24, 1908, New York City Mayor George B. McClellan Jr. revoked all moving-picture exhibition licenses in the city pending inspection of the premises due to fire safety concerns regarding the highly flammable celluloid film. He stated that due to complaints from the city's clergy and

5415-520: The description was changed to films "which are not morally offensive in themselves but are not for casual viewing”. Ultimately, the Office of Film and Broadcasting shut down in 2010. The USCCB continues to voluntarily provide information and film ratings for Catholics through the Catholic News Service . The Catholic News Service also gives access to archived reviews dating from 2011 and prior. Greenville, Mississippi Greenville

5510-649: The dirtiest American-made motion picture that has ever been legally exhibited." Such heated objections and the ensuing publicity earned Baby Doll a reputation as one of the most notorious films of the 1950s. In its review of the film Variety wrote the film "should make a barrell of dough." Baby Doll premiered in New York City on December 18, 1956, opening the following week in Los Angeles on December 26 before receiving an expanded release on December 29. During its opening week at New York's Victoria Theater ,

5605-588: The fields of social work, religion, and education, formed a committee, under the auspices of the People's Institute at Cooper Union , to make recommendations to the Mayor's office concerning controversial films. Initially called the New York Board of Motion Picture Censorship it soon became known as the National Board of Motion Picture Censorship. To avoid government censorship of films, the National Board became

5700-475: The film "thoroughly unpleasant and distasteful screen fare, in spite of the fact that it is expertly directed and finely acted." The film holds a score of 83% on the review-aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes based on 23 reviews. Baby Doll courted controversy before its release with the display of a promotional billboard in New York City that depicted Baker lying in a crib and sucking her thumb. Cardinal Spellman urged both Catholics and non-Catholics to avoid

5795-401: The film earned promising box-office returns, totaling $ 51,232. However the film struggled to receive bookings in the wake of Catholic opposition (discussed below). In May 1957 Kazan claimed that the film would ultimately earn $ 5 million world wide and had already grossed $ 3 million, and estimated his production company, Newtown, would make $ 1 million from the film. However according to Variety

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5890-518: The film earned rentals of $ 2.3 million at the North American box office in 1957. Kazan later wrote in his memoirs, "People were reading that the film was breaking box office records. This was not true; the cardinal's attack hurt us. There'd be one good week, then a quick slide down. I never made a profit." Filmink argued this box office failure was in part because Carroll Baker's character "clearly doesn’t want to have sex with anyone. Baby Doll

5985-512: The film is based on Williams' one-act play 27 Wagons Full of Cotton , Elia Kazan claimed in his autobiography that Williams was only "half-heartedly" involved in the screenplay and that Kazan actually wrote most of it. Kazan cast Baby Doll using numerous alumni of the Actors Studio , including each of the principal cast members. Carroll Baker was Kazan's first choice for the title role, although Williams had considered Marilyn Monroe for

6080-525: The film was shooting in Benoit because of the way in which locals looked at him. Some locals were used for minor roles, and one called "Boll Weevil" acted and also served as the production unit's utility man. The working titles for the film included the name of the play and Mississippi Woman . Baker claims that Kazan changed the title to Baby Doll as a present to her. Reviews from critics were mostly positive. Bosley Crowther of The New York Times wrote in

6175-428: The film's December 18, 1956 premiere, and the Catholic Legion of Decency rated the film as a "C" ("Condemned") and deemed it "grievously offensive to Christian and traditional standards of morality and decency." The group succeeded in having the film withdrawn from numerous theaters. Variety noted that it was the first time in years that the Legion of Decency had condemned a major American film that had been approved by

6270-562: The film, deeming it a moral danger. Although Baby Doll received a seal of approval from the MPAA , Motion Picture Herald criticized the approval, noting: "Both the general principles of the Code and several specific stipulations are tossed aside in granting the film a Code seal. Among these, the law is ridiculed, there are sexual implications, vulgarity, and the words ' wop ' and ' nigger .'" Religious groups continued to apply pressure following

6365-521: The furniture in the house is repossessed, and Baby Doll threatens to leave. Archie's competitor, a Sicilian-American named Silva Vacarro—who is manager of a newer, more modern, and more profitable cotton gin—has taken away all of Archie's business. Archie retaliates by burning down Vacarro's gin that night. Suspecting Archie as the arsonist, Vacarro visits the farm the following day with truckloads of cotton, offering to pay Archie Lee to gin for him. Archie asks Baby Doll to entertain Vacarro while he supervises

6460-473: The grounds displays artifacts recovered in professional excavations and adds to the interpretation of this complex, and the park has walking trails. It is located about 3 miles north of the city. It can be reached at 2415 Highway 1 N. The movies Crossroads (1986) and The Reivers (1969) were filmed in Greenville. Also, the 1975 song " Mississippi " by the Dutch band Pussycat mentions Greenville throughout

6555-555: The image of the movie industry in the wake of the Arbuckle scandal and amid growing calls by primarily Protestant groups for federal censorship of the movies. "Hiring Hays to “clean up the pictures” was, at least in part, a public relations ploy, and much was made of his conservative credentials, including his roles as a Presbyterian deacon and past chairman of the Republican Party." In 1924, Hays instituted "The Formula",

6650-641: The industry from several Protestant and women's groups, Hays, who had been in charge of enforcing the voluntary code since 1927, worried that the NLD's efforts could weaken his power and that of his office and hurt industry profits. Several states continued to have state censors, and the Archdiocese of Chicago maintained its own list of film ratings. The MPPDA created a new department, the Production Code Administration (PCA), to administer

6745-432: The marriage can finally be consummated. In the meantime, she sleeps in a crib, because the only other bedroom furniture in the house is the bed in which Archie sleeps; Archie, an alcoholic, spies on her through a hole in a wall. Baby Doll's senile Aunt Rose Comfort lives in the house as well, much to Archie's chagrin. After Archie defaulte on payments to a furniture-leasing company due to his failing cotton gin, virtually all

6840-448: The members of its ratings panel with individuals knowledgeable in film and communication arts, and added two new ratings categories: A-III , for adults only, and A-IV , for adults with reservations. Professor James Skinner wrote that by the late 1950s and early to mid-1960s, the Legion was beginning to lose its influence both within Hollywood and within the Catholic Church. Skinner noted that in some cases, young Catholics throughout

6935-500: The newly formed Issaquena County, the not-yet established second Greenville was designated to be the future county seat and finally became so upon its founding in 1847. American William W. Blanton filed for land from the United States government and was granted section four, township eighteen, range eight west; this plot now constitutes most of current downtown Greenville (the third). It was named by its founders for General Nathanael Greene , friend of President George Washington , for whom

7030-423: The organization adopted the name National Legion of Decency (NLD). Initially, the Legion of Decency provided no official guide to good and bad films but left it up to individual priests and bishops to determine what was or was not morally acceptable. Some Catholics proposed announcing only lists of films approved for viewing so as not to publicize the names of films judged unsuitable. The Diocese of Brooklyn used

7125-526: The part. Williams favored Baker after she performed a scene from his script at the Actors Studio. Kazan had been impressed by her performance in All Summer Long on Broadway the year prior. Eli Wallach was cast in his first screen role but was hesitant, as he was unfamiliar with film acting and lacked confidence in his ability. Although racial segregation was still present in Mississippi at

7220-438: The police. The police arrive, and Archie is arrested when Vacarro presents them with the affidavit. Vacarro then leaves the farm, telling Baby Doll he will be back the following day with more cotton. As Archie is taken away by the police, remarking that it is Baby Doll's birthday, Baby Doll and her Aunt Rose return inside the house to await Vacarro's return. Although the film's title card reads "Tennessee Williams' Baby Doll" and

7315-411: The population. There were 14,784 households, out of which 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.8% were married couples living together, 27.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.5% were non-families. Of all households, 25.8% were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and

7410-478: The prospect of having to comply with hundreds, and potentially thousands, of inconsistent and easily changed decency laws to show their movies, the studios chose self-regulation as the preferable option. In 1922, the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA) was formed. Will H. Hays was named the association's first president. The goal of the organization was to rehabilitate

7505-640: The region's plantations. In 1830 the United States Congress passed the Indian Removal Act , which authorized the government to make treaties to extinguish Native American land claims in exchange for lands west of the Mississippi River. They forced most of the Southeastern tribes to Indian Territory during the following decade. After it became necessary to move the county seat of Washington County in 1844 due to loss of land to

7600-401: The same goal, which was to rid the screen of stories that lowered traditional moral standards and persuaded people, especially young people to accept false principles of conduct. By 1990 the National Catholic Office for Radio and Television collapsed leaving the Office of Film and Broadcasting to review strictly motion pictures. The Office of Film and Broadcasting worked to review every movie in

7695-485: The spread of COVID-19 and issued citations and fines to those attending a drive-in church gathering. The U.S. Justice Department intervened on behalf of the church. Greenville is located on the eastern bank of Lake Ferguson, an oxbow lake left from an old channel of the Mississippi River . One floating casino is located on the lake near the downtown area known as the Trop Casino Greenville, with

7790-422: The staff and then by consultants who provided written evaluations. Invariably, the Legion was considered too liberal by some, and too cautious by others. The C rating was issued from 1933 until the end of 1981. On January 1, 1982, the B and C ratings were combined into a new O rating for "morally offensive" films, and NCOMP began to reassign ratings to some older films based on its new system. The pledge

7885-406: The subcategories of AI: Suitable for all audiences, AII: Suitable for adults and adolescents, and AIII: Suitable for adults only. The next ratings were "B", which meant morally objectionable in part, and "C", which meant it was condemned by the Legion of Decency. The Office of Motion Pictures began with the intention to rate every motion picture made in the United States and labored for 45 years. In

7980-710: The time, several local black actors appear in bit parts. Actors Studio alumnus Rip Torn appears in an uncredited role as a dentist. Principal photography began in October 1955 in Benoit, Mississippi at the J.C. Burrus house , an 1848 antebellum home in Bolivar County. Kazan asked the actors to dress the home's interiors with props that they felt reflected their characters' personalities. Other shooting locations included nearby Greenville, Mississippi and New York City. According to Kazan, Williams did not stay long while

8075-728: The unofficial clearinghouse for new movies. The Board's stated purpose was to endorse films of merit and champion the new "art of the people". In March 1916 the Board changed its name to the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures to avoid the controversial word " censorship ". The National Association of the Motion Picture Industry was an industry self-regulatory body created by the Hollywood studios in 1916 to answer demands for film censorship by states and municipalities. The Association devised "Thirteen Points",

8170-606: The waters, to the point that they were destroyed. As county seat, Greenville was the trading, business, and cultural center for the large cotton plantations that surrounded it. Most plantations were located directly on the Mississippi and other major navigable tributaries. The interior bottomlands were not developed until after the Civil War. The town (the second Greenville, eventually also referred to as Old Greenville by its residents who may not have been familiar with Mississippi's first Greenville, which by then had disappeared)

8265-466: The work, and the two spend the day together. Vacarro explicitly inquires about Archie's whereabouts the night before and makes sexual advances toward her. When Vacarro outright accuses Archie of burning down his gin, Baby Doll goes to find Archie, who slaps her in the face and leaves for town to purchase new parts for his gin. Vacarro comforts Baby Doll, and after becoming friendly, Vacarro forces her to sign an affidavit admitting Archie's guilt. He then takes

8360-429: Was $ 25,928, and the median income for a family was $ 30,788. Males had a median income of $ 29,801 versus $ 20,707 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 13,992. About 25.7% of families and 29.6% of the population were below the poverty line , including 38.2% of those under age 18 and 23.6% of those age 65 or over. As of the census of 1990 , there were 45,226 people living in the city. The racial makeup of

8455-401: Was called the " Mother of Greenville ". Major Richard O’Hea, who had planned the wartime defense fortifications at Vicksburg, was hired to lay out the new town. Greenville recovered prosperity, still based on cotton, despite the decline in world markets for this commodity. In the early 20th century, its elite families had considerable political influence in the state, and US Senator Leroy Percy

8550-484: Was destroyed during the Union Army's actions related to the siege of Vicksburg . Troops from a Union gunboat landed at Greenville. In retaliation for being fired upon, they burned every building. The inhabitants took refuge in plantation homes of the area. When the war ended, veterans of Mississippi regiments returned to find Greenville in a state of ruin. The former residents soon decided to build again. They chose

8645-502: Was from here. Several residences and other buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places . It was a center of Delta culture in the early 20th century. This city adapted the former site to serve as industrial fill . African Americans in the Delta developed rich varieties of innovative music. Nelson Street is a historic strip of blues clubs that drew crowds in

8740-471: Was often envisioned as a bureaucratic arm of the Catholic Church, it instead was little more than a loose confederation of local organizations, with each diocese appointing a local Legion director, usually a parish priest, who was responsible for Legion activities in that diocese. Film historian Bernard F. Dick wrote: "Although the Legion was never officially an organ of the Catholic Church, and its movie ratings were nonbinding, many Catholics were still guided by

8835-616: Was often more conservative in its views on films than the Motion Picture Association of America 's Production Code . The early thirties saw a number of exploitation film features that claimed to warn the public about various kinds of shocking sin and depravity corrupting society. In reality, these films were cynical, profit-motivated vehicles that wallowed in lurid, taboo subjects, such as: drug abuse, promiscuous sex, venereal disease, polygamy, child marriages, etc. Some included brief nude scenes. One such film condemned by

8930-517: Was revised in 1934: I condemn all indecent and immoral motion pictures, and those which glorify crime or criminals. I promise to do all that I can to strengthen public opinion against the production of indecent and immoral films, and to unite with all who protest against them. I acknowledge my obligation to form a right conscience about pictures that are dangerous to my moral life. I pledge myself to remain away from them. I promise, further, to stay away altogether from places of amusement which show them as

9025-419: Was then still concentrated in the eastern states. This ghost town was in no way related to the second Greenville except that they eventually shared a name. Many migrants came to the area of the future, second Greenville, located approximately 150 miles north of the first Greenville, from the eastern and Upper South states, seeking land for developing cotton plantations, and this area became a trading center for

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