Oscar Got It Wrong!: Best Actress 1956

The Contenders:

Ingrid Bergman: Anastasia (winner)
Carroll Baker: Baby Doll
Nancy Kelly: The Bad Seed
Deborah Kerr: The King and I
Katharine Hepburn: The Rainmaker

Oscar Got It Wrong!: Best Adapted Screenplay 1956

The Contenders:

Around the World in 80 Days (winner)
Baby Doll
Friendly Persuasion
Giant
Lust for Life

Everybody Loves a Baby, that's Why I'm in Love with You

Film: Baby Doll
Format: DVD from NetFlix on laptop.

Someone needs to tell me how it was possible that Eli Wallach was never even nominated for a competitive Oscar. Baby Doll was his first screen credit, although he’d done some television work before this. From this first film, Wallach established himself as a force to be reckoned with. While the film isn’t named after him, there’s no question that Baby Doll belongs as much to Wallach as it does to Carroll Baker, who was nominated for her role as the title character. It’s yet another mystery and another reason why I do those posts on Friday. Someone has to give the great Eli Wallach the credit he deserved.

Archie Lee Meighan (Karl Malden) has been married for well over a year to Baby Doll (Carroll Baker) but the marriage has gone unconsummated. The reason for this is that Archie married Baby Doll when her father was on his death bed; the marriage happened because he wanted his daughter to be looked after when he was gone. However, since she was just 18 at the time and not ready for marriage, he made Archie promise that he would not consummate the marriage until she was “ready,” which they have agreed will be her 20th birthday.