THE BABY (1973)

Directed By: Ted Post
Written By: Abe Polsky
Cinematography By: Michael B. Margulies
Editor: Bob Crawford Sr. & Dick Wormell

Cast: Anjanette Comer, Ruth Roman, Marianna Hill, Beatrice Manley, Susanne Zenor, David Mooney, Michael Pataki


A social worker who recently lost her husband investigates the strange Wadsworth family. The Wadsworths might not seem too unusual to hear about them at first - consisting of the mother, two grown daughters and the diaper-clad, bottle-sucking baby. The problem is, the baby is twenty-one years old.

This film totally took me by surprise. It is a odd little film that feels exploitive but there is no real exploitation going on. It’s rated PG after all. The film comes off as campy more than anything else.

I like finding these films that are totally off my radar and discovering them. Especially when they are decent in this film. The things that shock us as an audience are normal to the characters in the film a grown 21 year old man who is literally treated and cared for as a baby. Which he acts like is seen as normal throughout the film. Then all of a sudden some female characters find him irresistibly sexy. There is a hint of incest suggested. A hint of child molestation though you wonder does it count if it’s a full grown man.

The film is a oddity but totally entertaining. It never throws you off even though it is ridiculous.

It’s directed by Ted Post, Who makes the early scenes engrossing and the later scenes thrilling. You will definitely have a good time watching the film. Ted Post a respected director in the 70’s. I wondered what attracted him to this film? A chance to do a more artistic film? A favor? Was it the only gig he could get? Just hired by the studio? So doing this as an assignment. He tries hard to make this film have a respectability and dignity more then the material actually deserves. He originally turned it down. It actually took the screenwriter a year to convince him to finally direct the film. Post turned it down all that time as he found the script too negative and dark.

I recognized none of the actors, but I definitely wanted to see the other films they were in. Ruth Roman Has a long resume before playing the over the top boozy matriarch of the family, With two hot daughters. Who seem to be bizarre, but strangely loyal to their mother. One is violently sadistic which you find out little by little slowly. The other sister is twisted in a totally different way. Hinted at then dropped it seems.

The film’s third act is a shocker that trust me you won’t see coming. I really enjoyed this film.

A hidden gem, Worth a purchase

GRADE: B