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{{about|the American actress|the Canadian country music performer|Carroll Baker (singer)}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=
{{Good article}}
{{Infobox person
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| birth_place = [[Johnstown, Pennsylvania]], U.S.
| occupation = {{hlist|Actress | writer}}
| alma_mater =
| years_active = 1952–2003
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* ''[[The Carpetbaggers (film)|The Carpetbaggers]]'' (1964)
* ''[[Harlow (Paramount film)|Harlow]]'' (1965)
* ''[[Star 80]]'' (1983)
* ''[[Native Son (1986 film)|Native Son]]'' (1986)
* ''[[Kindergarten Cop]]'' (1990)
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*{{marriage|Louie Ritter|1953|1953|end=divorced}}
*{{marriage|[[Jack Garfein]]|1955|1969|end=divorced}}
*{{marriage|[[Donald Burton]]|
}}
| children = {{plainlist|
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}}
'''Carroll Baker''' (born May 28, 1931)<ref>{{cite web |title=Carroll Baker |url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/carroll-baker-30680 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/
Baker had other early film roles in ''[[Giant (1956 film)|Giant]]'' (1956) and the romantic comedy ''[[But Not for Me (film)|But Not for Me]]'' (1959). In 1961, she appeared in the controversial independent film ''[[Something Wild (1961 film)|Something Wild]]'', directed by her then husband [[Jack Garfein]], playing a traumatized rape victim. She went on to star in several critically acclaimed [[Western film|Westerns]] in the 1950s and 1960s such as ''[[The Big Country]]'' (1958), ''[[How the West Was Won (film)|How the West Was Won]]'' (1962), and ''[[Cheyenne Autumn]]'' (1964).
In the mid-1960s, as a contract player for [[Paramount Pictures]], Baker became a sex symbol after appearing as a hedonistic widow in ''[[The Carpetbaggers (film)|The Carpetbaggers]]'' (1964). The film's producer, [[Joseph E. Levine]], cast her in
Baker appeared in supporting roles in several acclaimed dramas in the 1980s, including the true-crime drama ''[[Star 80]]'' (1983) as the mother of murder victim [[Dorothy Stratten]], and the racial drama ''[[Native Son (1986 film)|Native Son]]'' (1986), based on the novel by [[Richard Wright (author)|Richard Wright]]. In 1987, she had a supporting part in ''[[Ironweed (film)|Ironweed]]'' (1987). Through the 1990s Baker had guest roles in several television series, such as ''[[Murder, She Wrote]]''; ''[[L.A. Law]]'', and ''[[Roswell (TV series)|Roswell]]''. She also had supporting parts in several big-budget films, such as ''[[Kindergarten Cop]]'' (1990) and the [[David Fincher]]
==Early life and education==
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Baker attended Greensburg Salem High School in [[Greensburg, Pennsylvania]], where she was a debate team member and active in the marching band and school musicals.{{sfn|Baker|1983|p=23}} At 18, she moved with her family to [[St. Petersburg, Florida]], where she attended St. Petersburg Junior College (now [[St. Petersburg College]]).<ref name="glamour" /> After her first year in college, she began working as a [[magician's assistant]] on the [[vaudeville]] circuit<ref name="mitchell"/> and joined a [[dance company]], working as a professional dancer.<ref name="glamour" /> In 1949, Baker won the title of Miss Florida Fruits and Vegetables.<ref>{{cite web |last=Brennan |first=Patricia |title='Best Thing I've Had For Ages': 'baby Doll' Baker Is Catching 'fire' For ABC |url=http://articles.latimes.com/1987-01-03/entertainment/ca-2119_1_baby-doll-baker |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=January 3, 1987 |access-date=April 9, 2015}}</ref><ref name="irv">{{cite web |last=Slifkin |first=Irv |title=The Fabulous Baker: A Consideration of Carroll |url=http://www.moviefanfare.com/carroll-baker/ |work=MovieFanFare |date=May 3, 2015 |access-date=February 26, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226125337/http://www.moviefanfare.com/carroll-baker/ |archive-date=February 26, 2015}}</ref> In 1951, Baker moved to New York City, where she rented a dirt-floor basement apartment in [[Queens, New York|Queens]]. She worked as a nightclub dancer and also had stints as a [[Chorus line|chorus girl]] in traveling vaudeville shows, which took her to [[Windsor, Ontario|Windsor]], [[Detroit]], and New Jersey.{{sfn|Baker|1983|p=32}}
Baker studied acting at [[HB Studio]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://hbstudio.org/about-hb-studio/alumni/ |title=HB Studio - Notable Alumni | One of the Original Acting Studios in NYC |website=Hbstudio.org |access-date=August 4, 2021}}</ref> In 1952, she enrolled at the [[Actors Studio]] and studied under [[Lee Strasberg]].<ref name="yahoo">{{cite web |title=Carroll Baker Biography |url=https://movies.yahoo.com/person/carroll-baker/biography.html |url-status=dead |work=Yahoo! Movies |access-date=June 28, 2017 |archive-url=https://archive.today/
==Career==
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Simultaneously, Baker was cast as the title character in [[Elia Kazan]]'s ''[[Baby Doll]]'' (1956),{{sfn|DiLeo| 2010 |p=62}} a role initially intended for [[Marilyn Monroe]].{{sfn|Baker|1983|p=175}} [[Tennessee Williams]], who had written and developed the screenplay based on two of his one-act plays, wanted Baker to play the part after seeing her perform a scene from his script at the Actors Studio; likewise, Kazan had been impressed by her performance in ''All Summer Long'' on Broadway the year prior.{{sfn|Murphy|1992|p=131}} Shot in [[Benoit, Mississippi]], directly after Baker had completed ''Giant'', her role in the film as a sexually repressed teenaged bride to a failed middle-aged cotton gin owner brought Baker overnight fame and a level of notoriety even before the film's release.{{sfn|Vickers|2008|p=75}} In the fall of 1956, artist Robert Everheart, under contract with [[Warner Bros.]], constructed a {{convert|135|ft|m|adj=mid|-tall}} billboard in [[Times Square]] promoting the film, depicting the now-iconic image of a scantily clad Baker lying in a crib sucking her thumb.{{sfn|Haberski|2007|pages=61; 89}} The controversial advertising campaign for the film caused a pre-emptive backlash from religious groups, and on December 16, 1956, Cardinal [[Francis Spellman]] of [[St. Patrick's Cathedral (Manhattan)|St. Patrick's Cathedral]] denounced the film and advised his parish against seeing it. A formal condemnation by the Roman Catholic [[National Legion of Decency]] ensued, which considered it "grievously offensive to Christian and traditional standards of morality and decency".<ref name="newsday"/>{{sfn|Vickers|2008 |pages=75–76}}<ref name="village voice">{{cite web |last=Hoberman |first=J. |url=http://www.villagevoice.com/2008-12-17/film/catch-baby-doll-with-carroll-baker-and-eli-wallach/full/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160530070436/http://www.villagevoice.com/film/catch-baby-doll-with-carroll-baker-and-eli-wallach-6389048 |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 30, 2016 |work=The Village Voice |date=December 17, 2012 |title=Catch Baby Doll with Carroll Baker and Eli Wallach |access-date=June 28, 2017}}</ref>
In spite of this, ''Baby Doll'' opened to strong box-office receipts, grossing $51,232 in its first week at the [[Victoria Theater (New York City)|Victoria Theater]].{{sfn|Haberski|2007|p=79}} In support of Baker, Marilyn Monroe appeared at the film's premiere, working as an [[Usher (occupation)|usherette]] to help bolster ticket sales, the proceeds of which were donated to the Actors Studio.{{sfn|Baker|1983|p=175}}{{sfn|Harding|2012|p=20}} Baker received immense critical praise for her performance. ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' said that her performance "captures all the animal charm, the naivete, the vanity, contempt and rising passion of Baby Doll",<ref>{{cite web |title=Review: 'Baby Doll' |url=https://variety.com/1955/film/reviews/baby-doll-1200418101/ |date=December 31, 1956 |access-date=March 2, 2015}}</ref> while [[Bosley Crowther]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' praised Baker's ability to exhibit "a piteously flimsy little twist of juvenile greed, inhibitions, physical yearnings, common crudities and conceits".<ref>{{cite web |last=Crowther |first=Bosley |author-link=Bosley Crowther |title=Baby Doll (1956) Screen: Streetcar on Tobacco Road; Williams-Kazan 'Baby Doll' Is at Victoria |url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B02EEDB1E30E03BBC4152DFB467838D649EDE |work=The New York Times |date=December 19, 1956 |access-date=March 2, 2015}}</ref> ''Baby Doll'' established Baker as an A-list actress and would remain the film for which she is best remembered.<ref>{{cite web |title=Baby Doll Review |url=http://www.tvguide.com/movies/baby-doll-101609/review/ |work=TV Guide |access-date=March 2, 2015}}</ref> She was nominated for an [[Academy Award for Best Actress]] for her performance, a [[Golden Globe]] for Best Actress, and won a Golden Globe for [[Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress|Most Promising Newcomer]], which she shared with [[Jayne Mansfield]] and [[Natalie Wood]]. The performance also earned her a Film Achievement Award from ''[[Look (American magazine)|Look]]'', as well as the title "Woman of the Year" in 1957 from [[Harvard University]]'s [[Hasty Pudding Club]].<ref name="turner">{{cite web |url=http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/8384%7C28000/Carroll-Baker/ |work=Turner Classic Movies |title=Overview for Carroll Baker |access-date=February 2, 2015}}</ref> She appeared on the cover of ''[[Life (magazine)|Life Magazine]]'' in June 1956.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=Life |title=A bright star rising |volume=40 |number=24 |date=June 11, 1956 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-kgEAAAAMBAJ&q=carroll%20baker%201956%20life&pg=PA2 |via=[[Google Books]]}} {{Open access}}</ref>
===1958–1963: Contract disputes and independent films===
[[File:The Big Country Baker Peck screenshot.jpg|thumb|Baker with [[Gregory Peck]] in ''[[The Big Country]]'' in 1958]]
[[File:Carroll Baker Come On Strong Broadway 1962.jpg|thumb|Baker in the [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] production of ''Come on Strong'' in September 1962]]
[[File:Carroll Baker as Jean Harlow, 1964.png|thumb|Baker in her role as [[Jean Harlow]] on the cover of the November 2, 1963, edition of ''[[Saturday Evening Post]]''
After the success of ''Baby Doll'', Baker was subsequently offered parts in ''[[The Brothers Karamazov (1958 film)|The Brothers Karamazov]]'' (1958), ''[[Too Much, Too Soon]]'' (1958), and ''[[The Devil's Disciple (1959 film)|The Devil's Disciple]]'' (1959).<ref>{{cite news |title=Carroll Baker Becomes Star in Quick Order |author=Schallert, Edwin |work=Los Angeles Times |date=February 17, 1957 |page=E1}}</ref> She refused to make ''Too Much Too Soon'', so Warner Bros. put her on suspension, which prevented her from starring in ''The Brothers Karamazov'' (1958) at MGM.<ref>{{cite news |title=WARNERS TO HOLD ACTRESS TO PACT: Studio Halts Deal Between Carroll Baker and M-G-M for 'Karamazov' Movie Maria Schell Sought |author=THOMAS M. PRYOR |date=May 3, 1957 |work=New York Times |page=20}}</ref> Baker was also chosen by MGM for the lead in ''[[Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (film)|Cat on a Hot Tin Roof]]'' (1958) and by [[20th Century Studios|Twentieth Century Fox]] for ''[[The Three Faces of Eve]]'' (1957), but her contract with Warner Bros. again prevented her from accepting the roles.<ref name="newsday" /><ref name="bts">{{cite web |url=http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/196854%7C0/Bridge-to-the-Sun.html |work=Turner Classic Movies |title=Bridge to the Sun |access-date=February 26, 2015}}</ref> Tensions between Baker and the studio escalated further when she went against their wishes by appearing in ''[[Arms and the Man]]'' on stage.<ref>{{cite news |title=TOWER TICKER |author=Lyon, Herb |work=Chicago Daily Tribune |date=July 1, 1957 |page=b11}}</ref> Baker commented on the effect of the system on her career, saying: "I came in at the end of the big studio system. I still had a slave contract and they were willing to put you in almost anything they had."<ref name="jones" />
After her suspension with Warner Bros. was lifted, Baker appeared in [[William Wyler]]'s Western epic ''[[The Big Country]]'' (1958).<ref>{{cite news |last=Parsons |first=Louella |author-link=Louella Parsons |title=Carroll Baker Unleashed by Warner |work=The Washington Post and Times-Herald |date=July 22, 1957 |page=A10}}</ref> The film was well received by critics, though the shoot was described as "problematic": Baker was four months pregnant at the time and had to wear restraining garments, and director Wyler reportedly had her on the verge of tears after forcing her to repeat the same take over 60 times, only to use the first one.{{sfn|Cantarini|Spicer|2010|p=146}} She followed ''The Big Country'' with lead roles in two romances, portraying a nun in ''[[The Miracle (1959 film)|The Miracle]]'' (1959), co-starring [[Roger Moore]], and in ''[[But Not for Me (film)|But Not for Me]]'' (1959), a comedy with [[Clark Gable]]. ''The New York Times'' praised Baker's performance in ''But Not for Me'', saying: "Miss Baker, being a young lady who not only has looks, but also can act, makes you understand why Mr. Gable would like to cheat a little bit on Father Time."<ref>{{cite web |last=Crowther |first=Bosley |url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B02E5DE163FE63BBC4B53DFB6678382649EDE |work=The New York Times |title=Age Before Beauty; Gable, Carroll Baker Appear in Comedy But Not For Me' Opens at the Capitol |date=October 3, 1959 |access-date=April 13, 2015}}</ref> She disliked ''The Miracle'' so much that she bought out her contract with Warner Bros., putting her in considerable debt. ''But Not for Me'' was made at Paramount.{{sfn|Baker|1983|pages=197–198}}
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===1967–1975: European films===
[[File:Il dolce corpo di Deborah (1968) - Carroll Baker (1).jpg|thumb|Baker in ''[[The Sweet Body of Deborah|Il dolce corpo di Deborah]]'' (1968)]]
Baker separated from her second husband, Jack Garfein, in 1967, and moved to Europe with her two children to pursue a career there after struggling to find work in Hollywood.<ref name="newsday"/>{{sfn|Baker|1983|p=296}} Eventually settling in Rome, Baker became fluent in Italian<ref name="glamour" /> and spent the next several years starring in hard-edged [[giallo
Many of these films feature her in roles as distressed women, and often showed Baker in nude scenes, which few major Hollywood actors were willing to do at the time.{{sfn|Shipka|2011|p=80}} Baker became a favorite of Umberto Lenzi, with her best-known role being in the aforementioned ''Paranoia'', where she played a wealthy widow tormented by two sadistic siblings. In his review of ''Paranoia'', [[Roger Ebert]] said: "Carroll Baker, who was a Hollywood sex symbol (for some, it is said) until she sued Joe Levine and got blacklisted, has been around. She may not be an actress, but she can act. In ''The Carpetbaggers'', there was a nice wholesome vulgarity to her performance. She is not intrinsically as bad as she appears in ''Paranoia''. I think maybe she was saying 'the hell with it', and having a good time."<ref>{{cite web |last=Ebert |first=Roger |url=http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/paranoia-1969 |work=Chicago Sun-Times |title=Paranoia Movie Review |date=August 20, 1969 |access-date=April 5, 2015}}</ref> As with ''Paranoia'', the majority of the films she made in Italy received poor critical reception in the United States,<ref>{{cite journal |journal=FilmFacts |volume=12 |page=175 |date=1969 |title=The Sweet Body of Deborah: Critique |publisher=Division of Cinema of the University of Southern California |quote=The critics were extremely unkind to ''The Sweet Body of Deborah'', with Carroll Baker taking the severest beating}}</ref> though they afforded Baker—who had left Hollywood in debt and with two children to support— an income, as well as fame abroad. In retrospect, Baker commented on her career in Italy and on her exploitation film roles, saying: "I think I made more films [there] than I made in Hollywood, but the mentality is different. What they think is wonderful is not what we might ... it was marvelous for me because it really brought me back to life, and it gave me a whole new outlook. It's wonderful to know about a different world."<ref name="brennan">{{cite web |url=http://projects.latimes.com/hollywood/star-walk/carroll-baker/ |work=The Los Angeles Times |title=Carroll Baker |series=Hollywood Star Walk |author=Brennan, Patricia |date=January 3, 1987 |access-date=February 3, 2015}}</ref>
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==Personal life==
Baker has been married three times. She first married 54
Baker married her third husband, British [[theater]] actor [[Donald Burton]], on March 10, 1982,<ref name=":0" /><ref name="glamour" /><ref name=sjmn>{{cite news |title=British actor Donald Burton, husband Carroll Baker, dies at 73 |work=[[San Jose Mercury News]] |date=January 11, 2008}}</ref> and resided in [[Hampstead]], London, in the 1980s.<ref name="glamour" /> The couple remained together until Burton's death from [[emphysema]] at their home in [[Cathedral City, California]], on December 8, 2007.<ref name=sjmn/><ref>{{Cite news |date=January 14, 2008 |title=In Brief: Veteran actor dies, aged 73 |language=English |pages=10 |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/332392087 |access-date=June 29, 2022 |id={{ProQuest|332392087}}}}</ref>
After leaving Hollywood in the mid-1960s, Baker
Baker resided mainly in New York City and Los Angeles throughout the 1950s and 1960s before relocating to Rome to pursue her career there.{{sfn|Baker|1983|p=294}} Baker was mainly based in [[Palm Springs, California]], throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. {{as of|2016||}}, she resides in New York City.<ref>{{cite interview |first=Carroll |last=Baker |publisher=The Criterion Collection |work=Something Wild |year=2016 |title=Interview with Carroll Baker, 2016 |type=Blu-ray}}</ref> In February 2014, she served as [[maid of honor]] at longtime friend, psychologist, and former actor, Dr Patrick Suraci's wedding to his partner, Tony Perkins, in New York.<ref name="laskey">{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/09/fashion/weddings/when-may-catches-up-to-december.html |author=Laskey, Margaux |work=The New York Times |title=When May Catches Up to December |date=March 7, 2014 |access-date=March 4, 2015}}</ref>
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* {{IMDb name|4647}}
* {{IBDB name|30680}}
* {{TCMDb name}}
* {{AFI person | id= 28000-Carroll-Baker | title= Carroll Baker }}
* {{Playbill person|carroll-baker-vault-0000055393}}
* {{Amg name|3377}}
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