[Mother of Fears] The Baby (1973)

Trigger warning - Sexual assault. Warning - post contains spoilers for the plot and the ending of The Baby (1973).

Welcome to Mother of Fears – a monthly column that will explore the various roles that mothers play within the horror genre. Mothers are a staple feature in horror movies, and yet, their stories, motivations, representations, and relationships with their children are so varied and complex that we never feel like we’re watching the same story twice. Every month I will take a look at a different mother from the world of horror, explore their story, and look at how they fit into the broader representation of women in horror.

Horror is the perfect genre for portraying the often complicated relationships between mothers and their children. And while the themes explored in these movies may touch on real-life maternal issues, everything is dialled up to eleven to make it suitable for a horror audience. 

Perhaps one of the strangest, and yet enthralling movies I’ve seen based around motherhood is Ted Post’s The Baby (1973), which touches on topics such as over-protective mothers, wanting to keep your children young forever, a mother’s grief, and always feeling wanted by your children. It then takes these themes to a very dark place. 

Ann Gentry is a social worker who has recently been reassigned to be the Wadsworth family’s agent. Ann admits from the beginning that she has a special interest in this case, and is hoping to make more headway than any of the previous agents, including one who mysteriously disappeared. The matriarch of the family, Mrs Wadsworth, is quite wary of Ann’s sudden interest in her family, as she’s used to a visit every six months or so. Mrs Wadsworth’s daughters, Germaine and Alba, are also stony towards Ann and seem keen to persuade her to have as little involvement with the family as possible.

It turns out the reason for Ann’s involvement with the family is Baby, Mrs Wadsworth’s youngest child and only son. Even though Baby is a grown man, Mrs Wadsworth claims he has the mental capacity of a baby, and the family treats him in accordance with this. Baby has the daily routine of a child, including oversized baby grows, bibs, and nursery furniture. 

At first, it seems like Mrs Wadsworth and her daughters are looking after Baby in the best way possible. The only income they have is the money they are given to look after Baby, and all three women spend most of their time caring for him. However, Ann is doubtful this is the case, and we soon find out that her suspicions are correct. 

Ann makes it her mission to prove that Baby is being kept in this state by his family. After spending time with him she suspects his physical and emotional capabilities are much higher than his mother lets on and looks to find ways to support Baby and help him increase his abilities. From playing with a ball with him to encouraging him to try standing while in his playpen, Ann seems to have Baby’s best interests at heart. 

While Mrs Wandsworth is no doubt in control of the whole family, it’s Baby’s sisters who seem to dish out the most abuse when left alone with him. Alba takes the cruel route, chastising Baby for trying to stand and talk in Ann’s presence. She chases Baby around his bedroom with a cattle prod, electrocuting him while constantly repeating “Baby doesn't walk! Baby doesn't talk to strangers!" It seems as though Ann may be right, and the Wandsworth women are actively keeping Baby in his child-like state because it suits them. 

Alba also threatens to punish Baby in front of Ann, clearly thinking her behaviour is justified because Baby is challenging to care for. If he were an actual baby she would never treat him this way, but because he looks like an adult, she thinks she’ll get away with it. She’s under strict instructions from her mother to never leave Baby alone, meaning she’ll let him cry repeatedly for a bottle. She’s more worried about behaving the way her mother tells her to than actually caring for Baby. To her, Baby is a burden. 

Germaine, however, is more caring towards Baby, insisting that Ann doesn’t disturb him during his afternoon nap, and jealously watches the way Ann and Baby play together. We soon find out that Germaine is abusing Baby in a different way from Alba when we see her slip into his nursery at night. After dropping her nightdress, she slips into Baby’s cot. However, this isn’t the first time we see someone sexually abusing Baby after his babysitter allows him to breastfeed from her for her pleasure. 

Both the babysitter and Germaine are unable to fully view Baby as an infant due to his grown appearance. While he acts like a baby, they are able to rationalise their sexual desire for him simply because of his actual age and the way he looks. However, Baby is trusting them to act appropriately with him because he doesn’t know any better. He roots at the babysitter’s breasts because he wants to be fed. She’s the only one in control of the situation, and so it’s up to her to correct him and actually feed him. Instead, she gives in to her desires, knowing she won’t get into trouble because Baby won’t be able to tell anyone else. 

And this is the problem that Baby faces on a daily basis, as he trusts those who are looking after him to do what is best for him. He is unable to communicate his needs effectively and cannot stop others from how they chose to treat him. His needs are that of a child, but because he looks like an adult, it blurs the line for those who are caring for him. Alba chooses to physically abuse him while Germaine sexually assaults him. Alba likes being in control, as we see later when she forces a date to put his hands in a lighter flame for her. Germaine, meanwhile, is desperate for some positive attention. She even tries to make friends with Ann when she first arrives. Unable to build any relationships outside of the house, she pushes her affections onto Baby in an unacceptable way. 

Ann is convinced that Mrs Wandsworth is using negative reinforcement to ensure Baby stays in his infantilised state, but Ann’s constant forcing him to try new things doesn’t seem healthy for Baby either. He often looks upset at what he’s being asked to do and only ends up smiling because Ann’s praise is so different to what he’s used to at home. Ann is simply using Baby in a different way to Mrs Wandsworth but thinks she’s doing what’s best for Baby because she’s not being actively mean to him. Baby’s needs are never truly met, and he is used by those around him to do what they want.

After Ann threatens to get Baby taken away from the family, Mrs Wandsworth decides to make peace and invites her to Baby’s birthday party. The party is packed with family friends, but after Baby blows out his birthday candles, Mrs Wandsworth becomes the centre of attention. Baby is left to wander about the floor under everyone’s feet while his family drinks, smokes, and flirts with the male guests at the party.

After spiking her drink, the Wandsworth women tie Ann up in the basement, planning to return and murder her later. However, as they’re distracted having fun at the party, Baby manages to help Ann, and the two flee to Ann’s home. Once they get there, the first thing Ann does to hurt Mrs Wandsworth is send her photos of Baby acting like a grown man. She dresses him up in a business suit and makes him stand long enough for her to take a smiling photo. 

However, this is a false representation of the situation. Baby is visually uncomfortable in his suit. He looks stressed trying to stand up and on the verge of tears. Ann manages to soothe him long enough to get the smiling photo which she knows will hurt his mother. Mrs Wandsworth has spent the last twenty or so years ensuring Baby stays frozen in time, and Ann is already beginning to chip away at all her hard work. 

For Mrs Wandsworth, it’s clear there’s a lot of reasons why she wants to keep Baby at home and in his baby-like state. On a financial level, he provides enough money for his care to keep the three Wandsworth women housed, fed, and clothed. With three children to three different fathers, she’s become accustomed to men leaving her when she needs them most. By ensuring that Baby will always be entirely dependent on her, Mrs Wandswroth has created a situation where she will always have a man in her life who actively needs her and who will love her unconditionally. Baby depends on her and has no way to leave even if he recognises some of her treatment as abusive, so for her, it’s the perfect relationship. 

Baby also represents her last chance to have children, as after losing three different partners, she may have been put off seeking out another romantic relationship just to grow her family. Instead of worrying about never having another baby, Mrs Wandsworth ensures that her youngest children will remain her baby forever. And by keeping him as a baby, she gets to buy baby clothes and toys, and do things like throw him lavish birthday parties where the focus is all about her.

Finally, with two older daughters who are fiercely independent and very opinionated, Mrs Wandsworth perhaps craves a child that does exactly what she wants them to. She needs someone to depend on her at all times, even if she doesn’t always pay him the attention he deserves. 

Mrs Wandsworth and her daughters manage to track down Ann’s home, and head inside after finding Baby’s teddy bear in the garden. By the time Mrs Wandsworth has made it inside, both Germaine and Alba have been murdered by Ann. After a brief scuffle, Ann’s mother-in-law, Judith, appears with a meat cleaver, causing Mrs Wandsworth to fall over the bannister and break her legs. While everything has seemed to be Ann’s idea up to this point, we find out that Judith is in on the plan as well. Mrs Wandsworth is buried alive with her daughters under the soon to be finished swimming pool in the backyard, leaving Ann and Judith to care for Baby. 

The ending of The Baby is a confusing one if you’re looking for a happy ending for Baby. It turns out that Ann’s whole plan has been around finding a playmate for her husband, Roger, who was left intellectually disabled after a car accident. The closing moments of the movie show Roger and Baby happily playing together. However, it feels like a cheat for Baby, as the audience believed Ann was intent on helping him escape the child-like role that had been forced on him. 

It turns out that Ann is just as bad as Mrs Wandsworth, as she chooses to keep Baby in his babyish state because it suits her and her needs. There’s no doubt that Baby will have a much happier life with Ann and her family, but he’s still being manipulated. And you have to wonder that if Baby tries to break out of the confines of his life, what action will Ann take to ensure that he remains the perfect friend for her husband?

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