Southern cotton miller Archie Meighan (Karl Malden) had plenty of frustrations-from his failing business to life with Baby Doll (Carroll Baker), his childlike, 19-year-old arranged bride who won't consummate their marriage. After he torched a competing gin, though, the rival plant manager (Eli Wallach, in his film debut) had his suspicions... and turned his seductive wiles to getting a confession (and maybe more) out of the bored Baby Doll.