Cry-Baby

For other uses, see Crybaby.

Cry-Baby
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	John Waters
Written by	John Waters
Produced by	Rachel Talalay
Starring	Johnny Depp Amy Locane Polly Bergen Susan Tyrrell Iggy Pop Ricki Lake Traci Lords
Cinematography	David Insley
Edited by	Janice Hampton
Music by	Patrick Williams
Production company	Imagine Entertainment
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date	April 6, 1990
Running time	85 min. (Theatrical cut) 91 min. (Director's Cut)
Country	Template:FilmUS
Language	English
Budget	$12,000,000
Box office	$8,266,343

Cry-Baby (1990) is a teen-musical film directed by John Waters. It stars Johnny Depp as 1950s teen rebel "Cry-Baby" Wade Walker, and also features an expansive ensemble cast that includes Iggy Pop, Traci Lords, Ricki Lake, David Nelson, Susan Tyrrell and Patty Hearst. This film did not achieve high audience numbers in its initial release but has subsequently become a cult classic and spawned a hit Broadway musical of the same name which was nominated for some Tony Awards.

The film is a parody of teen musicals such as Grease, of Elvis Presley movies, and of 1950s 'juvenile delinquent' movies such as The Wild One, Blackboard Jungle and (specifically) Rebel Without a Cause. (Johnny Depp has said more than once that he took the role to poke fun at the teen-idol hysteria surrounding him during his days on the TV show 21 Jump Street). It centers on a group of delinquents named the Drapes and their interaction with the rest of the town and its other subculture, the Squares, in 1950s Baltimore, Maryland. "Cry-Baby" Walker, a Drape, and Allison, a Square, create upheaval and turmoil in their little town of Baltimore by breaking the subculture taboos and falling in love. The movie shows what the young couple have to overcome to be together and how their actions affect the rest of the town.

Part of the film takes place at the now-closed Enchanted Forest amusement park in Ellicott City, Maryland.

The film is rated PG-13 in the United States. It was Waters' second mainstream film after Hairspray, following his earlier R- and X-rated independent films.

Plot

In Baltimore in 1953, "Cry-Baby" Wade Walker is the leader of a gang of "Drapes". His ability to shed a tear, symbolized by the teardrop tattoo on his face, drives all the girls wild. One day after school, he is approached by Allison Vernon-Williams, a pretty girl tired of being a "Square", and the two fall in love.

Despite Allison's grandmother being skeptical, Allison stays and sings with the Drapes. Allison's jealous square boyfriend Baldwin starts a riot at the local Drape hangout, Turkey Point. Cry-Baby is blamed for the fighting and sent to a penitentiary, outraging all his friends and even Allison's grandmother, who is impressed by Cry-Baby's posture, manners and musical talent.

As Lenora, a girl with a crush on Cry-Baby but constantly rejected by him, claims to be pregnant with his child, Allison feels betrayed and returns to Baldwin and the Squares, though her grandmother advises against rushing into a decision. Eventually, she is persuaded by the newly-established alliance between the drapes and her grandmother to stand by Cry-Baby and join the campaign for his release. Cry-Baby is released but immediatedly insulted by Baldwin, who challenges him to a chicken race. Cry-Baby wins ,as Baldwin chickens out, and is reunited with Allison.

Cast

Role	Played by
Wade "Cry-Baby" Walker	Johnny Depp
Allison Vernon-Williams	Amy Locane
Mrs Vernon-Williams, Allison's grandmother	Polly Bergen
Ramona Rickettes, Cry-Baby's grandmother	Susan Tyrrell
Belvedere Rickettes, Cry-Baby's uncle	Iggy Pop
Pepper Walker, Cry-Baby's sister	Ricki Lake
Wanda Woodward	Traci Lords
Mona "Hatchet-Face" Malnorowski	Kim McGuire
Milton Hackett, Mona's boyfriend	Darren E. Burrows
Lenora Frigid	Kim Webb
Baldwin, Allison's boyfriend	Stephen Mailer
Snare-Drum, Pepper's son	Jonathan Benya
Susie Q., Pepper's daughter	Jessica Raskin
Mr Malnorowski	Troy Donahue
Mrs Malnorowski	Mink Stole
Mr Hackett	Joe Dallesandro
Mrs Hackett	Joey Heatherton
Mr Woodward	David Nelson
Mrs Woodward	Patricia Hearst
Penitentiary Guard	Willem Dafoe
Picnic Mom	Mary Vivian Pearce
Mama's little helper	Brian Patrick Cassell

Songs

Songs sung by characters

• "Sh-Boom" - Baldwin and the Whiffles
• "A Teenage Prayer" - Allison
• "Chicken" - Baldwin and the Whiffles (only in USA cable network version)
• "King Cry-Baby" - Cry-Baby, Allison, Hatchet-Face, Milton, Pepper and Wanda
• "Teardrops Are Falling" - Cry-Baby and Prisoners
• "The Naughty Lady from Shady Lane" - Baldwin and the Whiffles (only in Director's Cut DVD and in in USA cable network version)
• "Doin' Time for Bein' Young" (J. D. Souther, Waddy Wachtel) - Cry-Baby and Prisoners
• "Mr. Sandman" - Baldwin and the Whiffles
• "Please, Mr. Jailer" - Allison, Cry-Baby and Company
• "High School Hellcats" - Cry-Baby, Allison and Company

Songs sung by other artists

• "Cry-Baby" - The Honey Sisters
• "Nosey Joe" - Bull Moose Jackson
• "Bad Boy" - The Jive Bombers
• "The Flirt" - Shirley and Lee
• "I'm So Young" - The Students
• "(My Heart Goes) Piddily Patter, Patter" - Nappy Brown
• "I'm a Bad, Bad Girl" - Little Esther
• "Jungle Drums" - Earl Bostic
• "Cherry" - The Jive Bombers
• "Rubber Biscuit" - The Chips

Songs not included in the soundtrack

• "Gee" - The Crows
• "Women and Cadillacs" - Doc Starkes and his Nite Riders
• "The Bunny Hop" - Ray Anthony
• "In the Jailhouse Now" - Webb Pierce
• "Jailbird" - Sonny Knight
• "Pistol Packin' Mama" - Al Dexter - The Hurricanes (only in USA cable network version)

DVD release

The original cut (85 min.) is rated PG-13 and only available on video, while the director's cut (91 min.) is unrated and available on DVD. The DVD also includes a making-of, deleted scenes, and an audio commentary by John Waters.

The director's cut adds the following scenes:

• Extra dialogue between Wanda, her parents, and the foreign exchange student Inga (includes Wanda's "boys with roamin' hands and rushin' fingers!")
• Toe-Joe Jackson gets more dialogue at Turkey Point.
• Hatchet-Face's parents are selling cigarettes to students outside the high school (also present in TV version).
• Allison gets a third verse for "A Teenage Prayer", followed by an air raid drill at the RSVP charm school.
• Baldwin and the Whiffles get an extra song called "The Naughty Lady from Shady Lane" which they sing after their march to Allison's house.
• Extra footage of Cry-Baby riding his motorcycle to the charm school and a cop pursuing him.
• Extra footage of Hatchet-Face chasing Susie Q. and Snare-Drum through the Rickettes' yard.

It also includes the deleted scenes:

• Toe-Joe has Wanda and several other people locked in a warehouse taking photos of them, then forcing them to have sex with him.
• A cut song "Chicken" by Baldwin and the Whiffles, performed during another jukebox jamboree.
• An extended version of the escape from the orphanage scene.

Release and box office

The film was screened out of competition at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival.

Cry-Baby opened on April 6, 1990 in 1,229 North American cinemas — an unprecedented number for a John Waters film. In its opening weekend, it grossed a soft $3,004,905 ($2,445 per screen) and grossed only $8,266,343 by the end of its theatrical run, thus not recouping the estimated $12 million budget. However, thanks to the presence of Johnny Depp, Cry-Baby has since proven lucrative on television, video, and DVD.

Screen to stage

Main article: Cry-Baby (musical)

Cry-Baby is the second of Waters' films to be adapted for the stage as a musical comedy (following Hairspray). It was produced at the La Jolla Playhouse (California) as part of their 2007 season, as well as shadow-cast at the Nuart Theatre by Sins O' the Flesh.

The stage musical's world premiere occurred at the La Jolla Playhouse on November 6, 2007, running until December 16, 2007. The book is by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan and the music is by Adam Schlesinger with lyrics by David Javerbaum. The musical is directed by Mark Brokaw with choreography by Rob Ashford. The cast includes Harriet Harris, Carly Jibson, Elizabeth Stanley (as Allison), and James Snyder as Cry-Baby.

It began previews on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre on March 15, 2008, with an official opening on April 24, 2008.

Cry-Baby was nominated for 4 Tony Awards (Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score and Best Choreography), winning none.

It closed June 22, 2008 on Broadway, after playing 45 preview performances and 68 regular performances. A national tour is planned for Fall 2009.

External links

• Official site
• Cry-Baby at IMDb
• Cry-Baby at AllMovie
• Cry-Baby at Box Office Mojo
• La Jolla Playhouse 2007 Season
• Roger Ebert Review