Cinderella Liberty
Cinderella Liberty is a 1973 American drama film directed by Mark Rydell and adapted from Darryl Ponicsan’s novel of the same name. It stars James Caan as a Navy sailor, with Marsha Mason and Eli Wallach in supporting roles. The title refers to a Navy base pass called a “Cinderella Liberty,” which lets a sailor leave the base and come back before midnight.
The story follows John J. Baggs Jr., who checks into a Seattle naval base for medical treatment. His records get delayed, so he has to stay on “Cinderella Liberty.” On his nights off, he meets Maggie, a prostitute, and her 11-year-old mixed-race son, Doug. Baggs begins spending time with Doug and falls for Maggie, becoming a surrogate father to Doug and trying to build a real family.
Maggie becomes pregnant by someone else, creating tension, but Baggs decides to take responsibility for both Maggie and the unborn child. At the same time, Baggs reconnects with an old training instructor, Forshay, a harsh sailor who has fallen on hard times. Baggs befriends Forshay and tries to avoid repeating the same mistakes he saw in the Navy.
After Baggs is finally discharged, the Navy locates his lost records and pays him back wages, but Maggie has left him for New Orleans with another man. To stay with Doug, Baggs asks Forshay to swap places with him so that he can ship out and continue caring for Doug. Baggs and Doug head toward New Orleans to find Maggie.
Cinderella Liberty was well received and earned several awards nominations. Marsha Mason won the Golden Globe for Best Actress, and the film earned nominations for Best Motion Picture and original music. James Caan later described his role as one of his few good choices after The Godfather. The movie was shot in Seattle.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 03:38 (CET).