Baba and MacGraw is a reference to the 1976 romantic comedy film, 'The Great Waldo Pepper', starring Robert Redford and Ali MacGraw. The film follows the story of a former World War I pilot, Waldo Pepper, played by Redford, and his love interest, the French aviatrix, Baba, played by MacGraw. ALIS is the four letter solution to the crossword, which is an abbreviation for the character's name, Ali MacGraw.