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The Bad Seed (1956)

APPROVED  129 min  -  Drama | Horror | Mystery   -  12 September 1956 (USA)
7.3
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Ratings: 7.3/10 from 4,820 users  
Reviews: 131 user | 56 critic

An ideal housewife begins to suspect her loving adolescent daughter may be a heartless killer.

Director:

Mervyn LeRoy

Writers:

John Lee Mahin (screenplay), Maxwell Anderson (play), and 1 more credit »
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Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 1 win & 1 nomination See more awards »
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Cast

Complete credited cast:
Nancy Kelly Nancy Kelly ...
Patty McCormack ...
Henry Jones Henry Jones ...
Eileen Heckart ...
Evelyn Varden Evelyn Varden ...
William Hopper William Hopper ...
Col. Kenneth Penmark
Paul Fix Paul Fix ...
Jesse White Jesse White ...
Emory Wages
Gage Clarke Gage Clarke ...
Reginald 'Reggie' Tasker
Joan Croydon Joan Croydon ...
Claudia Fern (as Joan Croyden)
Frank Cady Frank Cady ...
Henry Daigle
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Storyline

Christine Penmark seems to have it all: a lovely home, a loving husband and the most "perfect" daughter in the world. But since childhood, Christine has suffered from the most terrible recurring nightmare. And her "perfect" daughter's accomplishments include lying, theft and possibly much, much worse. Only Christine knows the truth about her daughter and only Christine's father knows the truth about her nightmare. Written by A.L.Beneteau <albl@inforamp.net>  

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Colonel | Dream | Truth | Medal | Lying  | See more »

Taglines:

What would you do if you were cursed with "The Bad Seed"? See more »

Genres:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

(USA) See more »

Also Known As:

A tara maldita See more »

Filming Locations:

Burbank, California, USA See more »

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)
See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros. Pictures See more »
Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The book Rhoda claims to have won in Sunday School, Elsie Dinsmore , was a story with religious themes about a pious eight-year-old; it was written by Martha Finley in 1867. See more »

Goofs

Crew or equipment visible: When Christine scolds Rhoda for asking for a garnet as well as a turquoise, the reflection of someone, probably Mervyn LeRoy, sitting in a chair with his legs crossed is visible in the coffee pot. See more »

Quotes

Rhoda: You figured out something that never happened and so it's all lies!
See more »

Crazy Credits

"You have just seen a motion picture whose theme dares to be startlingly different.
May we ask that you do not divulge the unusual climax of the story.
Thank you." See more »

Connections

Referenced in "Kate & Allie: The Bad Seed (#2.20)" (1985) See more »

Soundtracks

"Au clair de la lune"
(uncredited)
Attributed to Jean-Baptiste Lully
Played on the piano by Patty McCormack and whistled by Henry Jones
Played often in the score See more »