The Bad Seed (1956)

Director:

Mervyn LeRoy

Writers:

John Lee Mahin (screenplay)
Maxwell Anderson (play)
(more)

Release Date:

12 September 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

A WOMAN'S SHAME...Out in the Open!

Plot:

A housewife suspects that her seemingly perfect 8-year-old daughter is a heartless killer.

Plot Keywords:

Dream | Colonel | Medal | Truth | Lying

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Nancy Kelly	...	Christine Penmark
Patty McCormack	...	Rhoda Penmark
Henry Jones	...	Leroy Jessup
Eileen Heckart	...	Hortense Daigle
Evelyn Varden	...	Monica Breedlove
William Hopper	...	Col. Kenneth Penmark
Paul Fix	...	Richard Bravo
Jesse White	...	Emory Wages
Gage Clarke	...	Reginald 'Reggie' Tasker
Joan Croydon	...	Claudia Fern (as Joan Croyden)
Frank Cady	...	Henry Daigle
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Frances Bavier	...	Woman in dinner party scene (uncredited)
Violet Cane	...	Teacher (uncredited)
Vivian Clermont	...	Mary Beth Musgrove (uncredited)
Shelley Fabares	...	Margie (uncredited)
Kathy Garver	...	Rhoda's Classmate (uncredited)
Don C. Harvey	...	Guard in Hospital Corridor (uncredited)
Edna Holland	...	Saleslady (uncredited)
Dayton Lummis	...	The Doctor (uncredited)
Natalie Masters	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Patricia Morrow	...	Ginny (uncredited)
Adele Taylor	...	Teacher (uncredited)
John Truax	...	The Sergeant (uncredited)

Directed by
Mervyn LeRoy

Writing credits
John Lee Mahin		(screenplay)
Maxwell Anderson		(play)
William March		(novel)

Produced by
Mervyn LeRoy	....	producer

Original Music by
Alex North

Cinematography by
Harold Rosson		(as Hal Rosson)

Film Editing by
Warren Low

Casting by
Hoyt Bowers		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
John Beckman

Set Decoration by
Ralph S. Hurst		(as Ralph Hurst)

Costume Design by
Moss Mabry

Makeup Department
Ruby Felker	....	hairdresser (uncredited)
George Lane	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mel Dellar	....	assistant director
Rusty Meek	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Gene Delaney	....	assistant props (uncredited)
John Gilbert Kissel	....	master props (uncredited)
Sol Litt	....	laborer (uncredited)
David Marshall	....	draper (uncredited)

Sound Department
Stanley Jones	....	sound
Al Cavigga	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Michael Colgan	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Eugene Marks	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Warren E. Boes	....	best boy (uncredited)
Howard Claire	....	second grip (uncredited)
Pat Clark	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Frank Evans	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Charles Harris	....	head grip (uncredited)
Frank V. Phillips	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Lee Wilson	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Florence Albert	....	wardrobe: women (uncredited)
Joan Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)
Leon Roberts	....	costumer: men (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Russell McCord	....	assistant cutter (uncredited)

Music Department
Maurice De Packh	....	orchestrator (as Maurice de Packh)

Other crew
Barbara Dunton	....	welfare teacher (uncredited)
Joe Halperin	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Doris Peoples	....	secretary: Mervyn LeRoy (uncredited)
Meta Rebner	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros.

Distributors

• Warner Bros. (1956) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1973) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• Warner Bros. (1958) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Epoca (????) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Magnus Opus (2011) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-Ray)
• Warner Home Video (video)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

129 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Germany:18 (DVD) | Norway:16 | Argentina:16

Filming Locations:

Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros.

Trivia:

The piano piece that Rhoda plays and sings and is heard as a theme throughout the film is the traditional French children's song Au Clair de la Lune.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Christine Penmark and Monica Breedlove are in Rhoda's bedroom to retrieve the locket from Rhoda's treasure box so Monica can replace it's stone and Christine notices the penmanship medal, Christine hands the locket to Monica. When Monica leaves the bedroom a crewman's hand with a cloth in it is seen at the bottom left of the bedroom door.

Quotes:

Leroy:You ask me and I say you don't even feel sorry for what happened to that little boy.
Rhoda:Why should I feel sorry? It was Claude Daigle who got drowned, not me!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Enfant Terrible: A Conversation with Patty McCormack (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

Au clair de la lune

Vividly memorable

My daughter, Rachel, always found this the most frightening movie she ever saw, and from a psychological perspective, it's easy to see why. Patty McCormack is magnificent as charming but evil first-grader Rhoda Penmark. Nancy Kelly is terrific in some scenes, but almost comically overwrought in others, as Rhoda's gradually terrified mother. Paul Fix deserves special mention in a strong performance as Kelly's father. And, Eileen Heckart is also a standout as the grief-stricken mother of a boy that we suspect Rhoda of killing. But, my personal favorite character is LeRoy, incredibly portrayed by Henry Jones. This is a characters I have never forgotten from the moment I first saw this one in the late 50's.

"That Rhoda is smart, almost as smart as me", he repeats for the camera several times in obsessive fashion. The ending which differed from the play has disturbed a lot of purists, but I think it has a lot of merit. Altogether, I give it 8 out of 10, very memorable and extremely well done.