The Bad Seed (1956)

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

Director:

Mervyn LeRoy

Writers:

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

Stars:

Nancy Kelly, Patty McCormack, Henry Jones

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited 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

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.

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Plot Keywords:

evil child | colonel | girl | female protagonist | family relationships | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 September 1956 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Bad Seed

Filming Locations:

Burbank, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

129 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Alfred Hitchcock turned down the chance to direct.

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Goofs

When Rhoda and Leroy are talking outside, she is working on a puzzle. When Rhoda is facing Leroy, the pieces to the puzzle are on the table, but when Leroy is facing Rhoda, the pieces are not there. When it goes back to Rhoda, the pieces are again outside the puzzle.

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Quotes

Christine Penmark: This is my daughter, Rhoda.
Reginald 'Reggie' Tasker: Hello, Rhoda. Well, isn't she a little sweetheart!
Rhoda: Thank you.
[she curtsies]
Reginald 'Reggie' Tasker: That's the kind of thing that makes an old bachelor wish he were married.
Rhoda: Oh, you like little girls to curtsy?
Reginald 'Reggie' Tasker: The best thing left out of the Middle Ages.
Rhoda: I'm having dinner upstairs.
Reginald 'Reggie' Tasker: The loss is ours. All ours.
Christine Penmark: You may go now, Rhoda.
[...]

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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."

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Connections

Referenced in The Pit (1981)

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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

User Reviews

Old favorite

I first saw this movie when I was about 10-11. I cried my eyes out....doesn't effect me the same way now, but I truly admire Patty McCormick's acting ability. A true classic and now-a-days the premise of the story is maybe truer than the writer ever would have guessed