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, Gage Clarke

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

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Gage Clarke	...	Tasker
Jesse White	...	Emory
Joan Croydon	...	Miss Fern (as Joan Croyden)
William Hopper	...	Kenneth Penmark
Paul Fix	...	Richard Bravo
Henry Jones	...	Leroy
Evelyn Varden	...	Monica
Eileen Heckart	...	Mrs. Daigle
Patty McCormack	...	Rhoda
Nancy Kelly	...	Christine Penmark
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:

The Year's BIG Shocker!

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Like the character Colonel Kenneth Penmark (Rhoda's father), several members of the cast and crew were military veterans. Most of whom served in World War II: William Hopper who played Colonel Penmark served in the Navy while actors Henry Jones and Gage Clarke were in the Army. Screenwriter John Lee Mahin and actor Frank Cady served in the U.S. Army Air Forces. Director Mervyn LeRoy worked for the government, making short public information films on such subjects as contending with bombs and putting out fires, to help prepare the country for a possible attack during the War. Some cast and crew members served in the First World War. Author William March was in the Marine Corps while cinematographer Harold Rosson served in the Army. Actor Paul Fix served in the National Guard, the regular Army and finally the Navy as a Hospital Corpsman during WWI.

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Goofs

When Leroy is telling Rhoda that blood can't be washed off of a stick, in the shot taken facing Rhoda she is leaning on the table with both hands, but as soon it switches to a shot from her right side, she's standing upright with her arms bent.

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Quotes

[ending credits]
Christine Penmark: And as for you...
[starts spanking 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 Dick Van Dyke Show: The Ugliest Dog in the World (1965)

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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

The devil wore dotted swiss.

Minor 1950's classic that holds up well fifty year later. The film does have its flaws. Occasionally it has the feel of a staged play--at times it seems Mrs. Penmark has to answer the door every five minutes so as to get the other major characters on screen. The Freudian psychobabble and the altered ending add an unnecessary half hour or so to the running time. And the acting can be very overwrought (although the scene in which Mrs. Penmark is screaming in the apartment as Leroy screams outside--both counterpointed by Rhoda's untalented but very loud rendition of "Au Clair de la Lune"--is a moment of high camp horror on par with anything in "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?") Still the movie works, largely because of Rhoda, the eerily self controlled little murderess who despite her sweet smiles always looks at though her hair is braided a bit too tight. It helps that an actress was cast who was cute enough, but not too pretty--Patty McCormack looks like a miniature gargoyle when she drops the sunny mask and starts roaring. Leroy, the leering simple minded caretaker is almost as unsettling--the scenes in which he sadistically taunts Rhoda almost amount to a very twisted flirtation, as he is clearly more delighted than appalled by her capacity for evil (at least until he learns just how far this capacity goes).

I haven't seen the 1980's remake, but I can't see how it could top the original, if only because evil little girls in jeans and T-shirts just aren't as scary as evil little girls with hair bows and starched frocks.

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