The Bad Seed (1956)

Director:

Mervyn LeRoy

Writers:

William March (novel)
Maxwell Anderson (play)

Release Date:

12 September 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

"The Bad Seed" is the big shocker!

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Suicide Attempt | Sleeping On The Job | Drunkenness | Brat | Female Psychopath

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

Runtime:

129 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

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

Filming Locations:

Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Warner Bros. production notes for the film reported that three endings were shot. According to a Nov 1955 Los Angeles Times , the end of the film was kept secret and the last five pages of the script were not distributed until ready to shoot.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Christine is reading the book to Rhoda and the shot is behind Rhoda, the covers are down around her waist and she is lying on her side. When the shot is in front or Rhoda, the covers are tucked up under her chin and she is lying more on her back. In the next shot, behind her again, the covers are again around her waist and she's on her side.

Quotes:

Christine Penmark: She killed him, but she's my little girl and I love her.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Stargate: Atlantis: Harmony (#4.14)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Au Clair De La Lune

Very good

I thought this movie was made very well. Despite what another had commented about this movie, I do feel that her facial expressions were very much eerie and the girl did a very good job as "the bad seed". The way she would look and smile whenever she lied made me think about how bad of a person she was and the look in her eyes also would show how she knew that she could manipulate anyone who got in her way. feel that for it's time it was a very good movie. It had to do something right, since it was nominated for an Oscar. So in all despite the comment prior to this one, I do feel that it was a very good movie. I thought that the ending was good too, since it gave people a sense of reality to the people who played the characters(some can't see past a character that a person plays).