IMDb > The Bad Seed (1956)
The Bad Seed
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The Bad Seed (1956) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.3/10   3,438 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 28% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Mervyn LeRoy
Writers:
William March (novel)
Maxwell Anderson (play)
more
Contact:
View company contact information for The Bad Seed on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
12 September 1956 (USA) more
Tagline:
A WOMAN'S SHAME...Out in the Open! more
Plot:
An ideal housewife begins to suspect her loving adolescent daughter may be a heartless killer. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 1 win & 1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
(8 articles)
Right now on Cinematical
 (From AOL - TVSquad. 30 October 2009, 4:45 PM, PDT)

Villains We Love: Rhoda Penmark, 'The Bad Seed'
 (From Cinematical. 29 October 2009, 4:15 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
Vividly memorable more (105 total)

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
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Additional Details

Runtime:
129 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound Recording)
Certification:
Canada:14A (Ontario) | Germany:18 (DVD) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved
Filming Locations:
Burbank, California, USA more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Rosalind Russell was originally considered for role of the mother (played by 'Nancy Kelly'), until studio decided to go with Broadway cast. 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. more
Quotes:
Leroy: [to Rhoda] I thought I'd seen some mean little gals in my time, but you're the meanest. You wanna know how I know how mean you are? 'Cause I'm mean. I'm smart and I'm mean, and you're smart and you're mean. And you never get caught and I never get caught. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Cheers: Rebecca's Lover... Not (#10.22)" (1992) more
Soundtrack:
Au clair de la lune more

FAQ

How closely does the movie follow the novel?
What is the book that Christine reads to Rhoda the night Claude Daigle is killed?
Is "The Bad Seed" based on a book?
more
13 out of 17 people found the following comment useful.
Vividly memorable, 27 August 2001
9/10
Author: the_old_roman from Leonia, NJ

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.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Bad Seed (1956)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
THIS IS A FOREVER CLASSIC!!!!!!!!!!! fallen_anakin
What's Hortense drinking? lucassfo
the spanking at the end? vampypiano
Homophobia on the loose. Piewackett1
so, Rhoda is psychopath? kimzzam1989
Deleted Scene? akamban-1
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