Directed by Mervyn LeRoy, The Bad Seed (1956) is a powerful psychological, horror thriller that stars Nancy Kelly and Patty McCormack as a mother and daughter that struggle with a terrible secret. John Lee Mahin’s gripping screenplay, based on the novel by William March and the successful Broadway play written by Maxwell Anderson, dives deep into the idea and early debate on the concept of nature vs. nurture. Joining Kelly and McCormack on the big screen are a fine cast of players which include Evelyn Varden, Eileen Heckart, Henry Jones, and Paul Fix.
Buy The Bad Seed from Movie ZyngEight-year-old Rhoda Penmark (McCormack) appears to be the perfect little pig-tailed girl. Rhoda’s polite, well mannered, loving, and smart but her mother Christine (Kelly) is weary of her flawless demeanor. After losing a penmanship contest at the prominent school she attends, little Rhoda’s dark side slowly surfaces through her anger, abrasive attitude, and manipulative lies. Christine becomes more concerned once the boy who won the contest is drowned at a school picnic and little Rhoda becomes a suspect in the strange occurrence. Christine then recalls an instance in the past when an elderly woman suffered a deadly accident where Rhoda was the only witness. Christine’s own sanity spirals downward as she struggles to come to terms with her child’s dark nature. Christine will also confront her father (Fix), a famous crime journalist/novelist, about her own origins and who her real biological mother was. Truths left lurking behind shadow for years will be exposed but as requested at the end of the picture, I will not divulge the movie’s “unusual” shocking ending.
The Bad Seed is a fascinating 129-minute tale that takes an entertaining, closer look at the then-current (though not yet fully supported by science) concept of nature vs. nurture and the idea that destructive, murderous traits can be inherent. To mimic the stage play, the movie is filmed on limited but full studio sets that look authentic and real. The exteriors are beautiful and help to further flesh out the plot. Director LeRoy moves the camera around the limited sets well with some creative shadow play when needed but mostly just lets the veteran stage and screen actors work as they navigate the intense scenes.
Kelly and McCormack along with Evelyn Varden, Henry Jones, and Eileen Heckart reprise their stage roles for the silver screen and remain moving and strong though a bit overdramatic at times. Kelly is refined and dramatic while McCormack is powerful and mature beyond her 10 years as she bounces from sweet and nice to deadly sour and filled with rage. Henry Jones is great as Leroy, the mean, childlike maintenance man who sees through Rhoda from day one. Eileen Heckart as the grieving drowned boy’s mother nails her role and balances the belligerent drunk and heartbroken mother perfectly. William Hopper (Son of Heda), Frank Cady, Jesse White, and Gage Clark round out the supporting cast and help ensure there is never a dull moment.
The Warner Archive Collection’s Remastered Blu-ray release looks great and contains two Special Features that include a full-length audio commentary with star Patty McCormack and actor, director, screenwriter Charles Busch. There’s also a 15-minute featurette titled Enfant Terrible: A Conversation with Patty McCormack. Both are informative and provide lots of insight into the actors and production of The Bad Seed. The audio commentary is a great way to rewatch the movie as we hear Patty’s recollection of filming as well as the differences between the stage and screen versions including the film’s “shocking” ending and why it was added on.
Buy The Bad Seed from AmazonThe Bad Seed is a great thriller that toys with the heart and mind through its intensity and performances. There are some lighthearted moments here and there, even a laugh or two (both intentional and unintentional) that take nothing away from the subject matter. It’s clear to see that The Bad Seed laid the foundation for later darker horror movies like The Exorcist, The Omen and The Good Son (1993) to name just a few.
