The Bad Seed (1956) | |
| Director(s) | Mervyn LeRoy |
| Producer(s) | Mervyn LeRoy |
| Top Genres | Drama, Film Adaptation, Horror, Mystery, Thriller/Suspense |
| Top Topics | Based on Play, Book-Based |
Featured Cast:
The Bad Seed Overview:
The Bad Seed (1956) was a Drama - Horror Film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and produced by Mervyn LeRoy.
SYNOPSIS
A suspenseful thriller about a mother who slowly comes to the ghastly conclusion that her eight-year-old daughter is responsible for a string of brutal murders. Kelly was awarded an Oscar nomination for her strong portrayal of a woman who also discovers that the recurring nightmare she's been having is rooted in her past. Based on Maxwell Anderson's play, this picture was the inspiration for 1994's The Good Son, as well as the 1985 TV movie of the same name.
(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).
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Academy Awards 1956 --- Ceremony Number 29 (source: AMPAS)
| Award | Recipient | Result |
| Best Actress | Nancy Kelly | Nominated |
| Best Supporting Actress | Eileen Heckart | Nominated |
| Best Supporting Actress | Patty McCormack | Nominated |
| Best Cinematography | Hal Rosson | Nominated |
BlogHub Articles:
THE BAD SEED (1956)
By Terry on Feb 21, 2019 From Stardust and ShadowsSome films don’t? sit in areas of? ?style or content that fit a particular genre. THE BAD? SEED (1956) is thought to be Horror film,? ?a Film Noir or? a thriller.? Where? it fits? in the canon is not important only that it is? a strong film yet not to everyone’s taste.? THE BAD SEED (195... Read full article
The Bad Seed (1956)
By Summer Reeves on Feb 13, 2017 From Serendipitous AnachronismsThe Bad Seed (1956) 13 Monday Feb 2017 Posted by Summer Reeves in 1950s, Cinema, Crime, Drama ≈ 4 Comments TagsCinema, Crime, Drama, Movies with Cute Clothes, Philosophy, Psychology Darling Readers, do you have one of?those films? O... Read full article
The Bad Seed (1956)
By Beatrice on Apr 26, 2016 From Flickers in TimeThe Bad Seed Directed by Mervyn LeRoy John Lee Mahin from a play by Maxwell Anderson and a novel by William March 1956/USA Warner Bros. Repeat viewing/Netflix rental I don’t find this movie scary anymore but, boy, do I love it. Rhoda Penmark (Patty McCormack) is the kind of eight-year-old I... Read full article
The Bad Seed (1956) (2)
on Feb 6, 2014 From Journeys in Classic FilmI first saw The Bad Seed in my high school film class and it was love at first sight. ?Sure, it’s got campy written all over it, heavy-handed acting and characters breaking into monologue, but the characters and plot keep everything from going completely off the rails. ?The film is remarkably ... Read full article
Classic Films in Focus: THE BAD SEED (1956)
By Jennifer Garlen on Oct 16, 2012 From Virtual ViragoThe Bad Seed (1956) ranks pretty high on the list of classic "evil children" movies, although it's not exactly a straightforward horror film. Director Mervyn LeRoy, working from a stage adaptation of William March's original novel, presents the story more as dark melodrama, like Mildred Pierce (1945... Read full article
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Quotes from
Hortense Daigle: He was such a lovely, dear little boy. He used to say I was his sweetheart and he was going to marry me when he grew up. I would laugh so. "No you won't. You'll forget about me long before then. You'll find a prettier girl and marry her." And do you know what he said then? "No, I won't. 'Cause there isn't a prettier girl in the whole world than you are."
Christine Penmark: Did she kill him? But she's my little girl. And I love her. Oh my baby, my baby!
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Facts about
Rosalind Russell was originally considered for the role of the mother (played by 'Nancy Kelly'), until the studio decided to go with the Broadway cast.
The original Broadway production of "The Bad Seed" by Maxwell Anderson opened on December 8, 1954 and ran for 334 performances.Nancy Kelly won the 1955 Tony Award for Actress in a Drama for "The Bad Seed" and recreated her role in the movie. Patty McCormack, Eileen Heckart, Evelyn Varden, Henry Jones and Joan Croydon also recreated their stage roles in the movie version.
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