Review of The Bad Seed (1956) by Matthew D — 18 May 2013

The arguably most famous evil child movie is The Omen, but the best is an older, slightly more forgotten Hays Production Code era film entitled The Bad Seed, based on the stage play by Maxwell Anderson, which was in turn based upon The Bad Seed novel by William March, which is a gripping, poignant and well-acted thriller with a wonderfully sharp and theatrical screenplay written by John Lee Mahin with wonderful direction by Mervin LeRoy.

Nancy Kelly stars as the titular seed's kind mother, a role so wonderfully performed you can't believe it's acted. Then, there's Henry Jones; the moronic caretaker who accidentally stumbles upon The Bad Seed's secret, coincidently named LeRoy.

Also, there's the rivetingly heartbreaking performance as the victim's mother, Eileen Heckart, turned into a alcoholic misanthrope with little cares by "The Bad Seed's" evil deeds.

Then, there's Patty McCormack, who so wonderfully plays Rhoda Penmark, the deceptively sweet titular seed, who kills,sweetly smiles, and laughs off all suspicions of any wrongdoing on her never wrongdoing part.

It's quite long, but it's suspenseful, unique, and overly theatrical; including the credits, where a panto-like curtain call attempts to humanise McCormack and the rest of the cast, before a very camp Kelly throws McCormack over her lap and begins to spank.

It looks sore too. Overall, a wonderfully subtle, well-acted piece of originality that is the best evil child film ever, and a evil child played to perfection by Miss Patty McCormack. Oh, what a bad seed.