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The Bad Seed

6.6

1,336

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Remake:

The Bad Seed (TV)

Remake:

The Bad Seed (TV)

Original title

The Bad Seed

Year

1956

Running time

129 min.

Country

United States

Director

Mervyn LeRoy

Screenwriter

John Lee Mahin. Play: Maxwell Anderson. Novel: William March

Cast

Music

Alex North

Cinematography

Harold Rosson (B&W)

Producer

Warner Bros.

Genre

Drama. Horror. Thriller | Childhood. Family Relationships. Melodrama

Synopsis

Christine Penmark seems to have it all: a lovely home, a loving husband and the most "perfect" daughter in the world. But since childhood, Christine has suffered from the most terrible recurring nightmare. And her "perfect" daughter's accomplishments include lying, theft and possibly much, much worse. Only Christine knows the truth about her daughter and only Christine's father knows the truth about her nightmare.

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Awards: 1956: 4 Nominations Oscar: Actress (Kelly), Supporting Actresses (Heckart & McCormack), Cinematography B&W

1956: Golden Globe: Best Supporting Actress (Eileen Heckart). 2 Nominations

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Critics' reviews

"An erratic but compelling film that lingers long after the fade-out."

TV Guide
"You have here a film version of a chilling novel and interestingly repellent stage play that defeats its own purpose with a static recording of the stage business"

Village Voice
"Everything dated and peculiar about it is fascinating and does not detract -- it may even enhance -- the fun of the central premise."

Mick LaSalle: San Francisco Chronicle
"Mervyn LeRoy, who produced and directed, has lost a great deal of the bite of the play. He has done it in a style of presentation that is ostentatious and often insincere."

Bosley Crowther: The New York Times
"'The Bad Seed' might not have the lurid veneer of Oedipal conflict that turned The Good Son into a supreme guilty pleasure, but it’s got more false-façade performances than you could ever hope for. (...) Rating: ★★½ (out of 4)"

Eric Henderson: Slant
"Overlong, stiff, and about as suspenseful as a detergent commercial, The Bad Seed has one small asset, Patty McCormack as the child, but that's about it."

Dave Kehr: Chicago Tribune
"The movie's artful black-and-white cinematography still contributes much to making this a remarkably gripping chiller"

The Washington Post
"Taken from Maxwell Anderson's stage play, adapted from William March's novel, the film remains more of the theatre than of the motion picture field. Nonetheless, it is well done within that qualification."

Variety Staff: Variety

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