If you are teaching media concepts (lighting, drama, characters, play, scenes) then this is a great movie to complement your lesson. As a high-school teacher for English foundations, I try my best to expose my students to the literature their peers in regular English classes receive. I must utilize movies as a visual aide supplement to help them connect with the characters, setting, dialogue... I strongly recommend using this dvd to support your curriculum to teach on all levels of student learning (auditory, kinesthetic, visual).

Acting at it's best. So well written and So well performed. Outstanding movie with and outstanding ending. Recommend to all. It was written and performed for the stage and brought to the screen. Many of the orignal performers from the stage such as Nancy Kelly and Patty McCormack lead an all star cast. Eileen Heckart personifies a distraught mother who has lost her only child as she consumes drink after drink in an intoxicating paranoia against Rhoda as she searches for the truth of the death of her son. I always like Eileen, she played a terffic part in the Fugitve episodes with David Janssen as nun on her way to renounce her vows. 2-Part Episode: Angels Travel on Lonely Roads. And Rhoda, well she is just the perfect little thing, I love her to death!

When asked the movie from childhood I remember best, this is the one. The Birds, The Blob,
even Baby Jane and Sweet Charlotte did not have the impact of Patty McCormack's stellar performance in this movie. Maybe after seeing it was when I became terrified of going in our farmhouse basement...and lightning.
Perhaps it even influenced my interest in mental illness and led me to work 20 yrs. in a state mental hospital!
I watched it as an adult and was still captivated by the quality of the performances as well as the B&W photography. A must see.

"What will you give me for a basket of kisses?" This quote becomes quite memorable as it is repeated throughout the 1956 movie The Bad Seed. The main character is Rhoda, a pigtailed eight-year-old girl who is seemingly charming and well-mannered. This phrase is one she uses often, fooling her parents into thinking that she is the perfect daughter, shown by their response, "Why, I'd give you a basket of hugs." It turns out, though, that Rhoda is not so perfect after all. In fact, she is the complete opposite: an evil murderer, killing people for their possessions that she is envious of. The Bad Seed, directed by Mervyn LeRoy and taken from the Broadway play with the same title, is a suspenseful film that is ahead of its time with an excellent cast, an original storyline with a shocking ending, and a theme that keeps the audience interested.
The cast of the movie was taken from the play, so they have clearly become comfortable with playing their roles and it shows in the film. Each cast member does a wonderful job at playing their parts, and they make up a whole that is the movie. Each person was also chosen perfectly for their part, despite the fact that they were not well-known to film audiences because they performed mostly on Broadway. Patty McCormack, who plays Rhoda Penmark, is so convincing when it comes to being a little brat. She successfully puts on a sweet facade while simultaneously being sinister. Her evil grin is eerie and could not be perfected any further. Nancy Kelly plays Christine Penmark, Rhoda's mother. She does a great job at playing a typical housewife who does not have a worry in the world until she suspects that the child she gave birth to is actually a killer. Kelly convincingly turns into an emotional wreck with the burden of knowing the crimes her daughter has committed. Eileen Heckart skillfully plays Hortense Daigle, the distraught, drunken mother of a boy who was killed by Rhoda. Her drunken state shows the sorrow a mother must endure when her child dies. These actresses were all deservingly nominated for Academy Awards for their amazing performances. Another actor, who was not nominated for any awards but brought great acting to the film, is Henry Jones who plays Leroy, the yard worker of the apartment complex in which the Penmarks live. He lurks around and likes to keep track of what is going on with the family. He comes to suspect Rhoda of being smart but evil. Jones brings a creepiness to this role that no other actor could do quite so well.
The film has a edgy and controversial story line, especially for its time. The storyline is incredibly original and sets the stage for other movies. The plot is suspenseful throughout the entire movie. Each plot twist makes the movie even better, like when the viewer learns about Rhoda's role in murdering the little boy in her class because he won a penmanship medal that she wanted. When the viewer discovers that Rhoda has killed once before, they then realize that she is no amateur at this murdering business. The fact that a little girl would kill people in order to get things that she covets, such as a medal or a crystal ball, although very unlikely, is still chilling. Along with this thrilling plot comes an ending that is extremely shocking. But do not fret, I will not give it away. You must see it for yourself.
This movie comes with a timeless theme that has kept audiences intrigued since it was first viewed. The theme of nature versus nurture comes into play when Christine finds out after speaking with her father that her recurring nightmare of being adopted is actually true. Her real mother is a serial killer, and she thinks that these murderous genes could have been passed down to Rhoda. Christine questions whether or not a child could be born a killer or if the environment in which a child is brought up makes them a killer. After she speaks to her father, who has a background in psychology, it is evident that the popular belief during that time was that environment plays the most important role in determining a person's behavior. Rhoda's case, however, shows that this may not be entirely true. She was brought up in a loving environment, yet she kills people. The only logical explanation appears to be the fact that her grandmother is a murderer as well and this trait was passed down to her. Rhoda may just be a "bad seed," and her environment had nothing to do with her behavior. This theme of nature versus nurture makes the audience think about their opinion on this subject, even though child murderers are not common at all. Psychology has and will always be a popular theme that people find interest in.
To me, the amazing cast, intense storyline, shocking ending, and interesting plot make The Bad Seed one of my favorite horror movies of all time. It has inspired other movies, such as The Good Son, and has left an impact on many viewers as a great horror movie. For those that are tired of the dreadful excuses for horror movies these days, I would eagerly recommend the timeless psychological thriller, The Bad Seed.

Christine Penmark has a loving husband and a picture-perfect daughter named Rhoda. Christine knows that Rhoda can be stubborn and greedy and a bit of a kiss-up, but that's not all that worries her after a classmate dies at a school picnic...the boy had just won a medal that Rhoda wanted. A lot.

This movie was considered quite shocking when it was made in 1956; it was unheard of to suggest that a child could be a cold-blooded killer who inherited her evil from her mother. The cast came direct from the Broadway show and were comfortable in their roles. Nancy Kelly goes from contented housewife to hysterical lunatic and is believable all the way. Patty McCormack is perfect as the angelic little devil in crinolines and braids. She's tough gutsy and holds her own with the talented adults. Henry Jones, as the handy man, is really creepy and terrific.

While the actors are all great, the director chose to make a filmed play and it doesn't always work. The dialogue is all shouted and the actors politely take turns speaking, there's no overlap or hesitation; everything sounds too rehearsed. The action is mostly confined to a living room set where the actors do a LOT of talking with little action; they stand still and stare at whoever is speaking; this probably worked a lot better on stage.

The Extras include film commentary and a memories short with Patty McCormack and these are great fun. Despite it's staginess, the movie is exciting and intense and very enjoyable.