THE BAD SEED
US, 1956, 129 minutes, Black and white.
Nancy Kelly, Patty Mc Cormack, Henry Jones, Eileen Heckhart, Evelyn Varden, William Hopper, Paul Fix, Jesse White.
Directed by Mervyn Le Roy.
The Bad Seed is based on a novel by William March and the play by Maxwell Anderson Winterset, Joan of Lorraine). This film version, directed by Mervyn Le Roy, uses many of the cast from the stage production, especially Nancy Kelly in the lead as Christine. Patty Mc Cormack is very effective as the evil little girl. There is an interesting supporting cast including Eileen Heckhart as the alcoholic mother of the dead boy, Evelyn Varden as the good-natured neighbour. Henry Jones as the mad handyman.
The film explores the question of heredity influencing people and their criminal behaviour - or whether individuals are influenced by environment. While characters, especially the grandfather played by Paul Fix, argues for environment, the film indicates that it believes in the heredity theory.
The film shows an angelic-looking but conscienceless little girl who murders those who get in her childishly selfish ways. This is quite horrifying. The distraught mother tries to understand and cope - with some complications about the mystery of her own heredity and her dreams. The ending of the play is quite striking with the mother killing her child and killing herself, but with the child being rescued in time and recovering. This was changed completely by censorship regulations of the 50s so that there is a very contrived ending with the mother surviving and the little girl going to the scene of her cries and being literally, struck by lightning.
A remake in the '80s restored the original ending and remained close to the outline of the original - except for making the family a little bit more upmarket and the dowdy neighbour becoming a much more glamorous Lynn Redgrave. In the remake, Blair Brown is effective as the mother, David Carradine is sinister and sleazy as the handyman, Richard Kiley is good as the loving grandfather. The little girl is played by Carrie Wells.
1. The impact of this film? Its shocks? Psychological theories, sociological theories? insertion of the dark side of human nature?
2. The adaptation of the play for the screen: dialogue, opening out, the cast, the interior scenes, acting styles? Musical score?
3. The changed ending and the '50s? Its impact on the overall drama?
4. Black and white photography, interiors and exteriors, an interior drama? Pace? Musical score and mood?
5. The title and the theories, the dialogue and the pros and cons, the psychological understandings and stances of the '50s, in the perspective of later decades? dramatising the fears? The basic pessimism within the story?
6. The plausibility of the plot: Rhoda as a credible young girl, her mother, background of her criminal mother, the manifestation in successive generations?
7. Rhoda and her appearance, age, her being called perfect? The impression she made on people, curtseying and old-fashioned manners, wearing a dress instead of jeans? Her relationship with her mother, with Monica? Her nastiness towards her? knowing more about her than others? The story of the spelling medal, the audience knowing what happened? Her asking for a peanut butter sandwich after the killing? The importance of the true story and her gradually telling it? Her malice, her attack on the boy, her fight with him, hitting him with the shoe, taking the medal? The teacher and her concern, her arrival, the discussions with Christine, the suspicions concerning Rhoda? The plight of Claude's mother? Her arrival and behaviour? Rhoda with her lies, games, seeking her mother's affection? Not comprehending any guilt or remorse? Her relationship with Monica, Monica spoiling her? the lifts? Leroy and the tantrums, her playing tea party and his insinuations about the blood? Her fear about the shoes? Leroy and his working out the truth, and his being frightened? The coolness in killing Leroy and the horror of his death? hr playing the piano? the story of the early murder and the old lady? Her trying to please her mother, the relationship with her grandfather? The pills, the story-reading? The irony of her surviving? her questions to her father about Monica's bird and how long she would live? Her going to the pier to look for the medal, her death? The theory of heredity and evil? Rhoda blaming others for their own deaths?
8. Christine, the phone calls, discussions, Monica, asking the expert, with her father, loving mother, relationship with her husband, his absences, Love for Rhoda? Her own dream, the psychological diagnosis? The fear of adoption? Her father's arrival, love hiding the truth? His cover? Her worry about theories, with Monica and her brother? The discussions with the expert presence? her attitude towards Leroy and disdain of him? The picnic, her reaction to the news of the death, the and her concern, wanting to support tie school, the wreath? Rhoda's being eliminated from the school? Her concern about Claude's parents, the mother arriving, her drunken turn and accusations, Christine's trying to behave well? Finding the medal, the confrontation with Rhoda, the lies? Trying to cope, her father's visit, the worry, the phone calls? Claude's mother and her reappearance? the attack's on her health, class? Leroy' death? the piano-playing? Interrogating Rhoda about the old lady's pills, reading the story to her? The motivation for the killing?
9. Claude's mother: drink, only child, her background, her small husband, attack on class and style, her needs, wanting to interview Rhoda?
10. The teacher, the interrogation of Christine, her primness, suspicions and suggestions? The attack by Claude's mother?
11. Monica, her excessive love for Rhoda, spoiling her? Her psychological interests, Freud? Her brother? The visiting expert?
12. The atmosphere of psychology, the discussions and screenplay? Freudian theories?
13. Christine's father, his background, journalist, the irony of the expert recognising him and the test case, listening to Christine's nightmare, telling her the truth?
14. An atmosphere of sinister death? Cruelty? Callousness?
15. The changing of the play's ending for the censorship requirements of the 'SOS?
