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Catalog/Drama/The Bad Seed
The Bad Seed poster
A
Excellent
MASTER SCORE 80.9 / 100
1956·Drama / Horror / Thriller·2h 9m

THE BAD SEED

“For little Rhoda, murder is child's play.”

Air Force Colonel Kenneth Penmark and his wife, Christine, adore their daughter Rhoda, despite her secret tendency for selfishness. Christine keeps her knowledge of her daughter's darker side to herself, but when a schoolmate of Rhoda's dies mysteriously, her self-deception unravels.

Above the Line
Mervyn LeRoy·DirectorJohn Lee Mahin·ScreenplayHarold Rosson·Director of PhotographyAlex North·Original Music ComposerWarren Low·Editor
Cast
Patty McCormack·Rhoda PenmarkNancy Kelly·Christine PenmarkHenry Jones·Leroy JessupEileen Heckart·Hortense DaigleEvelyn Varden·Monica BreedloveWilliam Hopper·Col. Kenneth PenmarkPaul Fix·Richard BravoJesse White·Emory WagesGage Clarke·Reginald "Reggie" TaskerJoan Croydon·Claudia Fern
Full Crew
(6 credits)
Directing· 1
Mervyn LeRoy·Director
Writing· 1
John Lee Mahin·Screenplay
Camera· 1
Harold Rosson·Director of Photography
Editing· 1
Warren Low·Editor
Sound & Music· 1
Alex North·Original Music Composer
Production· 1
Mervyn LeRoy·Producer
By the Numbers
80.9
OF 100
Master Score
7.4
OF 10
IMDb
63%
CRITICS
Rotten Tomatoes
—
Worldwide Gross
0
4 NOMS
Oscar Wins
Where to Watch

THE AVAILABILITY MAP

The canonical record of where this film lives across the streaming map.

Provider Index In Progress

Streaming, rental, and purchase availability for this title is being ingested from the TMDB watch-providers feed and will appear here once the next catalog refresh runs. Until then, the canonical source links below remain the fastest route.

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Poster DNA

THE VISUAL DECONSTRUCTION

A bespoke vision agent's reading of the design language behind The Bad Seed's key art.

Dominant Palette
3 colors
#0A0A0A
#D9D9D9
#CC0000
Mood
Ominous, Unsettling, Intense
Composition
Centered
Era
2000s
Visual Style
Photographic

“A man with short dark hair, wearing a dark collared shirt and a dark leather jacket, is seen from the chest up, embracing a young girl. He is looking down towar”

horrorthrillerdrama
Key Elements
Lit MatchstickWhite Headband
Atmosphere
Dark
Color Mood
Mixed
Setting
Abstract
Design Score
8/10
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THE NEIGHBORHOOD

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Keep Going

THREE WAYS DEEPER

Auteur
AUT
MORE BY MERVYN LEROY

Every catalog entry where Mervyn LeRoy is credited as director.

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GEN
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Era
DEC
MORE FROM THE 1950S

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