THE BAD SEED (1956)
With special guest Michael Musto
Intro, Math Club, and Debate Society (spoiler-free) 0:00-27:34
Honor Roll and Detention (spoiler-heavy) 27:35-56:19
Superlatives (so. many. spoilers.) 56:20-1:13:19
Director Mervyn LeRoy
Screenplay John Lee Mahin, based on the play by Maxwell Anderson, based on the novel by William March
Featuring Gage Clarke, Joan Croydon, Paul Fix, Eileen Heckart, William Hopper, Henry Jones, Nancy Kelly, Patty McCormack, Evelyn Varden, Jesse White
Opened September 12, 1956
Budget $1 million
Box office $4.1 million
SPOILER-FREE SYNOPSIS
Eight year-old Rhoda Penmark is angry. Not because her father, a colonel, is heading off to Washington for four weeks. Not because her apartment building’s janitor, LeRoy Jessup, is hovering a little too close for comfort. No, Rhoda’s pissed because her classmate Claude Daigle has won the school’s penmanship medal, and in Rhoda’s mind, that just isn’t fair. Meanwhile, Rhoda’s doting mother, Christine, has begun to wonder whether Rhoda might be a little too interested in the medal, and when word comes that Claude has met a suspicious end at the school picnic, Christine’s curiosity turns to worry. Is Rhoda really as sweet and innocent as she looks? Is LeRoy really just a mixed up fool who monologues on occasion? Or is something more nefarious afoot – something to do with heredity, with nature vs nurture, and a certain coincidence that takes place whenever Rhoda is in the vicinity of those she considers obstacles to her desires?
SPOILER-FREE GUEST BIO
Michael Musto is best known as the long running "La Dolce Musto" columnist for the Village Voice, for which he is still a contributor. Musto's articles about show biz and clubbing have also appeared everywhere from the New York Times to Vanity Fair, and he currently writes a gossip column for Queerty.com, in addition to contributing to the Daily Beast. Musto has written four books—including the non fiction guide "Downtown" and the novel Manhattan on the Rocks—and he has long been a TV commentator on pop culture, popping up on CNN, as well as in documentaries on Showtime, Netflix, FX, Vice and Amazon Prime. He has won the Glam Award for Best Nightlife writer nine times. Favorite recess snack: Devil Dogs.
EPISODE NOTES
Music from “The Bad Seed” by Alex North.
BONUS SHORT
TRAILER
SUPERLATIVES
The Gaspar Noe Award for Most Disturbing Scene
Michael: The first time we hear Nancy Kelly speak
Eric: The offscreen death of LeRoy Jessup as seen through Christine’s eyes
Bradford: The offscreen death of LeRoy Jessup as seen through Christine’s eyes
The Ellen Ripley Award for Character Who Most Deserves to Live
Michael: The offscreen Claude Daigle
Eric: The offscreen Claude Daigle
Bradford: The offscreen Claude Daigle
The Michael Myers Award for Character Who Most Deserves to Die
Michael: LeRoy Jessup
Eric: Rhoda Fucking Penmark
Bradford: LeRoy Jessup
The Ken Russell Award for Most Baroque Screen Moment
Michael: Anytime we hear Rhoda playing “Clair de Lune”
Eric: The scene in which Christine loses her shit, with piano in background
Bradford: The end sequence in which Christine monologues to Rhoda, then places Rhoda in her room, then goes in another room and shoots herself
The Brad Dourif Award for Character Who Could Have Been Played by Brad Dourif
Michael: Kenneth Penmark
Eric: Christine Penmark
Bradford: Leroy Jessup
FINAL LETTER GRADE
Michael: A-
Eric: C+
Bradford: A-