"The
Bad Seed"
REVIEW DATE: 4:2:9:9
As you probably know by now, the 1950s and I just don't mix. We're like matter and antimatter: both of us are volatile beings (or time periods), and every time we meet, we destroy each other. While I'm watching a movie from the 50s, it slowly destroys my sanity and when the movie is over, I usually destroy it very quickly with the nearest heavy object available.
Despite (or perhaps because of) this hatred of 50s movies I actually managed to like The Bad Seed. Though American movies of similar vintage have ranged from predictable monster movies (see Earth vs. The Spider) to just plain stupidity (see Queen of Outer Space) The Bad Seed manages to rise above movies of similar vintage and become quite the little thriller.
Unfortunatly the movie begins like most other movies of the 50s. You have your square jawed father, Army man Kenneth (William Hopper), his loyal as a puppy dog wife, Christine (Nancy Kelly), and their sweet as can be daughter Roda (Patricia McCormick). When they are first introduced, I could practically feel my teeth rotting at the utter sweetness expressed here. These are the good ol' days when children wore frilly dresses with petty coats on a daily basis, and actual played the piano for fun. That was the way it was, and we liked it too!
Eewww. I hate nostalgia. Makes me feel icky.
And these characters are the prefect representation of 50s nostalgia. Being the loyal jug head that he is, Kenneth must leave the happy household for a few weeks. Left alone with her oh so sweet daughter, Christine immediately rushes her off to a school picnic. Once there, however, disaster strikes. One of Roda's classmates drowns in the local lake under mysterious circumstances. To make things worse Roda's teacher, Mrs. Fern (Joan Croyden) informs Christine that Roda was the last person to see the boy while he was alive.
That's right, you guessed it. The Good Son? Ha! Been done before, right here. Though Roda may be the perfect spawn of the nuclear family in reality, she is a cold soulless murderess. Have we heard this before? Yes, but come on, this is 1956 for God's sake, besides, unlike countless imitators this movie does actually provide some cool twists and turns along the way. . .but I'm getting ahead of myself. . .
Yes, a cold, soulless murderer that looks so perfect from the outside. The only one who sees through her disguise is the slightly retarded grounds keeper, Leroy (Henry Jones), and that fact might not be good for his health. As the story steamrolls onward and Christine begins to loose her sanity, it is reviled that Christine has a. . .shall we say very personal connection to a famous serial killer, and, of course, that Roda is evil I say, eeeevillll!!!!
According to my ever-knowledgeable parents the slightly retarded grounds keeper was, in fact, a stock character in 1950's movies (the only other movie I've seen the character used was The Screaming Skull). Henry Jones plays Leroy well. . .for a stock character. Since his character doesn't belong to a nuclear family he does get a chance to cut lose and actual act. I might say that Jones is the best actor in the cast if it weren't for. . .
Eileen Heckart. Even though I can measure her entire screen time with a one handed watch she plays the best dang grief stricken drunk I've ever seen. She plays the grief stricken parent of Roda's first victim with as much acting skill as any of these characters can muster, and is probably the best actor in the cast.
As an actress, Nancy Kelly shows some promise. Starting the movie as a slap happy 50s mom and ending it. . .well, less then slap happy shows that she does have some range, which is more then I can say for most of the women who played this role. Unfortunatly the dialogue she is force to spout is absolutely stilted. How stilted? Let's just say it could look King Kong in the eye with no problem.
Patricia McCormick, on the other hand, has absolutely nothing to do but act like a spoiled, murderous brat. Boy, that should be a stretch, right? Personally, I think this movie could have been a whole lot better if Pat had toned it down just a bit. Instead, Roda is so obviously duplicitous that it comes as no surprise when she starts offing people.
And yet. . .
Yet, despite it all, there is some decent suspense to be had throughout. The script (written by John Lee Mahin from a play by Maxwell Anderson) and the plot twists it lets lose about halfway through the movie is worth the price of admission alone. Most of the actors (especially Jones) play their characters well, and a couple actual seam to have fun with their roles. For those willing to sit through about 30 minuets of stilted, stereotypical, so sweet your teeth will fall out, 1950s dialogue you'll find a pretty good reward waiting for you at the end of this black and white brick road.
RATING (OUT OF A POSSIBLE FIVE)
MAYBE THERE'S HOPE FOR THE 50'S AFTER ALL.
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