The Bad Seed (1956 film)
Updated: 5/24/2026, 7:22:48 PM Wikipedia source
The Bad Seed is a 1956 American psychological horror thriller film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Nancy Kelly, Patty McCormack, Henry Jones and Eileen Heckart, about an eight-year-old girl whose mother begins to suspect that she might be a psychopathic killer. The film adapts the 1954 play of the same name by Maxwell Anderson, which in turn is based on William March's 1954 novel of the same name. The screenplay was written by John Lee Mahin. Kelly, McCormack, and Heckart each garnered Academy Awards nominations for their performances, as well as Harold Rosson's cinematography.
Infobox
Directed by
Mervyn LeRoy
Screenplay by
John Lee Mahin
Based on
The Bad Seed by Maxwell Anderson The Bad Seed by William March
Produced by
Mervyn LeRoy
Starring
Nancy Kelly Patty McCormack Henry Jones Evelyn Varden
Cinematography
Harold Rosson
Edited by
Warren Low
Music by
Alex North
Production company
Warner Bros.
Distributed by
Warner Bros.
Release date
September 12, 1956 (1956-09-12)
Running time
129 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$1 million
Box office
$4 million (rentals)
Tables
· Accolades
Academy Awards
Academy Awards
Award
Academy Awards
Category
Best Actress
Nominee(s)
Nancy Kelly
Result
Nominated
Best Supporting Actress
Best Supporting Actress
Award
Best Supporting Actress
Category
Eileen Heckart
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Patty McCormack
Patty McCormack
Award
Patty McCormack
Category
Nominated
Best Cinematography
Best Cinematography
Award
Best Cinematography
Category
Harold Rosson
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Golden Globe Awards
Golden Globe Awards
Award
Golden Globe Awards
Category
Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
Nominee(s)
Eileen Heckart
Result
Won
Patty McCormack
Patty McCormack
Award
Patty McCormack
Category
Nominated
| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
| Academy Awards | Best Actress | Nancy Kelly | Nominated | |
| Best Supporting Actress | Eileen Heckart | Nominated | ||
| Patty McCormack | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematography | Harold Rosson | Nominated | ||
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | Eileen Heckart | Won | |
| Patty McCormack | Nominated |
References
- 'The Top Box-Office Hits of 1956', Variety, January 2, 1957.
- Paste Magazinehttps://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/horror-movies/movie-sociopaths-best-portrayals-psychopath-mental-illness-empathy-actors-roles
- Cruel Children in Popular Texts and Cultures; ISBN 978-3-030-10179-4 p. 294
- Alex North - The Bad Seedhttps://www.discogs.com/release/3647312-Alex-North-The-Bad-Seed
- Boomkathttps://boomkat.com/products/the-bad-seed-original-motion-picture-soundtrack
- La-La Land Recordshttps://lalalandrecords.com/bad-seed-the-limited-edition/
- wwwhttps://www.scripts.com/script/the_bad_seed_19713
- AFIhttps://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/51748
- Dollar Timeshttps://www.dollartimes.com/inflation/inflation.php?amount=300000&year=1955
- Writing the Horror Movie ISBN 978-1-441-19618-7 p. 28
- "The Bad Seed" Archived 2024-06-01 at the Wayback Machine, Turner Classic Movies; retrieved June 1, 2024.https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/67988/the-bad-seed#articles-reviews
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/1956/09/09/archives/on-transplanting-the-bad-seed-director-lists-hurdles-faced-in.html
- BRITISH. FILMS MADE MOST MONEY: BOX-OFFICE SURVEY The Manchester Guardian (1901–1956), 28 Dec 1956: pg. 3
- Rotten Tomatoeshttps://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1001572-bad_seed
- "The 29th Academy Awards (1957) Nominees and Winners"http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1957
- "The Bad Seed"https://www.goldenglobes.com/film/bad-seed/
- "AFI's 100 Years.. Thrills Nominees"http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/thrills400.pdf
- "Nick Cave Online"http://www.nick-cave.com/_biography.php
- Slatehttps://slate.com/culture/2011/12/bad-seed-films-history-of-the-horror-film-genre.html
- wwwhttps://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/surviving-the-female-psychopath/202308/the-genesis-of-william-marchs-the-bad-seed