The Bad Seed is a 1954 play by American playwright Maxwell Anderson, adapted from the 1954 novel of the same name by American writer William March. Rhoda Penmark is the seemingly perfect daughter of Christine and Kenneth Penmark. She is an excellent student, talented, and polite to all adults in her life. However, it is later revealed that she is truly very sinister and will do whatever she needs to achieve greatness. In the end of the play, Christine attempts to kill both herself and Rhoda to make sure the secret of Rhoda's actions don't get publicized. However, Monica Breedlove, their landlady, hears the gunshot and saves Rhoda. Christine Penmark is Rhoda's mother and Kenneth's wife.
Adaptations (3)
The Bad Seed has been adapted 3 times, across film and television film, from 1956 to 2018.
The Bad Seed1956 · film · 129 min · dir. Mervyn LeRoy · IMDb ↗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.
The Bad Seed1985 · television film · 100 min · dir. Paul Wendkos · IMDb ↗IMDb5.5Rachel is a 9-year-old girl who is perfection itself - unless she's crossed or challenged. Several disturbing recent incidents have led Rachel's mother Christine to suspect that her child is a latent murderess. Upon discovering that she herself is the daughter of a convicted killer, Christine becomes convinced that sweet little Rachel is a "bad seed" - an inherent killer who feels no remorse because she doesn't know any better.
