Black-and-white still from The Bad Seed (1956), featuring Patty McCormack in her chilling role as Rhoda Penmark — a seemingly innocent child with a dark and sinister side.
Directed by Mervyn LeRoy and adapted from the Broadway play and novel of the same name, The Bad Seed was one of Hollywood’s earliest psychological thrillers to explore the concept of inherent evil in children. McCormack’s unnerving performance earned her an Academy Award nomination and cemented her status as one of cinema’s most memorable young villains.
