1956 and this little gem hit the cinema screens – and for my good fortune, it also was shown on TV.
And this is (in my opinion) one of the finest early movies, that feature the remorseless killer, and in this case the killer is a little girl. For its time, it was a shocking concept, that a seemingly innocent, All-American girl could commit acts of wanton cruelty and malice.
Watching this on a dreary Sunday afternoon, turned into watching one of the most gripping movies I have seen in a long time.
Based on a play by Maxwell Anderson, the adaptation introduces that seemingly perfect life of the All-American family, the Penmark – but it appears only the mother (played by Nancy Kelly) suspects all is not well with her precious child Rhonda (aptly and chillingly played by Patty McCormack). And soon those fears are realized as various people meet an untimely demise at the hands of little Rhonda – from the equally creepy caretaker to boy in her class.
Rhonda is one of the truly remorseless killers to be featured in movies, but unlike say a character like Jason or Freddie Krueger, this child is not a product of abuse, abandonment, etc. It is implied that she is just a “bad seed”, a born sociopath.
This film was so shocking when it was first released, that the Hayes Code insisted that the end of the movie be re-shot (which I am not going to spoil).
Nominated for 4 Oscars and 2 Golden Globes (including a win for Eileen Heckart for Best Supporting Actress), this is a fantastic film, that when I first saw it actually left me shocked at its content, given it was filmed in the 50’s. However compared to movies now, it would probably appear dated, but it still holds up well with a great storyline and fine acting from all involved.
Updated: available from play.com or amazon.co.uk – region 1 only
Do you know if it’s available on DVD as well?
Michele
Yup – red-edited the review to show where you can buy it