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The Bad Seed (1956) with Michael Musto
Eight year-old Rhoda Penmark is angry. Not because her father, a colonel, is heading off to Washington for four weeks. Not because her apartment building’s janitor, LeRoy Jessup, is hovering a little too close for comfort. No, Rhoda’s pissed because her classmate Claude Daigle has won the school’s penmanship medal, and in Rhoda’s mind, that just isn’t fair. Meanwhile, Rhoda’s doting mother, Christine, has begun to wonder whether Rhoda might be a little too interested in the medal, and when word comes that Claude has met a suspicious end at the school picnic, Christine’s curiosity turns to worry. Is Rhoda really as sweet and innocent as she looks? Is LeRoy really just a mixed up fool who monologues on occasion? Or is something more nefarious afoot – something to do with heredity, with nature vs nurture, and a certain coincidence that takes place whenever Rhoda is in the vicinity of those she considers obstacles to her desires?
Intro, Math Club, and Debate Society (spoiler-free) 0:00-27:34
Honor Roll and Detention (spoiler-heavy) 27:35-56:19
Superlatives (so. many. spoilers.) 56:20-1:13:19
Director Mervyn LeRoy
Screenplay John Lee Mahin, based on the play by Maxwell Anderson, based on the novel by William March
Featuring Gage Clarke, Joan Croydon, Paul Fix, Eileen Heckart, William Hopper, Henry Jones, Nancy Kelly, Patty McCormack, Evelyn Varden, Jesse White
Michael Musto is best known as the long running "La Dolce Musto" columnist for the Village Voice, for which he is still a contributor. Musto's articles about show biz and clubbing have also appeared everywhere from the New York Times to Vanity Fair, and he currently writes a gossip column for Queerty.com, in addition to contributing to the Daily Beast. Musto has written four books—including the non fiction guide "Downtown" and the novel Manhattan on the Rocks—and he has long been a TV commentator on pop culture, popping up on CNN, as well as in documentaries on Showtime, Netflix, FX, Vice and Amazon Prime. He has won the Glam Award for Best Nightlife writer nine times.
Our theme music is by Sir Cubworth, with embellishments by Edward Elgar. Music from “The Bad Seed” by Alex North.
For more information on this film, the pod, essays from your hosts, and other assorted bric-a-brac, visit our website, scareupod.com. Please subscribe to this podcast via Apple or Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you like what you hear, please leave us a 5-star rating.
Join our Facebook group. Follow us on Instagram.
View all episodes
By Bradford Louryk & Eric Winick
4.9
2323 ratings
Eight year-old Rhoda Penmark is angry. Not because her father, a colonel, is heading off to Washington for four weeks. Not because her apartment building’s janitor, LeRoy Jessup, is hovering a little too close for comfort. No, Rhoda’s pissed because her classmate Claude Daigle has won the school’s penmanship medal, and in Rhoda’s mind, that just isn’t fair. Meanwhile, Rhoda’s doting mother, Christine, has begun to wonder whether Rhoda might be a little too interested in the medal, and when word comes that Claude has met a suspicious end at the school picnic, Christine’s curiosity turns to worry. Is Rhoda really as sweet and innocent as she looks? Is LeRoy really just a mixed up fool who monologues on occasion? Or is something more nefarious afoot – something to do with heredity, with nature vs nurture, and a certain coincidence that takes place whenever Rhoda is in the vicinity of those she considers obstacles to her desires?
Intro, Math Club, and Debate Society (spoiler-free) 0:00-27:34
Honor Roll and Detention (spoiler-heavy) 27:35-56:19
Superlatives (so. many. spoilers.) 56:20-1:13:19
Director Mervyn LeRoy
Screenplay John Lee Mahin, based on the play by Maxwell Anderson, based on the novel by William March
Featuring Gage Clarke, Joan Croydon, Paul Fix, Eileen Heckart, William Hopper, Henry Jones, Nancy Kelly, Patty McCormack, Evelyn Varden, Jesse White
Michael Musto is best known as the long running "La Dolce Musto" columnist for the Village Voice, for which he is still a contributor. Musto's articles about show biz and clubbing have also appeared everywhere from the New York Times to Vanity Fair, and he currently writes a gossip column for Queerty.com, in addition to contributing to the Daily Beast. Musto has written four books—including the non fiction guide "Downtown" and the novel Manhattan on the Rocks—and he has long been a TV commentator on pop culture, popping up on CNN, as well as in documentaries on Showtime, Netflix, FX, Vice and Amazon Prime. He has won the Glam Award for Best Nightlife writer nine times.
Our theme music is by Sir Cubworth, with embellishments by Edward Elgar. Music from “The Bad Seed” by Alex North.
For more information on this film, the pod, essays from your hosts, and other assorted bric-a-brac, visit our website, scareupod.com. Please subscribe to this podcast via Apple or Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you like what you hear, please leave us a 5-star rating.
Join our Facebook group. Follow us on Instagram.