Eileen Heckart ran away with this movie.
For the 6 or so minutes she was onscreen, she was heartbreaking.
shareShe was absolutely riveting. So sad!
MovieChat Forums > The Bad Seed (1956) Discussion > Eileen Heckart ran away with this movie.
I am formerly known as HillieBoliday.....Member Since May 2006.
I saw this in the theatre in it's initial release....and I have never forgotten her performance! The whole movie reeks of death and total despair; but to see Eileen Heckart in her protrayl of abject, indescribable pain for losing her little boy is so riveting.
Fast forward some 45 years later; I read the book, and to this day....I can't think of another actress who could've brought to that role what she did!
"OOhhhooo....I'M GON' TELL MAMA!'
Agree. I saw the film as a child and was so struck by her convincing display of grief. No one else could've been so brilliant in that scene.
shareA mother herself at the time, Heckart found the play and the role of Mrs. Daigle very disturbing - she was the first member of the Broadway company to leave the play, and wasn't interested in repeating the role in the film, but gave in to advice that it would be good for her career, which indeed it turned out to be.
In my case, self-absorption is completely justified.
Yes, she was absolutely heartbreaking in her portrayal.
shareShe came across as bipolar. She would be laughing and singing, and then get furious and burst into tears....
It's so ironic that Ozzy Ozbourne, the Prince Of Darkness, is so damn adorable.
That's called grief, not manic depression. Its not unusual for someone who experiences the loss of loved one to swing from one emotion to the next.
Plus, she was drunk.
Yes, I've only seen two of her films (this and Burnt Offerings) and although she was only onscreen for a brief amount of time in both films her performances are still unforgettable. That shows she must be a truly great actress.
shareI just saw it (most of it, anyway)again...and when Mr. Daigle came to take her home, I got a little emotional. I can see why she won the Academy Award for her performance. Wow! She got to me...and I don't usually get that way after seeing a movie for the umpteenth time.
Eileen Heckart's performance is the best thing about this movie.
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I just love this actress and after seeing her in other films I still think that this is her best role.
As heartbreaking as this character is, I still laugh when she's apologizing and say's, "I'll apologize to Rhoda too, when I can get an interview with her."
Love that line!
I remember seeing this as a play performed by my high school drama class.
shareOh, I wish our high school drama club had done this one!
How did it go? Was it good?
Yes, I can remember being caught up in the story and really enjoying it. An especially meaningful and amusing aspect was that my huge, beefy football coach had a leading part . To this day, I vividly remember his performance in a certain scene where he had to display being grief stricken. I had never seen him in such a light before and was captivated by how convincing he was.
The play was a major community event, performed in the school lyceum.