MovieChat Forums > The Bad Seed (1956) Discussion > Asking for ultimate spoiler

Asking for ultimate spoiler

posted 11 years ago by susanemccool
6 replies | jump to latest

I was reading in the Trivia section that the "original " ending, in which Rhoda survives and her mother dies, was disallowed by the MPPC "at the time," as it allows for crime w/o punishment. *This* is the only version I've seen, however. It says they went to one that had Rhoda being killed by a bolt of lightning at the lake - a little too tidy and biblical for me. The one I saw was chilling.

Which have others seen? There's a third, with Rhoda being killed and her mother surviving, I believe. And which was in the book and play?
(I've only seen it on broadcast TV, and not for years.)

Thanks for any feedback.

[–] Alix1929 11 years ago

SPOILERS--

I saw the version on TCM where Rhoda is struck by lightning.

[–] ElectricWarlock 11 years ago

I was under the false impression that the alternate endings were just written and not actually shot, but the trivia says they actually were filmed. Has anyone ever actually seen them? Were they destroyed or do they still exist? Anyways, I actually like the ending as it is. To some it may seem farfetched and abrupt, but I like the idea of God putting and end to someone's acts of evil. I think it was implied that Rhoda was planning on pushing Monica off the roof the next day so she could have her lovebird. God obviously didn't want that to happen so He stopped it. I imagine it may seem silly to some, but I think it's comforting to leave us with the idea that God is looking out for us.

Death lives in the Vault of Horror!

[–] susanemccool 11 years ago

Hi horror2:

The version I saw - twice - had the mother plan a murder/suicide to stop Rhioda. Something went awry - can't recall exactly what, but it *may* have been that Rhoda was onto her, and avoided drinking the poisoned cocoa, or whatever. So Rhoda lived while her mother died.

In the last scene her father is consoling her and they walk off together. The putative original, bowdlerized version.

IIRC, one viewing was in the late '60s-early '70s, the second in the '80s; both via broadcast TV.

I was still a kid the first time, and as I said, it was chilling; really spooked me. By "it" I mean the whole movie, of course, but I think in particular the ending.

I certainly understand your preference for the "hand of God " slant, but as a kid this would have made me wonder for weeks why she hadn't been stopped after one murder - better yet, none! In addition, the ending I saw is a better fit for a thriller, IMHO. Like I said, sure stuck with *me*!

[–] fluffy-1 11 years ago

I read the book as an 8th-grader in 1963 and recall that Rhoda lived. Her mother may have died, however—I came on these boards because I just now saw the movie, and would like to find someone who recalls the book better.

[–] catbookss 10 years ago

I've seen it many times over the years, always on broadcast TV, and have only seen the same version -- where Rhoda gets struck by lightning at the end.

[–] cmashieldscapting 9 years ago

The struck by lightning one is the only ending I've ever seen. If the other endings still exist, they should be included on the DVD/Blu-Ray versions. The people who made the film should certainly have saved the original ending and restored it after the code was abolished.