MovieChat Forums > The Children's Hour (1961) Discussion > The Bad Seed

The Bad Seed

posted 18 years ago by gebegb
6 replies | jump to latest

Here is a modest poll, for those who have seen BOTH movies.
*****
Q1. Who creeped you out the most?

(a.) "Rhoda" (Patty McCormack) of "The Bad Seed" (1956)
(b.) "Mary" (Karen Balkin) of "The Children's Hour (1961)
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Q2. Which performance above would you have rewarded with an Academy Award?
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Q3. Which kind of child would put you most on-edge?

(a.) the perfect, polite child who is a cold-blooded killer and pathological liar?
(b.) a tantrum-throwing, black-mailing, lying thief?
*****
(I'm not sayin' -- They both got under my skin in different ways!)

_________
"The Shadow knows." -- Lamont Cranston

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] Sydneybristow8 18 years ago

Rhoda does win hands down, she killed people after all. Mary was so frightening in The Children's Hour as well. I can't stand creepy little children. They freak me out. She really scared me when she was screaming and all the looks she would give Rosalie in The Children's Hour.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] mattie0218 18 years ago

Patty, of course. But I have had children (in the classroom) just like Mary.

[–] deadpan_diva 18 years ago

Here is a modest poll, for those who have seen BOTH movies.
*****
Q1. Who creeped you out the most?

(a.) "Rhoda" (Patty McCormack) of "The Bad Seed" (1956) a. but Bonita Granville was the scarest Mary Tilford ever (These Three 1936.

*****
Q2. Which performance above would you have rewarded with an Academy Award? Patty McCormack
*****
Q3. Which kind of child would put you most on-edge? Again a.

(a.) the perfect, polite child who is a cold-blooded killer and pathological liar?
(b.) a tantrum-throwing, black-mailing, lying thief?
*****
(I'm not sayin' -- They both got under my skin in different ways!)

I picked a for all of these but I don't think Karen Balkin was a very good Mary. Not when you compaire her performance to Bonita Granville's. I apologize for bringing up These Three as you didn't mention it.

"Dig the grave both wide and deep,
For I am sick, and fain would sleep!"

[–] 18 years ago

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