Every single person born has the capacity to do good or evil inside of them. I came to this conclusion from personal experience, not from a religious belief. There was a family I knew that had two daughters. The oldest girl was the perfect child; a combination of Miss America and a Barbie doll. Her younger sister was the exact opposite; she was unruly and mean. I remember seeing the girls playing with their cousins when the younger sister grabbed an umbrella and purposely poked a cousin in the eye. The girls’ father jumped up to discipline his youngest child. She simply laughed at him. From that moment I always kept a wary eye on that girl, whenever I was around her. How does one explain two girls who grew up in the same environment, but were so completely different? From the bullying I received to the neighbor boy who tried setting his pet on fire, I have seen many evil beings. One of the most lethal types of bad seeds was the little girl in this movie. Rhoda Penmark, played by Patty McCormack (The Master, Frost/Nixon), could be the most perfect child when she wanted to be. After the son of Hortense Daigle, played by Eileen Heckart (Bus Stop, Heartbreak Ridge), was found drowned; suspicions began to surface. Did Rhonda’s parents Christine and Colonel Kenneth Penmark, played by Nancy Kelly (One Night in the Tropics, Jesse James) and William Hopper (Rebel Without a Cause, 20 Million MIles to Earth), harbor a secret about their young daughter? The original cast from the Broadway play reprised their roles for this suspenseful film. Needless to say the acting was outstanding. It was scary the way Patty McCormack would alter her demeanor with a simple look. Some of you may find this black and white film a bit campy; however, it will not take away from the dramatic story. Ironically, when I worked at the same company as my father did many years ago, he used to introduce me as his bad seed son. I now understand why some customers were hesitant to shake hands with me.

3 1/4 stars — DVD