Air Force Colonel Kenneth Penmark and his wife, Christine, adore their daughter Rhoda, despite her secret tendency for selfishness. Christine keeps her knowledge of her daughter's darker side to herself, but when a schoolmate of Rhoda's dies mysteriously, her self-deception unravels.
Directed by Mervyn LeRoy
lightning
confession
child murder
murder
lightning bolt
psychotic
evil child
cautionary
murder confession
critical
foreboding
ominous
Trailer
IMDB
N/A
Letterboxd
3.7 / 5
Where to Watch
Cast
Patty McCormack
Rhoda Penmark
Nancy Kelly
Christine Penmark
Henry Jones
Leroy Jessup
Eileen Heckart
Hortense Daigle
Evelyn Varden
Monica Breedlove
William Hopper
Col. Kenneth Penmark
Paul Fix
Richard Bravo
Jesse White
Emory Wages
Gage Clarke
Reginald "Reggie" Tasker
Joan Croydon
Claudia Fern
Frank Cady
Henry Daigle
Frances Bavier
Woman at Dinner Party (uncredited)
Crew
Mervyn LeRoy
Director
John Lee Mahin
Screenplay
Alex North
Original Music Composer
Harold Rosson
Director of Photography
Mervyn LeRoy
Producer
Maxwell Anderson
Theatre Play
Popular Reviews
83 reviews
Ari
8.0★ · 03/01/26
Mami que me vas a dar por cien besos 🥺🥺 CIEN SOPETAZOS TE VAN A DAR CARAJITA DEL DEMONIO
Mami que me vas a dar por cien besos 🥺🥺 CIEN SOPETAZOS TE VAN A DAR CARAJITA DEL DEMONIO
imogen walsh
8.0★ · 01/13/26
there was something so camp about this. death by a metal- clad tap shoe? rhodas little plaits and housewife dress? THE BATSHIT ENDING?! i loved it though. patty mccormacks performance is incredible for her age. really interesting discussion points around mother and daughter bonds and the boundaries of unconditional love. yeah!
there was something so camp about this. death by a metal- clad tap shoe? rhodas little plaits and housewife dress? THE BATSHIT ENDING?! i loved it though. patty mccormacks performance is incredible for her age. really interesting discussion points around mother and daughter bonds and the boundaries of unconditional love. yeah!
aaron
8.0★ · 11/18/25
Agree with many that the resolution is ridiculous but wow the performances were on point. Subtle horror, the kind I'm not sure we'd get (or be nearly as investing) from the 70s onward. Soooo fun.
Agree with many that the resolution is ridiculous but wow the performances were on point. Subtle horror, the kind I'm not sure we'd get (or be nearly as investing) from the 70s onward. Soooo fun.
Paco Casado
7.0★ · 10/07/25
Tanto su origen teatral como su excesiva duración le restan enteros pero la niña da muy mal rollo y es lo que cuenta.
Tanto su origen teatral como su excesiva duración le restan enteros pero la niña da muy mal rollo y es lo que cuenta.
Grim
7.5★ · 10/05/25
i think it’s uncommon for almost every actor to give an equally insane performance
i think it’s uncommon for almost every actor to give an equally insane performance
