Who’s More Evil: David Collins or Rebecca Penmark?

[Bob_the_Bartender]

Okay, many of of you are probably asking, “Who the heck is Rhoda Penmark?” Rhoda Penmark was the nasty child, who murdered two people in the 1956 psychological thriller, “The Bad Seed.” Actress Patty McCormack portrayed Rhoda Penmark, for which she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress. She also portrayed Adrianna Laserva’s angst-ridden mother on “The Sopranos.”

In the film, Rhoda drowns one of her grade school classmates and literally burns to death, the janitor in her parents’ apartment building. (She’s also suspected of murdering an elderly neighbor, when her family lived in Wichita, Kansas.)

Young David Collins tried unsuccessfully to kill his father, Roger, by sabotaging the bleeder valve break system on Roger’s snazzy Mustang. Fortunately, Roger survived the 100 mile crash, actually a 100 foot crash, on the steep road leading down from Collinwood. David also imprisoned Vicky Winters, his long-suffering governess, in a locked off room of Collinwood, where Vicky was warned by the water-logged ghost of Collins Cannery executive Bill Malloy to leave Collinwood before she is murdered.

David also committed some other evil acts, but that was when he was first possessed by the malevolent ghost of Quentin Collins, and later by the Leviathan leader/slimy monster, Jeb Hawkes.

I have to go with Rhoda Penmark, a sociopathic child, with absolutely no sense of right and wrong. In fact, Rhoda should have teamed up with either Alexander and/or Michael, the Leviathan children, who would finally mature into the adult Jeb Hawkes. Imagine if new Collins family governess  Maggie Evans had to contend with BOTH Michael and Rhoda Penmark? Oy vey!!!

[Gerard]

Definitely Rhoda.  While David tried to off his dad (kinda understandable, considering the circumstances), he never actually did it.  Rhoda put her money where her mouth was and knocked off at least three people and was considering a fourth.

Now, Bob, that you are done with your social obligations, what would you give me for a basket full of hugs?

Gerard

[Uncle Roger]

I read the novel The Bad Seed, which preceded the play and movie. The author goes into a lot more detail about the background of Rhoda's mother. If I remember correctly, the grandmother was a murderess as well and that the mom was the only survivor of grandma's murder spree. It also is pretty graphic describing the killings in details, especially for the time period.
I met Patty McCormick some years ago and she was an absolute delight. And who can forget her as one of The Miniskirt Mob?😉😉😉

[Bob_the_Bartender]

Gerard,

I think I’d offer you a night of free drinks at the Blue Whale. And not just that Boston yuppie beer, Samuel Adams, but real American beer, like Coors Beer or even Rheingold Beer, a brewskie, I enjoyed imbibing repeatedly at the old Shea Stadium in Flushing Queens, watching my beloved New York Mets battle the Dodgers and the Pirates, among other NL teams through the years.

Uncle Roger,

A film that reminds me somewhat of “The Bad Seed,” is the British black comedy, “Keeping Mum.” The film stars Dame Maggie Smith as a grandmotherly serial killer, Kristin Scott Thomas, Rowan “Mr. Bean” Atkinson and, incredibly, the late, great Patrick Swayze.

And, I still think that young David Collins comes in as a distant, but still deplorable, second to Rhoda Penmark as a demon child. After all, the little stinker did everything he could to bump off his cold and distant father. And the brat never did get punished for sabotaging his father’s Mustang. At least, when David and Amy Jennings placed that wire on the Collinwood foyer stairway, causing Roger-the Dodger to take a spill on the stairs, David and Amy had had the Leviathan “Il Malocchio” (or Evil Eye) placed on them.

PS Sorry I got Rhida’s first name wrong (as Rebecca) on this thread’s title. I was bummed out, watching the Giants get slaughtered by the Rams as I was typing this thread on Sunday.

[Uncle Roger]

I always thought that Starr Manning on One Life To Live was a spiritual successor to both David and Rhoda. Brilliantly played by young Kristen Alderson, Starr was quite a handful. She threw quite the hissy fit when her parents weren't going to have her birthday party at Reptile Roundup. She infamously blackmailed her nefarious father for $10,000 to keep one of his secrets. And, on one particularly memorable occasion, she didn't like her mother's boyfriend. She graciously poured a bath for him, neglecting to mention that she had loaded the bath with piranhas. All good things come to an end. Starr grew up and became a more conventional soap character. Kristen won a daytime Emmy. And we're quite friendly.

[Bob_the_Bartender]

Starr Manning makes Michael, the Leviathan early teen, seem like Timmy on “Lassie,” by comparison! 

[Uncle Roger]

She does at that!!! But she's cuter.

[Bob_the_Bartender]

I can’t argue with you there!