Mervyn LeRoy’s 1956 thriller about a blonde grade-school psychopath is taut, terrifying and more than a little bit campy. Patty McCormack plays Rhoda, the titular character, with a cold, devilish calm that influenced every child playing evil ever since, from The Omen to The Good Son. The battle of wits between Rhoda and her mother (Nancy Kelly) is unpredictable and horrifying.
