"Bad Seed" based on a true story?

[Squish]

Was the movie (and prior play and novel) The Bad Seed based upon a true story? The reason I wonder is that so much of the behavior of the little girl in the movie is similar to that of real-life child murderers.

[TV time]

I directed the play about a decade ago (jeez, I'm getting old) and I did some research on it at the time for the program notes. I do not know where that research or notes are but I will give you what I have in my memory.

The author heard of a family in 18th or 19th century England that had been involved with generations and generations of crime and even when the parents had been executed and the children were farmed out to other families the children and children's children were an incredible source of crime.

The author thought on it, modernized it, moved it to the U.S. and published it bringing it down to a single child and single parent, of course (although I think there is a second parent just over the horizon some place).

This is basically what the publishing house (Samual French, I think) sent me although they had specific names of the English family and a couple of other details...I'll keep looking for that information. It's got to be around here some place.

[Squish]

Hmmn, I think you're thinking of the Jukes family, a study of which was done in the late 19th century. They were based around New York.

Thanks for the info!