Bad Ronald

"The Wood family doesn't know it. But the old house they've just bought is already occupied... by a psychopathic killer."

1974 1h 14m EN

😐

6.4

MID

🍅

67%

FRESH

⭐

6.6

IMDB

★6.4TMDB · 61🍅67%Rotten Tomatoes★6.6IMDB · 2,542

TV MovieDramaThrillerHorror

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When awkward teen Ronald Wilby accidentally kills a young girl whose sister rejected his affections, his overbearing mother decides to hide him from the law by creating a concealed room in their home for him to live.

“The Wood family doesn't know it. But the old house they've just bought is already occupied... by a psychopathic killer.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Scott Jacoby
Ronald Wilby
Pippa Scott
Mrs. Wood
John Larch
Sgt. Lynch
Dabney Coleman
Mr. Wood
Kim Hunter
Elaine Wilby
John Fiedler
Mr. Roscoe
Linda Watkins
Mrs. Schumacher
Cindy Fisher
Babs Wood

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Buzz Kulik
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 74-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

52 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Buzz Kulik, shot by Charles F. Wheeler. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Fred Karlin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Samuel E. Beetley shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Scott Jacoby and Pippa Scott and John Larch carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The Wood family doesn't know it. But the old house they've just bought is already occupied... by a psychopathic killer.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0071186 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Buzz Kulik directs. Charles F. Wheeler behind the camera. Fred Karlin scores. Samuel E. Beetley cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 74-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
252 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Buzz Kulik, shot by Charles F. Wheeler. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Fred Karlin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Samuel E. Beetley shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Scott Jacoby and Pippa Scott and John Larch carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "The Wood family doesn't know it. But the old house they've just bought is already occupied... by a psychopathic killer.".
8IMDB entry: tt0071186 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 61 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
10Classified under 11 themes, including "based on novel or book", "mental illness", "peeping tom", "death of mother".

The technical file

Cinematography: Charles F. Wheeler
Original score: Fred Karlin
Editing: Samuel E. Beetley
Production design: Ed Graves
Costume design: Alan Levine
Makeup / hair: Bruce Lavigna
Runtime: 74 min · 1h 14m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Bad Ronald (1974)
Rotten Tomatoes: 67% 🍅 Fresh
IMDB rating: 6.6/10 · 2,542 votes
MPAA: Unrated

Also by

Buzz Kulik

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Community reviews

What people are saying

OzDrDj2012-11-26
★ 6/10
Bad Ronald really fraked me out when I was a young lad in the 70's. Compared to today's films, it certainly shows its age, but what it lacks in special effects (and picture quality if you can even find a good copy), Bad Ronald makes up for it in mood, tension, and imagination. Bad Ronald isn't the greatest piece of cinematic history, but if you were around when it first aired, you would certainly remember it.

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