The final entry in JPiC’s Inktober 2026 is Bad Ronald.
In the 1970s, Scott Jacoby was everywhere. So, when it came time to cast the title role for a made-for-television movie about a quirky boy, Scott was the obvious choice. The award-winning teen actor starred as the titular Bad Ronald in 1974, an unsettling, yet totally implausible, story of a socially-awkward young man who accidentally kills a neighborhood girl. After confessing his crime to his equally-eccentric mother, she hides him within the walls of their house by creatively building false walls and covering accessways with wallpaper. The charade works for a while, until Ronald’s mother dies and the house is sold… with Ronald still hidden inside. I remember this movie being the talk of the schoolyard in 1974.
Scott Jacoby went on to play Bea Arthur’s son in several episodes of The Golden Girls before kissing his show business career goodbye. He has no IMBD credits beyond 1991. Bad Ronald also featured Kim Hunter, Dabney Coleman and Pippa Scott in supporting roles. It was directed by veteran director Buzz Kulik who helmed over 70 films including the beloved Brian’s Song. Bad Ronald was based on a 1973 novel that was far more graphic and dealt with themes of rape and pedophilia, which were heavily edited for the made-for-television movie.
This concludes JPiC’s Inktober for 2026. Thanks for playing and happy Halloween.