Seance on a Wet Afternoon (1964)

A psychic convinces her weak-willed husband to kidnap the child of a wealthy couple, so she can use her abilities to locate the child and thus achieve fame.

Director:

Bryan Forbes

Writers:

Bryan Forbes (screenplay), Mark McShane (novel)

Stars:

Kim Stanley, Margaret Lacey, Marie Burke

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 8 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kim Stanley	...	Myra
Margaret Lacey	...	Woman at first Seance
Marie Burke	...	Woman at first Seance
Maria Kazan	...	Woman at first Seance
Lionel Gamlin	...	Man at Seances
Marian Spencer	...	Mrs. Wintry
Richard Attenborough	...	Billy
Godfrey James	...	Mrs. Clayton's Chauffeur
Judith Donner	...	Amanda
Ronald Hines	...	Policeman Outside Clayton's
Hajni Biro	...	Maid at Clayton's
Mark Eden	...	Mr. Clayton
Nanette Newman	...	Mrs. Clayton
Diana Lambert	...	Sheila - Mr. Clayton's Secretary
Frank Singuineau	...	Bus Conductor

Storyline

Myra, a self-styled psychic in London, concocts a scheme to gain celebrity. She convinces Billy, her weak-willed husband, to kidnap the young daughter of wealthy parents. She and Billy will demand money, and then she will go to the parents with extra-sensory messages that will help the police find the child and the ransom. The plan unfolds beautifully, except that after her first visit to the parents, the police want to check her out. He's scared. As her delusions worsen, Bill realizes Myra may not want the child found alive. Behind it all is also the death at birth, years before, of their only child, whom they've named Arthur and who is Myra's contact with the beyond.

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Plot Keywords:

ransom | little girl | stillbirth | seance | mental illness | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 November 1964 (USA)

Also Known As:

An einem trüben Nachmittag

Filming Locations:

41 Marryat Road, Wimbledon, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

£143,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Beaver Films, Allied Film Makers (AFM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

121 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bryan Forbes looked for that house with the turret as a film location; when he went to the owner for permission, she asked who was in the film. When told that an American actress named Kim Stanley, the woman blanched, stepped back, and said that Stanley was one of her oldest friends whom she had not seen in 17 years.

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Goofs

From 17:32 to 18:00, positions of Myra's hands alternate 5 times with changes in the point of view.

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Quotes

Myra Savage: You know what I sometimes wish? I sometimes wish I *were*... ordinary. Like you. Dead ordinary. Ordinary and *dead* like all the others.

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Connections

Referenced in Ghost (1990)

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Soundtracks

"Hear my Prayer"
Written by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
Played by George Thalben-Ball (as Sir George Thalben-Ball) (organ)
Sung by Ernest Lough

User Reviews

Excellent psychological horror

This great, seldom-scene movie stars Kim Stanley as an unbalanced woman who holds seances in her home and concocts a plot to gain celebrity with her so-called "powers". With the help of her husband, she plans to kidnap the daughter of a wealthy couple, then use her "powers"to reveal the girl's whereabouts. As the story unfolds, the audience is shown the reasons behind the woman's emotional problems and the growing inevitability of disaster that her plan holds. Richard Attenborough gives a great performance as he teeters between the desire to fulfill his unhappy wife's scheme and the knowledge that the deed they are doing is wrong. Reccommended for those who want a shiver without the gore. Thought provoking.