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

During the final seance, there is a close up of a man's hand with a pinkie ring and gray sleeve, who is not at the table. It is a repeated shot from the previous seance, when the gray-jacketed man took part.

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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

References The Running Man (1963)

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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

One of the Academy Awards Most Baffling Choices

Over the years, the Oscars have often gone to performers and films that seemed to make little sense at the time and subsequently failed to stand the test of time. While Julie Andrews was certainly marked for stardom, her singing nanny did not hold a candle to Kim Stanley's tour-de-force as Myra in "Seance on a Wet Afternoon," either in 1964 or in 2004. One wonders in retrospect if any of the voters actually saw this brilliant, minor masterwork. If they had, how did Richard Attenborough's performance get overlooked? His subtle underplaying as the passive husband is in perfect sync to Stanley's showy turn as the medium and deserved Academy recognition as much as and perhaps more than his direction of "Gandhi." The taut screenplay and direction by Bryan Forbes, the fine black and white cinematography by Gerry Turpin, and John Barry's music also deserved recognition. Unfortunately, Hollywood was into big musicals in 1964, and the Academy's nominations were showered on "My Fair Lady" and "Mary Poppins," while more serious fare such as this film was overlooked. While "Lady" clunks along today as a leaden stage-bound adaptation and "Poppins" does not seem quite as charming as it did, "Seance on a Wet Afternoon" and the two brilliant performances at its center remain as riveting as they were 40 years ago. Fortunately, the Academy has shown some maturity in recent years, and films such as this are more often recognized, which raises their profiles and brings them to the attention of viewers who might otherwise miss them. Without any recognition other than recommendations from those few who have seen this character-driven suspense gem, "Seance" has been little seen and remains a cinematic jewel that awaits discovery and its deserved place among British film classics.