Seance on a Wet Afternoon (1964)

Director:

Bryan Forbes

Writers:

Bryan Forbes (screenplay)
Mark McShane (novel)

Release Date:

5 November 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Ransom | Seance | Motorcycle With A Sidecar | Kidnapping | Little Girl

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 8 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Kim Stanley	...	Myra Savage
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 Savage
Godfrey James	...	Mrs. Clayton's Chauffeur
Judith Donner	...	Amanda Clayton
Ronald Hines	...	Policeman Outside Clayton's
Hajni Biro	...	Maid at Clayton's
Mark Eden	...	Charles Clayton
Nanette Newman	...	Mrs. Clayton
Diana Lambert	...	Sheila - Mr. Clayton's Secretary
Frank Singuineau	...	Bus Conductor
Gerald Sim	...	Detective Sergeant Beedle
Stanley Morgan	...	Man in Trilby
Maggie Rennie	...	Woman at Second Seance (as Margaret McGrath)
Michael Lees	...	Plain Clothes Policeman
Patrick Magee	...	Superintendent Walsh
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Arnold Bell	...	Mr. Weaver (uncredited)

Directed by
Bryan Forbes

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Bryan Forbes		screenplay
Mark McShane		novel

Produced by
Richard Attenborough	....	producer
Jack Rix	....	associate producer
Bryan Forbes	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
John Barry

Cinematography by
Gerry Turpin		(photographed by)

Film Editing by
Derek York

Art Direction by
Ray Simm

Makeup Department
Stuart Freeborn	....	makeup artist
Barbara Ritchie	....	hairdresser

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Christopher Dryhurst	....	assistant director
Simon Relph	....	first assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Peter James	....	set dresser
Jock Lyall	....	construction manager
Alan Roderick-Jones	....	set designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bill Daniels	....	sound recordist
George Fisher	....	dubbing editor
Gus Lloyd	....	sound assistant

Camera and Electrical Department
Gerry Anstiss	....	camera assistant
David Harcourt	....	camera operator
Ted Lockhart	....	camera grip
George Courtney Ward	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Laurel Staffell	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Laurel Staffel)

Music Department
John Barry	....	conductor
John Barry	....	music arranger
Sidney Margo	....	music contractor (uncredited)

Other crew
Penny Daniels	....	continuity
Diana Hawkins	....	publicist (uncredited)
Ann Skinner	....	production secretary (uncredited)

Thanks
Ernest Lough	....	acknowledgment: permission for using "Hear my Prayer"
George Thalben-Ball	....	acknowledgment: permission for using "Hear my Prayer" (as Dr. Thalben Ball)

Production Companies

• Beaver Films
• Allied Film Makers (AFM)

Distributors

• J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (1964) (UK) (theatrical)
• Artixo Productions (1964) (USA) (theatrical)
• VidAmerica (1984) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan)
• Home Vision Entertainment (HVE) (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Carlton Visual Entertainment (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

USA:115 min | UK:121 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

41 Marryat Road, Wimbledon, London, England, UK

Company:

Beaver Films

Trivia:

During filming, Richard Attenborough developed kidney stones and was unable to work for an entire day. Since filming was on such a tight schedule, director Bryan Forbes got into costume played his role for some shots.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: As Myra looks outwards through the rain spattered window of a child's nursery, the rain falls unnaturally onto the panes - in two bursts - as though it were sprays from a hose or watering can.

Quotes:

Myra Savage:So bright after a séance. Brightness just seems to fall from the air.

Movie Connections:

References West Side Story (1961)

Soundtrack:

Hear my Prayer

Truly, Madly, Deeply

The first hour is one of the most riveting pieces of film ever to hit the screen. The pace, the mood, Attenborough and, of course, Kim Stanley! Then, something happens on the second half, it feels rushed, at least, that's what it felt to me. Once that aside, what a treat! Bryan Forbes signed some startling British movies of that period but you hardly hear his name mentioned. I mean, "Whistle Down The Wind", "The Wrong Box", "The L Shapped Room", "King Rat". Here he touches some kind of zenith. I heard that originally, Forbes and producer Richard Attenborough, had toyed with the idea of making the couple a "queer" one. Alec Guinness and Tom Courtenay. As fun as the idea may sound I'm glad they didn't go ahead with that. It would have deprive us of Kim Stanley and of Richard Attenborough in what could be, arguably, his best performance. He made of Billy's weakness a separate entity. Painful, creepy. Stanley is, goes without saying, sublime. Another superlative characterization in her far too brief film gallery. We can actually see what she's feeling and what she's feeling is so all consuming so strong and so fragile that we feel she's about to fall at any moment and we will too, with her. For those of us who love great acting - This is unmissable.