As aficionados of the classic ghost story know, Walter de la Mare possessed a unique talent for persuading agnostics that the supernatural is a very real entity. SEATON'S AUNT is one of his celebrated tales, receiving that rare accolade, a stand-alone edition in attractive pictorial paperwraps in the 1920s, with a suitably eerie woodcut design by Blair Hughes-Stanton. In WdlM's original, an unpopular young orphan boy becomes convinced that his aunt possesses a malignant, draining supernatural power (psychic vampirism is hinted at). The boy - Seaton - presses a courteous but reluctant friend of his (called Withers) to spend the school holidays at his aunt's home, in attempt to prove that his relative is indeed slowly killing him. They spend a spooky few days together, and although Seaton's aunt cuts an intimidating figure, Withers cannot find it in his heart to believe ill of her, remonstrating with his friend for being paranoid. Years later, Withers and Seaton meet up, with the latter pressing his still-reluctant friend to visit him and his new fiancé at Miss Seaton's home. He attends and find that the situation has worsened: Seaton is now a man obsessed, barely able to contain his vitriolic outbursts against the aunt whom he still believes is suffocating him. In the final scene, it would appear that Withers eventually comes round to Seaton's way of thinking. Miss Seaton is portrayed as a blind, bloated vampire-like figure, though this is all deeply ambiguous.
In the Granada television version, made as part of their 'Shades Of Darkness' season, the original story is pretty faithfully adhered to. One can tell that Granada was still riding high on the critical success of 'Brideshead Revisited' because the first few scenes shamelessly emulate the jaunty style of the Waugh epic, with dashing young men in loafers pootling about Oxford Street in the latest two-seater. Indeed, the actor who plays Withers could almost pass for an Anthony Andrews lookalike. However, the atmosphere soon turns more sombre when the tale starts proper, and there are a couple of very well managed scenes in which seemingly spooky things happen when the story of the boys' visit to the house as schoolchildren is shown in flashback. However, the story ends differently to the original, as well it might, bearing in mind the inconclusiveness of the original. Seaton the adult begs his friend to spend the night with him in his London lodgings after the death of his aunt, claiming she is still haunting him. Withers agrees to do so, and dosses down in the front room. However, he is disturbed in the middle of the night by the appearance of someone who appears to be Miss Seaton, but this turns out to be Seaton himself, sleepwalking and dressed in his aunt's old clothes. Withers realises that his friend has become possessed by either his delusion or the dead aunt.
This neat little drama is very competently scripted and acted. It also possesses an eerie air though the frights come more from implication than gratuity. It is like the original a subtle piece, and although the makers felt it necessary to revise the denouement, they should be applauded for at least having the courtesy and awareness to utilise an ending from another equally competent WdlM short story (in this case, 'The Quincunx').
In the Granada television version, made as part of their 'Shades Of Darkness' season, the original story is pretty faithfully adhered to. One can tell that Granada was still riding high on the critical success of 'Brideshead Revisited' because the first few scenes shamelessly emulate the jaunty style of the Waugh epic, with dashing young men in loafers pootling about Oxford Street in the latest two-seater. Indeed, the actor who plays Withers could almost pass for an Anthony Andrews lookalike. However, the atmosphere soon turns more sombre when the tale starts proper, and there are a couple of very well managed scenes in which seemingly spooky things happen when the story of the boys' visit to the house as schoolchildren is shown in flashback. However, the story ends differently to the original, as well it might, bearing in mind the inconclusiveness of the original. Seaton the adult begs his friend to spend the night with him in his London lodgings after the death of his aunt, claiming she is still haunting him. Withers agrees to do so, and dosses down in the front room. However, he is disturbed in the middle of the night by the appearance of someone who appears to be Miss Seaton, but this turns out to be Seaton himself, sleepwalking and dressed in his aunt's old clothes. Withers realises that his friend has become possessed by either his delusion or the dead aunt.
This neat little drama is very competently scripted and acted. It also possesses an eerie air though the frights come more from implication than gratuity. It is like the original a subtle piece, and although the makers felt it necessary to revise the denouement, they should be applauded for at least having the courtesy and awareness to utilise an ending from another equally competent WdlM short story (in this case, 'The Quincunx').
