What makes this film work are the details. One scene I found particularly effective occurred at the beginning of the film. Myra is trying to explain to Billy why they must carry out this plan and turns off the music playing to make herself heard. A few seconds later she says, "Who turned off the music?" Billy replies, "You did, dear." Myra says, "Now, why would I have done that?" Billy resignedly says, "You're right. It must have been me." This brief scene effectively outlines the nature of their dysfunctional relationship.

And while we cannot condone their behavior, we can sympathize with the characters. Ultimately, Billy loves his wife despite her self-centered and unhinged behavior. We understand his love for her because despite her actions, she is quite vulnerable.

I've heard some stories and movies described as "ghost stories without a ghost". I never really understood what that meant until I heard "Seance" described this way. Both of the main characters are definitely "haunted"; Myra, by her childhood, the death of her son, and her own frustrated ambitions and Billy by the memories of a life without purpose. In fact, the only purpose in his life comes from his wife, Myra. That alone helps explain why he would go along with Myra's mad kidnapping scheme. It also helps build the suspense when Myra insists that they kill the child. Billy seems to like the child but we have plenty of examples of Billy going against his better judgment to carry out Myra's commands. Not until the very end do you know if he did or didn't do what Myra asked.

This is an excellent, suspenseful movie with two superior performances. The characters of Myra and Billy Savage will stay with you long after the film ends.

This was a British picture that I had long wanted to see so when I went to my local library and found this there, I quickly checked it out. Kim Stanley and Richard Attenborough are perfectly chilling as the séance wife Myra and reluctant kidnapper Billy. Judith Donner, in her only role, brings a subtle naturalness as the child Amanda who they "borrow" from a wealthy couple. Also good were Mark Eden and Nanette Newman, who's married to the film's director Bryan Forbes, as the child's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Clayton. John Barry's score brings various shades in many chase scenes and some quietly chilling ones involving Myra and Billy. And Forbes brings measured tension in many point-of-view shots. The suspense involves psychological emotions that cut to the bone and brings a compellingly British flavor to the concluding scenes. So for all that, I highly recommend Seance on a Wet Afternoon.

The performances of Kim Stanley and Richard Attenborough dominate the film Seance On A Wet Afternoon. This one will leave with a feeling of creepiness long after you've viewed it.

Stanley who is so good in the role that you barely notice that in this British production she has no trace of any kind of accent. She's a psychic medium whom I guess was spending too much time communicating with the world beyond. Attenborough is her weak and dependent husband. He suffers from asthma and barely works.

Now in a new location they need to advertise her powers. Stanley has this scheme to kidnap a little girl from wealthy parents which of course Attenborough does. Attenborough just obeys Stanley in everything. But the scheme goes horribly wrong.

Ever since the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, juvenile kidnap stories have done well in film. Everyone feels an empathy for the victim and wants to see the innocent returned and the guilty punished.

But Stanley imbues her performance with a certain quiet madness. She 'communicates' with the dead through the spirit of her dead baby. Attenborough knows what she is, but she is completely dominating as far as he's concerned.

Seance On A Wet Afternoon got Oscar recognition in the form of a nomination for Kim Stanley for Best Actress. The slightly more expensive and popular Mary Poppins with Julie Andrews in the lead took home the gold that year.

Still both the performances of Stanley and Attenborough are as fresh today as in 1964 when Seance On A Wet Afternoon was released.