If what you are looking for in a movie is to see an acting masterclass then you need look no further than Séance on a Wet Afternoon. This psychological drama is very much a character-driven piece and it features a pair of truly outstanding performances at its centre. It tells the story of a medium that has lost sight of reality since the death of her child. She convinces her weak-willed, overly dependent husband to kidnap a young girl from a wealthy family in order to collect a sizable ransom and from which she can then subsequently use her 'powers' to assist the parents in finding the child, leading to her attaining fame as one with a gift of the second sight.The two lead actors here are Kim Stanley and Richard Attenborough. Stanley only appeared in seven feature films, meaning that she is far from a household name but she was quite obviously an actress with incredible talent. Seemingly an advocate of method acting, she is unbelievable as the unbalanced complex woman at the centre of the plot. It's a pretty intense role but it's played to perfection without resorting to anything over-the-top. Richard Attenborough is practically just as impressive as her husband in an understated performance of a character with many flaws and contradictions. His presence is key to the film's success in that he has feet in both camps, in that he acts with his wife in carrying out their crime, yet he is the one who has moral doubts and so is the audience identification figure. It takes some considerable skill on Attenborough's part in order to create a character which is so believable – sympathetic yet quite reprehensible. Both actors work beautifully together and create something very real. The film also offers very good turns from Patrick Magee as a wily police inspector and Nanette Newman as the broken mother of the missing girl.John Barry is on hand too with a moody score which perfectly complements the moody black and white photography. It all adds up to a film with considerable depth. Despite the subject matter, it isn't really a thriller; it's more of a psychological drama. It doesn't play out in a very predictable manner either which is never a bad thing. This British film still remains relatively unknown, which strikes me as a bit of a shame. I guess it's one that will remain under the radar but which will reward those who seek it out.

I agree with the comment provided by author djlink, Alexandria, VA regarding the Oscars. Unfortunately for Kim Stanley in "Seance on a Wet Afternoon" Julie Andrews won the Oscar not for her performance in Mary Poppins BUT for the controversy over Andrews not getting the part in the movie "My Fair Lady". Andrews created the part on Broadway. When the movie was cast, the producers chose Audrey Hepburn, for name recognition. Many in Hollywood industry and the Academy were not thrilled over the slight and thought that was a major mistake, therefore giving Andrews the Oscar for Mary Poppins, no matter who else was nominated and their performance. This happens much too often and in recent years as of 2011. The Oscars are more political now than they were back in the 1960s.

This is one of my favourite films of the 1960s. The black-and-white widescreen format induces nostalgia in those of us who were movie-going at that time. The plot: a woman who believes herself to be a 'psychic' (superb performance by Kim Stanley) talks her downtrodden husband (great performance by Richard Attenborough) into kidnapping a schoolgirl so she can reveal her powers to the world by 'finding' the girl. The atmosphere of the film is creepy and the music by John Barry seems slightly at odds with it at times, but this is a minor quibble; 'Seance' is a fine piece of work. As far as British DVD releases are concerned, the Network 2006 edition has good picture quality but lousy sound (the dialogue is far too quiet and the music and effects are too loud). The Carlton 2004 edition had better sound plus optional subtitles in English for hard of hearing, but the picture is grainier and not as good.

A psychotic psychic and her meek husband kidnap the daughter of a wealthy family in an elaborate plan to generate publicity for her séance business. Stanley creates an interesting character, but her background as a stage actress is evident in fits of over-emoting. Attenborough is likable as her weak-willed husband. The small roles are well acted. The film takes too long establishing the relationship between Stanley and Attenborough. Forbes creates a creepy atmosphere in the old mansion in which the couple resides, but is letdown by an uneven script. Some of the plot elements are highly implausible and the conclusion is rather abrupt and unsatisfying.