MovieChat Forums > Seance on a Wet Afternoon (1964) Discussion > Thinking about Arthur **SPOILERS**

Thinking about Arthur SPOILERS

posted 19 years ago by elmerturnipseed
20 replies | jump to latest

During the final seance, Myra "sees" that the girl is still alive. How could she have known this?

Perhaps she really is psychic, and saw the girl, or was able to read her husband's mind. Or maybe she really was communicating with Arthur the whole time!

If so, this is one wild plot: the evil ghost of a stillborn baby influences his psychic mother and henpecked father to kidnap and murder a girl. His dad doesn't believe in him, and secretly saves the girl. Arthur betrays his parents by spilling the beans during a seance attended by suspicious police.

That would make Arthur one of the most extraordinary horror villains. He operates under the cover that he never existed, and only his seemingly delusional mother can sense him.

Any other thoughts on Arthur?

[–] nutritionist 11 years ago

I don't think you understand the end! In the end, Myra actually became psychic and was able to read her husbands mind! She was holding his hand during the seance and read his mind. All along she craved to have a real psychic experience, since her mother and aunt were psychics and mocked her during her whole childhood for not being able to read people's minds and not having any psychic abilities. Finally at the end IRONICALLY she actually read her husbands mind that the child was not dead under the tree, but this psychic experience led her to incriminate herself.

[–] Piperson 11 years ago

Yes, nutrionist, I too think that Myra read Billy's mind or she realized that Billy had not killed the girl. The people who say she could only have known that the girl was alive because Arthur was telling her so forget that she had Billy right there confessing his true actions with his manner and sweaty palms.

Myra is delightfully depraved and manipulative. She can push and bully Billy and he goes along but only up to a point thank God.