MovieChat Forums > The Dunwich Horror (1970) Discussion > Stone on Wilbur's Table

Stone on Wilbur's Table

posted 18 years ago by curlew-2
16 replies | jump to latest

Can anyone explain the significance of the smooth plastic-like stone which was on the table in Wilbur's living room? It features in two scenes: early on, when Wilbur and Nancy first arrive at the home, Wilbur causes the stone to rotate with his hand, then touches one of his rings to it. Later on, when Wilbur's "brother" is escaping, the stone falls off the table and bursts into flame.

It was items like this which, when I first saw the film, led me to start reading Lovecraft. True, the film is hardly a dead-on accurate adaptation, but when I watched it I was struck by the idea that here was a horror film that actually seemed to have some sort of mythology behind it.

"I'm not reckless . . . I'm skillful!"

[–] Gordyl 17 years ago

Don't know about the glass stone on the table either. If you like the Lovecraft stories, try the Titus Crowe books by Lumley. They carry on with the same mythos as is present in the Lovecraft stories.

----Gordy----
"Things ain't what it use to be."

[–] curlew-2 17 years ago

Thanks for the heads-up!

"I'm not reckless . . . I'm skillful!"

[–] Simplythebest11962 9 years ago

by curlew-2 » Sat Jan 6 2007 09:53:25
IMDb member since January 2001
Thanks for the heads-up!

Here's a list of the novels & short stories:

Novels

The Burrowers Beneath (1974, ISBN 0-312-86867-7)

The Transition of Titus Crow (1975, ISBN 0-312-86299-7)

The Clock of Dreams (1978, ISBN 0-312-86868-5)

Spawn of the Winds (1978, ISBN 0-515-04571-3)

In the Moons of Borea (1979, ISBN 0-312-86866-9)

Elysia (1989, ISBN 0-932445-32-2), in which the characters of the Titus Crow series meet characters from Lumley's two other series, Dreamlands and Primal Land, for a grand confrontation with the Dark Forces.

Short Stories

Collected in The Compleat Crow (1987 Hodder and Stoughton). (ISBN 0-340-69544-7)

"Inception" (1987)

"Lord of the Worms" (originally published in Weirdbook 17, 1983)

"The Caller of the Black" (originally published in The Caller of the Black, 1971 Arkham House)

"The Viking's Stone" (originally published in The Horror at Oakdeene & Others, 1977 Arkham House)

"The Mirror of Nitocris" (originally published in The Caller of the Black, 1971 Arkham House)

"An Item of Supporting Evidence" (originally published in Arkham Collector, Winter 1970)

"Billy's Oak" (originally published in Arkham Collector, Winter 1970)

"Darghud's Doll" (originally published in The Horror at Oakdeene & Others, 1977 Arkham House)

"De Marigny's Clock" (originally published in The Caller of the Black, 1971 Arkham House)

"Name and Number" (originally published in Kadath, July 1982)

"The Black Recalled" (1983, originally published in World Fantasy Convention 1983: Sixty Years of Weird Tales)

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Titus_Crow&printable=yes

[–] Simplythebest11962 9 years ago

by Gordyl » Sat Jan 6 2007 08:28:25
IMDb member since September 2006
Don't know about the glass stone on the table either. If you like the Lovecraft stories, try the Titus Crowe books by Lumley. They carry on with the same mythos as is present in the Lovecraft stories.

Here's a list of the novels & short stories:

Novels

The Burrowers Beneath (1974, ISBN 0-312-86867-7)

The Transition of Titus Crow (1975, ISBN 0-312-86299-7)

The Clock of Dreams (1978, ISBN 0-312-86868-5)

Spawn of the Winds (1978, ISBN 0-515-04571-3)

In the Moons of Borea (1979, ISBN 0-312-86866-9)

Elysia (1989, ISBN 0-932445-32-2), in which the characters of the Titus Crow series meet characters from Lumley's two other series, Dreamlands and Primal Land, for a grand confrontation with the Dark Forces.

Short Stories

Collected in The Compleat Crow (1987 Hodder and Stoughton). (ISBN 0-340-69544-7)

"Inception" (1987)

"Lord of the Worms" (originally published in Weirdbook 17, 1983)

"The Caller of the Black" (originally published in The Caller of the Black, 1971 Arkham House)

"The Viking's Stone" (originally published in The Horror at Oakdeene & Others, 1977 Arkham House)

"The Mirror of Nitocris" (originally published in The Caller of the Black, 1971 Arkham House)

"An Item of Supporting Evidence" (originally published in Arkham Collector, Winter 1970)

"Billy's Oak" (originally published in Arkham Collector, Winter 1970)

"Darghud's Doll" (originally published in The Horror at Oakdeene & Others, 1977 Arkham House)

"De Marigny's Clock" (originally published in The Caller of the Black, 1971 Arkham House)

"Name and Number" (originally published in Kadath, July 1982)

"The Black Recalled" (1983, originally published in World Fantasy Convention 1983:
Sixty Years of Weird Tales)

SOURCE:

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Titus_Crow&printable=yes

[–] Grand 16 years ago

If it had a star on one side, it is an Elder Sign, the most potent magical weapon against the Great Old Ones. It can be used to ward an area against them.

Period. Comma. Shift Key. They are your friends. Learn to love them.

[–] curlew-2 16 years ago

No star on it, but good call.

"I'm not reckless . . . I'm skillful!"

[–] andrsbckly 16 years ago

Knowing what i know about HPL, and including some elements from other stories of his are seemingly in the film, i'd say it is a *meterorite*....in 'color out of space', HPL uses one to induce alien weirdness...it could also explain why the stone bursts into flame, because its strange 'radioctivity' is linked to wilbur's brother, somehow.

[–] curlew-2 16 years ago

Mmmmmm . . . a nice possibility. Thanks.

"I'm not reckless . . . I'm skillful!"

[–] Roddenhyzer 14 years ago

This is what I thought, too. I'm not at all familiar with Lovecraft's original stories, but I always percieved "The Dunwich Horror" as a loose follow-up to the events in "Die, Monster, Die!", the movie based on "Colour out of Space". The Witley (Monster)/Whateley (Dunwich) family trees are kinda similar and the same goes for the locations, including the mansion.

[–] Veronica65 12 years ago

I've always wanted a set of those weird stones for my living room.

[–] curlew-2 15 years ago

Good catch, that. As much as I liked Les Baxter's soundtrack to the film, maybe some Styx songs would've helped as well.

"I'm not reckless . . . I'm skillful!"

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] curlew-2 15 years ago

No I wouldn't, this is the first I've heard about it. I'll keep my ears open. If you should find out let me know.

"I'm not reckless . . . I'm skillful!"

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Simplythebest11962 9 years ago

by curlew-2 » Sun Oct 29 2006 17:27:10
IMDb member since January 2001
Can anyone explain the significance of the smooth plastic-like stone which was on the table in Wilbur's living room? It features in two scenes: early on, when Wilbur and Nancy first arrive at the home, Wilbur causes the stone to rotate with his hand, then touches one of his rings to it. Later on, when Wilbur's "brother" is escaping, the stone falls off the table and bursts into flame.

It was items like this which, when I first saw the film, led me to start reading Lovecraft. True, the film is hardly a dead-on accurate adaptation, but when I watched it I was struck by the idea that here was a horror film that actually seemed to have some sort of mythology behind it.

"I'm not reckless . . . I'm skillful!"

Good question!

I wondered what those giant stones were used for to! They were obviously magical, but I wondered about their significance because their use was never really explained.

I'm so glad you asked, though, because I wondered about myself throughout the movie. I figured they'd have some kind of meaning later in the movie, but their significance was never really explained to my satisfaction, anyway. LOL

I mean were they used as some kind of means of communication?