The antisymmetrical Scholte-Stoneley wave in liquid-loaded metal and polymer membranes were excited via the laser-induced thermoelastic effect and were detected with a laser beam deflection technique. The experimentally determined dispersion relation for this wave is in accordance with theory in a wide frequency range. However, no evidence of the propagating subsonic lowest-order anitsymmetrical pseudo-lamb wave was found. (C) 1998 Acoustical Society of America.