CARNIVAL OF SOULS 1962
Carnival of Souls (1962) is a uniquely different experience in psychological horror that has earned its place as a cult film – known for its eerie atmosphere and innovative filmmaking techniques. Directed by Herk Harvey, the film was his only feature-length production, as he primarily worked on industrial and educational films for the Centron Corporation in Lawrence, Kansas. The film’s genesis occurred when Harvey, driving back from California, was inspired by the sight of the abandoned Saltair Pavilion near Salt Lake City. This location became the centerpiece for the film’s haunting climax.
Working with a minuscule budget of $33,000, Harvey employed guerrilla filmmaking techniques and assembled a small crew of just five people, including himself.
The story follows Mary Henry (Candace Hilligoss), a young church organist who survives a car accident and becomes haunted by strange visions and a mysterious figure known as “the Man” (portrayed by Harvey himself in an uncredited role). The film focuses on Mary’s journey through a dreamlike purgatory as she is trapped between two worlds, with one of them – the nightmarish one – catching up with her.
Hilligoss, who had trained with Lee Strasberg, was discovered by Harvey in New York and cast as the lead for approximately $2,000. The film’s production was a testament to resourcefulness. Shot on location in Lawrence, Kansas, and Salt Lake City, the crew often had to work around limitations. For instance, the pivotal bridge scene at the beginning of the film was shot in Lecompton, Kansas, with the filmmakers agreeing to repair the bridge’s damaged rails for just $12.
Carnival of Souls is notable for its atmospheric organ score by Gene Moore, which contributes significantly to the film’s unsettling mood. The movie’s visual style was influenced by European art-house directors like Ingmar Bergman and Jean Cocteau, with Harvey aiming to create “the look of a Bergman and the feel of a Cocteau.” The movie explores themes of existentialism and the boundary between life and death, creating a sense of unease with its surrealistic nature and exploration of purgatorial despair, which set it apart from typical horror films of its time in the early 1960s.
What makes Carnival of Souls continue to stand out is its innovative filmmaking; despite its anemic budget, Harvey created a film with a unique visual style and an organically eerie and growing sense of dread using existing locations. Also, the atmospheric sound design aided by the haunting organ score by Gene Moore is a significant element in creating its unsettling atmosphere, and the minimalist use of sound, focusing primarily on the organ, adds to the film’s hypnotic power.
Despite its initial limited release and distribution challenges, Carnival of Souls has since gained recognition for its influential cinematography and foreboding atmosphere. It has inspired filmmakers such as George A. Romero and David Lynch. Its proto-Lynchian qualities in dialogue and conflict have contributed to its lasting impact and continue to be celebrated at film festivals and Halloween screenings.