Carnival of Souls

Sometimes art comes along that makes a small splash, but the ripples produce stormy seas. Our subject today is an example of that. A humble B-movie that influenced some of the biggest names in the horror and surreal genres of cinema. Made on a binding budget and depicting a relic of the midwest, it features eerie, slightly campy, and spooky atmospheres. It's a movie made rich off the interest of its influence, made by a one-hit wonder director.

So if you're like me and you enjoy film and the impact and emotions they convey then grab a glass of your preferred liquid and join me for the next little while. For me that's a glass of Merlot from Berringer Winery. So sit back, relax, and let's talk about the love of film. Welcome to Glazed Cinema.

Our subject today starts off rather inconspicuously. It begins as a white car with three women in the front seat pulls up to a red light. They all seem to be friends going someplace together. As they idle at the light a black car pulls up next to them with a man half out of the car. All smiles he challenges them to a drag race, which the female driver accepts in quick order. As the two cars pull away we watch them from afar as both whirl down the road, the white car in front. Taken over by the black car they turn onto a side street and in short order they wind up side by side on a wooden bridge. Jockeying for position the two contact each other, but soon separate. With not much room between them the pair of cars race toward the road in a nail biting manner.

With the end approaching the two vehicles collide again, which shakes the white car enough to send it off its straight line just enough. In a flash the car shatters the wooden guard rail and sends the three women into the river below. As the white trunk and chrome bumper disappear into the depths we see the black car stop on the bridge. As both men get out to inspect the damage we see the calm of the water below restored and title of our subject today fade into view.

As the police arrive on the scene to investigate and help search for the three women, one of them emerges. Rising out of the muddy liquid and onto the shore is one of them. Dazed, wet, dirty, and confused she doesn't know how she escaped the car or what happened to the others. Her name is Mary and we will follow her for the remainder of the film as her journey it seems is just beginning.

Carnival of Souls follows Mary, a church organist, who upon learning the fate of the other women feels that a fresh start is just what she needs. At one point Mary, in denial about the crash and unable to connect to those around her sees a great opportunity arise as an organist in far away Salt Lake City. Seeing it as an opportunity to start fresh and do what she loves, Mary takes the offer and begins her drive to Utah. On the way there she is drawn toward an abandoned carnival on a lake, which soon becomes an obsession. Mary, played by Candace Hilligoss has great eyes and expression that lend itself to the eerie and creepy atmosphere of the film.

There are two constants throughout this film and they correlate to one another. There is of course Mary, our main character and the sound of an organ, which Mary plays. The two are connected throughout the film and we see and hear this in a variety if ways. For example, before and during Mary's stumbling out of the water an organ is playing in the background, almost acting like a flute to a cobra, it coaxing her ashore.

The other things that seem connected are the carnival and the character simply known as the man. The gaunt figure we see throughout. The man is a character we see quite a bit in the film and is linked to the carnival, like Mary is to the organ. He is dressed in a suit and looks like a member of the undead sans the damages. He appears to follow Mary as if calling to her to the carnival on the lake. The Man in the movie, interestingly enough, probably a product of the film's budget, is played by the film's director Herk Hervey.

One of my favorite scenes is pretty early on in the film while Mary is driving toward her destination. It is dark out and the radio plays a joyful tune as the car's headlights cut through the night. Ever so smoothly the music transitions to an organ. When Mary notices this she tries to change the channel, but no matter how many stations she tries to turn to the sound never falters, it continues to play its eerie tune. In the distance she spots a large building with appears almost cathedral like. While looking at her reflection in the passenger window a spectral figure of a man appears and frightens her. Stepping on the gas she looks again and he's gone, then the man appears in the middle of the road in front of her. Swerving to miss him she ends up on the side of the road. It seems that something is calling to her...calling her to the carnival.

That scene is amazing. I love how simple it's shot, but how effective it is in doing so many things. It helps drive the plot forward, builds suspense, makes us uneasy, all with minimal camera movements. It also introduces us to two very important characters...the spectral figure simply refers to as "the man" and the carnival itself.

Carnival of Souls was directed by Herk Hervey and was released in 1962. Hervey, a Kansas native has a pretty interesting backstory. Looking at his filmography you wouldn't know it as he only directed one full-length commercial picture, which is our subject today. While his IMDB might look a bit sparse though, Hervey actually had a lot of experience in making films prior to directing this picture.

Hervey and a few of his friends founded a film production company in 1947 called the Centron Corporation. Recognizing a need, the company would begin to make educational films for both the academic and industrial sectors. During the Cold War, Centron, with Hervey as a director became one of the biggest names in the industry, making hundreds of educational pictures featuring subject ranging from sex-ed, safety training, scholastic content, and more. While he was working though, the idea of today's picture came to him in a familiar way.

The brainchild for today's subject was born from a haunting image of the same pavilion we see in the movie. As Hervey was driving through Utah he met eyes with the large facility and it remained in his mind for days afterward. With this image engrained, he thought it would make a great setting and wanted to make a movie around it. He approached screenwriter John Clifford to write the script with only two requirements to meet. The pavilion must be a pivotal setting and there must be a danse macabre. Outside of that, Clifford had full reign to write what he pleased. With the screenplay finished, a budget was acquired and filming began. The funding was a shoestring budget, only $60,000 was allocated toward the production. Due to this, naturally corners had to be cut and as such, only one classically trained actor was cast in the film, which was the role of Mary. A good decision since the majority of screen time is with her in front of the camera.

The first time I watched this film, I too was struck by the sight of the pavilion. Naturally, I was curious to know what and where it was. After some research I found out that the pavilion that haunted Hervey and the one that's in the picture is known as Saltair Resort. The resort is in the same location today as it was depicted in the film, though it looks a bit different. It remains where it was then, on the shores of the Great Salt Lake. Saltair was built in 1893 as a vacation and relaxation destination with railroad connecting to Salt Lake City, just sixteen miles away. It became a popular place, attracting half a million people a year. Through this popularity, Saltair became known as "The Coney Island of the West", featuring a carnival, amusement rides, fireworks, rodeos, hot-air balloon rides, swimming in the Great Salt Lake, and a ballroom all among a picturesque setting.

The resort unfortunately though had a hard life. It burned down twice, required high maintenance costs, fell abandoned after it closed its doors in the sixties and in ruin after a string of fires. One look and its easy to see why Hervey had it in mind for a film. There's a look about it that is pleasing yet uneasy at the same time.

Carnival of Souls was made a B Movie, made on a shoestring budget of $60,000 and didn't do well upon release. It found new life however on the silver screen as it would appear on late night programming. Garnering a cult following the film began to amass a reputation and fandom. it has also inspired several filmmakers including David Lynch and was a big influence on George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead.

The first time I watched Carnival of Souls I got a serious Twilight Zone feeling from it. I felt it was mysterious, eerie, and haunting. There's also a bit of campiness to the final product, but its never enough to stray away from the eerie feel of the film. It's a great balance of a lot of things and done in a really well way.

Carnival of Souls is a horror movie that made big waves despite its less than stellar box office. It gained new life however when it aired during late night television programming where it garnered a following and appreciation, which continued to build. What has been called an art-house ghost story, it created a template for future horror directors on how to make a good movie on a tight budget. It regularly appears in best horror movies of all time lists and helped influence future horror classics including Night of the Living Dead to our previous episode, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and The Blair Witch Project.

After Carnival's release Hervey never made another feature length film. Carnival remains as one of the great one-hit wonders of cinema as its influence is broad and ever felt. If you're looking for something eerie to watch with the lights off, then press play on this horror classic...I don't think you'll be disappointed.

If you'd like to watch Carnival of Souls for yourself you can find it on a plethora of streaming services. At the time of this recording you can find it on The Criterion Channel.

You can also find it on Tubi. Tubi is a streaming service with a diverse catalog of offerings including TV and movies and the best part is, it's absolutely free to enjoy.

Along with Tubi, Carnival of Souls can also be watched for free on services including Pluto TV, YouTube, Redbox, Plex, FreeVee, Vudu, Sling TV, and Prime Video.

Lastly, you can also find it on services like AMC+, Max, MGM+, and Fubo TV with subscription and Google Play and Apple TV for $2.99 to rent.

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