Carnival of Souls (1962)

After a traumatic accident, a woman becomes drawn to a mysterious abandoned carnival.

Director:

Herk Harvey

Writer:

John Clifford (written)

Stars:

Candace Hilligoss, Frances Feist, Sidney Berger

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Candace Hilligoss	...	Mary Henry
Frances Feist	...	Mrs. Thomas - Landlady
Sidney Berger	...	John Linden
Art Ellison	...	Minister
Stan Levitt	...	Dr. Samuels
Tom McGinnis	...	Organ Factory Boss
Forbes Caldwell	...	Carpenter in Organ Factory
Dan Palmquist	...	Gas Station Attendant
Bill de Jarnette	...	Mechanic (as Bill De Jarnette)
Steve Boozer	...	Chip - Man at Juke Box
Pamela Ballard	...	Dress Saleslady
Larry Sneegas	...	Drag Racer
Cari Conboy	...	Lake Zombie
Karen Pyles	...	Dress Store Customer
T.C. Adams	...	Dancing Zombie

Storyline

Mary Henry is enjoying the day by riding around in a car with two friends. When challenged to a drag, the women accept, but are forced off of a bridge. It appears that all are drowned, until Mary, quite some time later, amazingly emerges from the river. After recovering, Mary accepts a job in a new town as a church organist, only to be dogged by a mysterious phantom figure that seems to reside in an old run-down pavilion. It is here that Mary must confront the personal demons of her spiritual insouciance.

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Plot Keywords:

carnival | car accident | female protagonist | surrealism | b movie | 

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Taglines:

A picture that will haunt you

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Herk Harvey and writer John Clifford both waived their earnings in order to get the film made under the initially minuscule $30,000 budget.

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Goofs

In the department store where Mary discovers she is "invisible", she goes down an aisle with both hands out to her sides and clearly has no purse. The scene cuts to her leaving the store where she now has her purse.

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Quotes

Mary Henry: I don't belong in the world.

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Crazy Credits

The films opening credits fade in and out, scattered across the footage of the flowing river.

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Alternate Versions

In 2004, Legend Films presented a digitally remastered high definition version of the film that was colorized. This DVD release also features audio commentary by comic Michael J. Nelson. The audio commentary is available on both versions of the film.

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Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: Immediate Family/The Bear/Dad/Next of Kin/Carnival of Souls (1989)

User Reviews

Cult horror classic

Carnival of souls (1962) is that rare thing in life. An intelligent and genuinely unsettling horror film. Where most horror films go for the obvious effects of gore and leave nothing to the imagination, this film takes a far more subtle approach. The film deals with the story of a withdrawn church organist Mary (Candice Hilligloss) who is involved in a car crash from which she is the only survivor. She then finds herself being pursued by a strange ghoulish looking man and has episodes where it appears no one around her can see or hear her. This leads to a startling revelation for Mary at the old abandoned Carnival in the desert.

What makes this film so good is its eerie atmosphere and the strong visual influence of German expressionist cinema, mixed with some pretty good photography (for such a low budget) and good performances from a mainly non-professional cast, results in a fine example of how to unnerve an audience without big budgets and special effects.

The film can also be seen as being a major influential on other such films as David Lynch's Eraserhead (1976) and George Romero's Night of the living dead (1968).

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 November 1962 (Finland)

Also Known As:

Carnival of Souls

Filming Locations:

Iowa Street and West 23rd Street, Lawrence, Kansas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Harcourt Productions, Centron Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min 84 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White Color (green tinted)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1