DESCRIPTION:
Wikipedia: "As Mary continues to coax her malevolent tune from the organ, she moves more deeply into trance, beginning to experience an extended impressionistic vision of a throng of ghouls emerging from the water to waltz to her music in the pavilions ruined ballroom. As the Man moves towards her and then reaches out for her while she watches in numb horror, her fingers spasm on the keyboards, signaling the approach of a not-too-metaphorical climax. But just before it occurs, the minister appears suddenly and wrenches her hands from the organ, furiously calling her music sacrilege. He "asks her to resign" because of her lack of reverence and awareness of things significant to the church and concisely laments her "lack of soul". Before she leaves he softens his attitude a bit and tells her that the church can offer her help. She departs in totally wordless dejection. From here on her appeals for help to her acquaintances become more desperate."

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CARNIVAL OF SOULS TRIVIA:

Star Candace Hilligoss's agent refused to represent her any further after seeing Carnival of Souls.

The backdrop is the Saltair Amusement Park outside Salt Lake City.

The Saltair that appears in the film actually burned down in the early '70s. In the early '80s another version of Saltair was rebuilt, although it was a much smaller design. Shortly after it was built, the Great Salt Lake rose and flooded it out. In 1993, the building was remodeled and reopened, now it's mainly used as a small venue for musical acts.

Director Herk Harvey and writer John Clifford both waived their earnings in order to get the film made under the initially miniscule $17,000 budget.


Filmed in three weeks.


The damage to the bridge in the opening scene of the film cost Herk Harvey $17.


This film was shot on location in Salt Lake City, Utah, and in Lawrence, Kansas, with interior shots at the Centron Studios in Lawrence. Centron was an industrial film company, producing industrial and educational films and "social guidance" short subjects in the 1950s into the 1960s. Most of this film's technical staff, including director Herk Harvey and screenwriter John Clifford, were Centron employees.


The supporting cast of the film was made up of local actors from the Lawrence, Kansas area, where much of the film was shot.


According to star Candace Hilligoss the river water she was submerged in for the films finale was frigidly cold. She said she had to be placed in the water for several hours to get the final shots. In fact one of the actresses lying next to Hilligoss can be seen trembling from the cold water.


At the Carnival of Souls 1989 reunion director Herk Harvey wore the ghoul makeup that he wore in the film for interviews.


The Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce charged director Herk Harvey fifty dollars for his one week shoot at the ruined Saltair Pavilion.


Herk Harvey's filming crew only consisted of five other people besides himself.