Created in 28 Days and Nights in the Beginning Was

IN THE BEGINNING WAS CARNIVAL OF SOULS, low-budget, so not too much dialogue, as loud enough or believably that costs more.” Herk felt confident that he enough to convince Herk to could rely on the facilities at Centron. He had cast any of them. CREATED IN 28 DAYS AND NIGHTS at his disposal a sound stage, cameras, sound Sidney Berger, a theater gear, editing rooms, mixing equipment, and a major and grad student at KU, By Candace Hilligoss projection room. He decided to shoot in black- had acted in some of Herk’s and-white and give the film the patina of a shows. Herk had him audi- Early in 1960, on a long drive back far more costly film by shooting it in 35mm. tion with the local actresses home from an assignment in Califor- Thirteen local businessmen and friends of his for Carnival of Souls. Sidney nia, Herk Harvey, a young filmmaker each gave him $1000 as their initial invest- was about go to New York from Lawrence, Kansas, reached the ment in the movie. With a total of $13,000, he for a visit with his parents. outskirts of Salt Lake City at dusk. At was ready to start his production. Herk said to him, “We’ve got the edge of the Great Salt Lake, he saw His cinematographer, Maurice Prather, to have a lead for this show in the weirdest-looking place he had ever had worked with director Robert Altman a hurry. Could you find me a seen: an abandoned amusement park in Kansas City before he came to Centron. good actress in New York?” and pavilion. It was like something out Maurice and Herk agreed that the movie It just so happened that Sidney’s best backed by some local businessmen. No stars! of St. Petersburg. Herk parked the car should have a sinister quality. To achieve a friend was a New York agent who represented No nothing! Ever been to Lawrence?” His and hiked up the three-quarter-mile sense of strangeness, a sense of something actors. Sidney and one of Herk’s assistants tone was reproachful. ramp. He studied the deserted and not right, Maurice would use deliberately auditioned actresses for three days in the “Nope.” neglected amusement park, the quiet contrasting film textures—a flat, rainy look New York agent’s office. That’s how I came “No one important goes to Lawrence. despair of it all. The pavilion seemed for day-lit exteriors and a muted, shadowy to audition for Sidney. I read from the script Originally, it was a stopover for western set- to be something from a psychedelic with the assistant as tlers on their way to someplace else. That’s dream, designed like a Russian taber- Sidney listened. Both Lawrence in a nutshell.” nacle, with Moorish turrets gleaming men looked rather “There’s something about “Carnival…” in the twilight. Inside the pavilion, the young to have the re- “You’re not really considering it!” caress of a drifting wind blew leftover, sponsibility of casting His face screwed up into a terrible frown. tattered crepe streamers back and forth an actress for a direc- “Carnival of Souls has no love scenes, no in a haunting dance. A kaleidoscope of tor who was far away humor, no plot. The only thing that hap- silver and gold party hats and torn pa- in Kansas. It seemed a pens in this plotless B script is the girl ends per lanterns swirled about the ballroom bit odd to me. By the up dancing with dead people—ghouls in a floor. Herk thought to himself, “What a next afternoon, the pavilion somewhere.” tremendous film location!” Completely agent called me with “I’m choosing Carnival of Souls.” isolated, the Saltair Pavilion was the the good news: The “Jesus Christ, why?! Black Autumn is largest open-air dance pavilion in the part was mine. more commercial—a detective story with world. In its heyday, it could accom- My agent Mar- suspense and murder. That’s the kind of modate 3,000 dancing couples. ty and I were quite movie that attracts an audience. People will As Herk gazed around, he saw happy as we sat in his go see you in this one. You’re the beauty ev- that the Great Salt Lake, which was office. Another film eryone falls in love with. Give me one damn Candace Hilligoss made both her big screen (Carnival once a couple thousand square miles in of Souls) and small screen (Naked City) debuts in 1962. company had just good reason why you don’t wanna do it?” area and quite deep, had receded. The offered me a leading “Nudity. There are two nude scenes in it.” old slogan “Saltair–Try to Sink” used to effect for interiors and for the final confronta- role in Black Autumn, a movie to be shot in “What? You’re turning it down because attract legions of summer tourists, who tion with the spirits of the dead. He wanted Stamford, Connecticut. He said, “It’s incred- of that, in this modern day and age? Some of enjoyed the most delightful bathing in the sequence in which the dead rise from the ible. This week you got two movie offers. our greatest stars do nude scenes. The direc- the world. Nonetheless, when Salt Lake lake and pursue the leading lady to combine Aren’t you excited about that? tor shoots nude scenes on a closed set. It’s all turned into a dead sea, the romance beauty yet be menacing, just like the best mo- “Of course, I am. It’s just that my new filmed with good taste and artistically done. of the place seemed to vanish into the ments of a Val Lewton movie. He also said to husband and I will be apart for the first time.” No one’s asking you to do porn movies here.” dried-up salt beds that had killed the Herk, “By shooting in black-and-white rather “He’ll recover. It’s your resort business for the amusement than color, we can achieve an Ingmar Berg- career we need to discuss park. Inspired by the ghostly white of man look, too, with its definite contrasts.” now.” the deserted salt beds surrounding the When Herk read John’s final script, “What’s your advice?” pavilion and amusement park, Herk he saw that the most important role was Black Autumn is being took out his camera and photographed that of the girl who was in every scene of filmed in Stamford. It’s an the scene. He guessed that this place the movie, now titled Carnival of Souls. As easy commute. You leave had been abandoned for 20 years or a former professor at Kansas University, Manhattan in the morning; more. Most of the amusement rides Herk auditioned some of the actresses in then you’re back at night in were still standing. The only one torn the theater department. None of them could your own bed. The movie down was the roller coaster. and documentaries. Herk said, “John, I “How soon do you want a script?” John portray a girl who was passive before a has a good cast—Shepperd In Lawrence, Herk met with John Clif- found a terrific location for us to make our asked. near-death accident gives her the motiva- Strudwick and James Far- ford, a writer who worked with him at Cen- first feature film. The atmosphere is so eerie “Can you finish it in three weeks?” tion to really want to live. When faced with entino. You’re their lead- tron Corporation, the film company where and spooky. I want you to write a horror “Done.” death, she refused it and came back as a lost ing lady. The other movie, John had written and Herk had directed screenplay so that it ends with ghouls danc- “That’s great. My vacation starts then.” soul trying to escape her watery grave. Not Carnival of Souls, is being geographical films, commercials, musicals, ing around inside a pavilion.” Then Herk advised John, “Remember it’s one of the collegiate actresses could scream filmed in Lawrence, Kansas, 52 MONSTERS FROM THE VAULT #31 WINTER 2013 53.

Load more