As someone who loves history, there is nothing better than delving into movies from the past. Not only are they a microcosm of society at the time they were made, but there is an added benefit if they were filmed on location somewhere rather unique, that may or may not have changed drastically over the years since shooting. Having recently watched the slapstick British comedy Carry On Girls (1973), it brought me back to another very different film from the past, the low budget horror cult classic Carnival of Souls (1962) – for a very specific reason. So, instead of doing a typical review of the features, we will take a look at two historic locations featured in both of these pictures.
Carnival of Souls, co-written and directed by Herk Harvey (his only full length feature) on a minuscule budget of only thirty-three thousand dollars, the story follows a young woman, Mary Henry (Candace Hilligoss), who, after a most traumatic accident in Kansas, moves to Salt Lake City to become the new organist. . . where she is drawn nearly immediately to a dilapidated pavilion on the other side of the water. An utterly eerie, mesmeric setting, this was shot at the once thriving Saltair Pavilion.
A most unique location, it is Saltair that brings this movie to life – Maurice Prather’s moody black and white cinematography further haunting the already crumbling structures that there is no denying were still awe-inspiring even when this was shot in the early 60s. It’s Moorish architecture, featuring towering domes and lavish lights looming over the giant ballroom are surrounded by old-timey amusement rides, the whole resort feeling even more secluded by the receded saltwater that makes us feel like our protagonist’s stranded in the middle of a deserted nowhere. . . the near endless empty infrastructure as ominous as if it were filled with ghouls.
It seems quite fitting that this was the setting of a horror movie, as it almost seems as though the location has been permanently haunted following the original edifice coming to life in 1893 – an amusement park looked upon as the Coney Island of the West. . . a draw for people from as far as Los Angeles. But by 1925, it was hit by an awful fire – leaving it in ruins.
Ironically, when it was rebuilt in short order, it now known as Saltair II, it lacked its predecessor’s success. . . not only because of the soon to hit Great Depression, but also because of the explosion of a new form of entertainment – cinema. Oddly enough, the reason this location is so well remembered (being a part of a cult classic horror film almost forty years after the rebuild) is also part of the reason why it flailed into oblivion.
Sadly the unholy saga continued with another fire striking, the water receding from the shoreline, then World War II interrupting things for a long six year period. . . then two more fires blazed in 1967 and 70 to put a true end to this historic adventure park of the late 19th and first half of the 20th century. It is worth noting that there is a third iteration as well, but both a flooding followed by another receding waterline has impacted it. . . and though it still survives, it contains little of the architectural marvels of either of the original two builds.
Likewise, the twenty-fifth film in the British comedy series, Carry On Girls, directed by Gerald Thomas, also takes place on a gorgeous waterfront. Following a group of men, including Councillor Sidney Fiddler (Sidney James), Mayor Bumble (Kenneth Connor), and publicist Peter Potter (Bernard Bresslaw), they are desperate to bring some life back into their town of Fircombe – which has been battling the rainy elements for far too long.
Valerie Leon with Filmizon.com’s Nikolai Adams – when asked, Valerie said that she unfortunately only shot in the studio and did not get a chance to visit Brighton
Their best solution, much to the chagrin of feminist councilor Augusta Prodworthy (June Whitfield) and Peter’s soon to discover the truth fiancée secretary Patricia (Valerie Leon – Never Say Never Again), is to host a buxom beauty pageant – which will include contestants Connie Philpotts (Joan Sims) and Dawn Brakes (Margaret Nolan – Goldfinger).
Set on Brighton’s West Pier, which was built all the way back in1866, it was the first such structure to be Grade I listed in England – giving it special protection. A place built to attract tourists, its stunning views and equally as impressive structures were an impressive draw for millions of people. Similarly, World War II had a negative impact on the tourist attractions. . . give it another twenty or so years, and its expansive edifice was being hit hard by time – the cost for upkeep near impossible.
By 1975, just two years after Carry On Girls was shot there, the entire pier was closed down due to safety concerns. As if similar echoes from the past reached across the ocean to Brighton, this locale also had environmental issues – namely, the Great Storm of 1987 (followed by another in 2002), the end sadly coming again by way of two separate fires in 2003, with its shell destined to be ripped apart by any wind or storm to hit the coastline.
Yet, in 1973, Carry On Girls shows us the joy that was, with the beauty contest shot within some of the West Pier, it eventually leading outside to a wild go-kart speeding away – this being the centrepiece that shows off the lengthy pier, its impressive ocean and beach views to the left, and massive infrastructure to the right. But look close enough throughout the comedy, and numerous beachfront scenes – including Larry Prodworthy (Robin Askwith) uncomfortably doing some nude photography for one of the models, and you’ll see the magnificent structure looming off in the background.
Now, all these years later, some of our best visions of this sadly lost past can be found in these cult classics. A vivid vision of the way tourism expanded some hundred plus years ago, the craftsmanship awed and amazed on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, creating visions so eye-catching that they were still the things of movie magic many decades after their prime. Outside of the horror and comedy, these features are well worth the watch just to experience Saltair and West Pier, getting glances of their lavish concert halls and elaborate ball-rooms, or the playful amusements and waterfront vistas, they make these movies all the better for using them as sets. So, explore these lost gems for both the films and the fantastical locations within them, that way you’ll help carry on this mesmeric carnival past well into the future.