30 THEATRICAL TERRORS: Halloween (Day 24)

For the role of Dr. Loomis in HALLOWEEN, Peter Cushing was the first choice of director John Carpenter. His agent turned it down due to the small salary the low budget film could pay. Christopher Lee, much to his later regret, declined the role as he was the second choice. Finally it was offered to Donald Pleasence who accepted the role mostly because his daughter liked Carpenter’s soundtrack for Assault on Precinct 13.

Jamie Lee Curtis was not the first choice for Laurie Strode as Carpenter was unaware of her heritige. They were, instead, interested in casting June Lockhart’s daughter, Anne, who had to turn it down for other projects. Curtis got the role when they realized she was Janet Leigh’s daughter and realized it would be great publicity.

The inspiration for the psychopath known as the shape was a visit he made to a mental institution as a college student where he met a boy with a blank, schizophrenic stare.

What also filled in some of the story for HALLOWEEN was the typical small town haunted house. How every town has one home where something horrible—a tragedy or murder that would go on to become local lore.

And those are the elements needed to make The Babysitter Murders aka HALLOWEEN one of the most successful low budget films ever made.

But, of course, you have to credit the haunting score by John Carpenter, hisownself, for adding mood and suspense and even horror!