Reverend Henry Kane

Reverend Henry Kane is a fictional character from the "Poltergeist" film trilogy. in "" (1986), he was played by Julian Beck. In "Poltergeist III" (known in Australia as "Poltergeist III: The Final Chapter") (1988), he was played by Nathan Davis, but an uncredited Corey Burton provided his voice.

Fictional character history

Kane was an insane Christian Minister who predicted the end of the world. Kane proselytized his views and gained many followers in the process. Sometime in the early 1800s, he would lead his followers of his pseudo-Christian cult to southern California to set up a Utopian society. Somewhere along the journey, Kane predicted the end of the world was near. When they reached the land where the future Cuesta Verde development would be constructed, they sealed themselves in a subterranean cavern in which they prepared for Judgement Day. Even after Kane's predicted doomsday passed, he kept himself and his followers in the cavern, in which they eventually died. His followers' spirits were unable to rest because of their untimely death. Kane himself also became unable to rest as a spirit, and became a powerful, Satan-like spirit known as The Beast.

In the first movie, Kane (appearing not in his natural form, but in the form of a giant, spectral being with a skeleton-like head and ghostly white hair) kidnapped Carol Anne Freeling, the youngest member of the family who lived in a house built over the cavern that Kane and his followers died in, and took her to the Other Side (the dimension between the world of the living and the hereafter.) Kane lied to Carol Anne and claimed to be her friend so she could help lead him and other lost souls in the light that led to the hereafter. In the second movie, Kane showed his true form and tried to pull the Freeling family apart. His monstrous form had the souls of his followers fused onto his very body until he was seemingly killed and his released captives went into the other side. In the third movie, he took on Carol Anne's form and stalked mortals in mirrors that served as portals to the Other Side. Also revealed was the fact Carol Anne was born in the house from the first movie, which partially explains her connection to the spirits in pursuit of her. In the end, the Freeling family's clairvoyant ally, Tangina Barrons, goes off with Kane so he can go into the light and leave the Freeling family alone forever, seemingly.

Trivia

* Kane appeared in his true form in the original script of the first film as one of the ghosts floating down the stairs.

* Due to the passing of Julian Beck who played Kane during filming of the second film, the filmmakers enlisted the help of H R Giger to create the "Beast" version of the character to replace Beck in scenes that remained to be filmed. Giger created several designs but only two appeared, and didn't get much screen time in the final film. His designs are displayed on his official website.

* Kane was depicted on the cover of "Among the Living" by Anthrax. The band stated in interviews that he was one of the things that scared them the most.

*Kane had a cameo in the "South Park" episode "Imaginationland".