10 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About George Romero’s Night Of The Living Dead

George Romero’s 1968 masterpiece Night of the Living Dead heralded a new age for horror movies. Although the word “zombie” is never used in the movie, Night of the Living Dead is now considered the most vital zombie feature of all time. The basic premise of the film involves a group of people in rural Pennsylvania fighting off a horde of undead, flesh-eating corpses.

Night of the Living Dead relies on splatter gore, subversive themes, and creeping terror to generate scares. Without its influence, the horror genre’s trajectory would look much different. This list explains why a low-budget independent feature made over 50 years ago remains one of the most influential.

10 It Was Filmed Outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

George Romero developed the movie and co-wrote the script with his friend John Russo. Romero graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and he decided to film Night of the Living Dead in the surrounding area. The filming took place between June and December 1967.

Romero and Russo chose remote locations. Most of the scenes were shot outside Pittsburgh in Bulter County, specifically around Evans City. The Evans City Cemetary and connected chapel are featured. The house where the characters defend themselves from the undead was set for demolition, giving the crew free rein to alter it as needed.

9 It Is George Romero’s First Feature Film

Romero worked on short films and commercials before starting his own production company with nine friends in the late 1960s: Image Ten Productions. Through Image Ten, Romero made Night of the Living Dead a reality.

Romero and Russo originally wanted to write a horror-comedy called Monster Flick, but after a few rewrites, they decided to focus on undead corpses referred to as ghouls in the movie.

8 Romero Chose To Shoot It On 35 mm Black-And-White Film

Night of the Living Dead is known for its stylized black-and-white cinematographic style. Believe it or not, Romero’s choice to shoot it on colorless 35 mm film came out of necessity. It’s what he could afford.

The use of 35 mm black-and-white film gives Night of the Living Dead a tense, on-the-ground, documentary approach. Watching the movie feels like watching old newsreels. Romero’s use of grainy 35 mm also inspired the dirty look and feel of subsequent exploitation movies.

7 Duane Jones Is The First Black Actor Cast As The Main Character In A Horror Movie

Romero and Russo did not write the script with a black actor in mind for the lead. When Duane Jones was cast as Ben, the pair decided upon him because he gave the best performance.

Night of the Living Dead is Jones’s first feature film, and it also marks the first time a black actor was cast as the lead in a horror movie. Jones would go on to star in another cult horror film: 1973’s Ganja & Hess.

6 Jones Reworked Much Of His Character’s Dialogue

In the script, Duane Jones’s character Ben is described as a working-class truck driver. Jones was not happy with this, ultimately working with Romero and Russo to make his character more educated and articulate.

Jones himself was a former university professor, and he updated Ben’s dialogue to transform him into a different character.

5 The Movie Is Inspired By Richard Matheson’s Novel I Am Legend

Richard Matheson’s influential 1954 novel I Am Legend was a major source of inspiration for Romero and Russo when they wrote the script for Night of the Living Dead. Set in Los Angeles, the novel focuses on a virus that turns those infected into vampire-like creatures who feed on others.

Matheson eventually watched the film, but he wasn’t too excited about the adaptation. Matheson told an interviewer he found it “kind of cornball.”

4 The Crew Used Chocolate Syrup To Simulate Blood

Night of the Living Dead is one of the earliest films to employ excessive gore. In graphic detail, the movie shows zombies consuming people. In order to achieve these effects on a tight budget, the crew cut a lot of corners.

For instance, filming in black-and-white allowed the crew to use Bosco brand chocolate syrup in lieu of fake blood. They also relied on donated ham and entrails from a local butcher shop.

3 Mortician’s Wax Was Used For Wounds And Decaying Flesh

Marilyn Eastman supervised Night of the Living Dead‘s special effects. Some of the undead makeup consisted of white foundation and darkened eyes, but mortician’s wax was used for wounds and decaying flesh.

The costumes for the cast all came from either thrift stores or personal collections. The budget for these props was minimal.

2 The Final, Gory Cut Debuted In Theatres Before MPAA Ratings Went Into Effect

Night of the Living Dead premiered as a Saturday matinee in Pittsburgh on October 1, 1968. One month later, the now-standard MPAA ratings went into effect. In that small window of time, though, the film was accessible on the big screen for all ages.

Because of this, the movie garnered a lot of negative criticism and outrage from parents. Robert Ebert wrote about watching the movie with children under 10-years-old terrified and crying around him.

1 It Earned 250 Times Its Budget

Night of the Living Dead was made with a modest $114,000 raised by Image Ten Productions. In its initial run, it grossed $12 million within the US and $18 million worldwide. This is 250 times its budget.

In total, Night of the Living Dead‘s box office revenue reaches $30 million. The movie also spawned five sequels and a number of remakes.

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