The Crazies (1973)

Director:

George A. Romero

Writers:

Paul McCollough (screenplay)
George A. Romero (screenplay)

Release Date:

16 March 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Horror | Thriller | Drama | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

All hell is about to break loose.

Plot:

The military attempts to contain a manmade combat virus that causes death and permanent insanity in those infected, as it overtakes a small Pennsylvania town.

Plot Keywords:

Pennsylvania | Murder | Virus | Military | Shot In The Stomach

Cast

Lane Carroll	...	Judy
Will MacMillan	...	David (as W.G. McMillan)
Harold Wayne Jones	...	Clank
Lloyd Hollar	...	Col. Peckem
Lynn Lowry	...	Kathy
Richard Liberty	...	Artie
Richard France	...	Dr. Watts
Harry Spillman	...	Maj. Ryder
Will Disney	...	Dr. Brookmyre
Edith Bell	...	Lab. Technician
Bill Thunhurst	...	Brubaker (as W.L. Thunhurst Jr.)
Leland Starnes	...	Shelby
A.C. McDonald	...	Gen. Bowen (as A.C. MacDonald)
Robert J. McCully	...	Hawks
Robert Karlowsky	...	Sheriff Cooper
Ned Schmidtke	...	Sgt. Tragesser
Tony Scott	...	Deputy Shade
Roy Cheverie	...	Army Doctor
Jack Zaharia	...	Priest
Stephen Liska	...	#1 Soldier at house
David Meek	...	#2 Soldier at house
Roger Aaron Brown	...	#3 Soldier at house (as Roger Brown)
Kim Smith
S. William Hinzman	...	Crazie shooting at doctor's office (as Billy Hinzman)
Richard Lewicki	...	Crazie shooting at soldiers
William C. Kennedy	...	Crazie, Mr. Deary
MaLynda Parker
Walton Cook	...	Fire Chief
Peg Tilbrook	...	Old Lady Crazie
Vincent D. Survinski	...	Fireman (as Vince Survinski)
Norman Chase	...	Crazie, Frank Winson
Ross Harris
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bonnie Hinzman	...	Woman running out of church (uncredited)
George A. Romero	...	Extra at Dance / High School Infirmary (uncredited)
Regis Survinski	...	Crazie father burning his house (uncredited)

Directed by
George A. Romero

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Paul McCollough		screenplay
George A. Romero		screenplay

Produced by
A.C. Croft	....	producer
Margaret Walsh	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Bruce Roberts

Cinematography by
S. William Hinzman		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
George A. Romero

Makeup Department
Doris Dodds	....	makeup artist: Miss Carroll
Gloria Natale	....	makeup consultant
Bonnie Priore	....	makeup artist

Production Management
H. Cramer Riblett	....	production manager
Bob Rutkowski	....	production manager
Vincent D. Survinski	....	production manager (as Vince Survinski)

Sound Department
Eric Baca	....	sound technician
Rex Gleason	....	sound recordist (as Rex Gleeson)
Michael Gornick	....	sound technician
John Stoll	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Tony Pantanella	....	special effects (as Tony Pantanello)
Regis Survinski	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
John Atkinson	....	grip
John Fitzpatrick	....	assistant camera
Robert Karlowsky	....	grip
David Meek	....	grip

Editorial Department
Joe Colazzi	....	assistant to editor
Bob Rutkowski	....	post-production coordinator

Music Department
Carole Bayer Sager	....	composer: song "Heaven Help Us"
Melissa Manchester	....	composer: theme song "Heaven Help Us"
Stephen Metz	....	musical director

Other crew
Edith Bell	....	production coordinator
Col. Bernard Garred	....	military advisor (as Col. Bernard Garred, Ret.)
Lee Hessel	....	presenter
Bonnie Hinzman	....	script girl
Barry J. Rosenbaum	....	medical advisor (as Barry J. Rosenbaum, M.D.)

Production Companies

• Pittsburgh Films

Distributors

• Cambist Films (1973) (USA) (theatrical)
• Libra Films (1976) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (UK) (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Anolis Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Blue Underground (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Cinépix Film Properties (CFP) (Canada)
• Filmfreak Distributie (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Transvídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Vista Home Video (I) (1986) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Citizens and Officials of Evans City, PA, The  our thanks for their help and cooperation (as the citizens and officials of Evans City, Pa.)
• Citizens and Officials of Zelienople, PA, The  our thanks for their help and cooperation (as the citizens and officials of Zelienople, Pa.)
• Latent Image  produced through the facilities of (as The Latent Image, Inc., Pittsburgh)
• Movielab  color by
• Victrix Productions  special thanks

Also Known As:

Code Name: Trixie
The Mad People

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Germany:16 (re-rating) (2005) | Iceland:16 | Finland:(Banned) (cut) | Finland:K-16 (cut) | Australia:M | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Evans City, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Pittsburgh Films

Trivia:

Director George A. Romero makes two cameos in the film; the first as a local being herded into the high school and the second as the head of the president of the United States seen on a monitor screen.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: During the scene at the fire, a Sherrif's Deputy remarks there are road blocks on the on ramps to Interstate-80. I-80 is over fifty miles north of Evans Mills and would be far out side the perimeter the army set up.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "TCM Underground: Night of the Living Dead/The Crazies (#1.3)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Heaven Help Us

Good Romero Movie

The people in a small town in PA are exposed to a virus in their drinking water from the crash of a military plane. The virus is experimental germ warfare crated by the arming that will either cause its victims to die or go insane. Shortly after the start of the movie the military invades the town and puts it onto quarantine. The job of the military is to round up the townspeople and bring them into the town school. Also, scientists are brought in to look for a cure for the virus.

You can definitely tell Romero directed it because the movie tries to focus on the people more than the situation. Romero did a great job in building the viewers sympathy for the townspeople. You can also tell this movie was created during the turmoil of Vietnam because the soldiers are portrayed as somewhat of the enemy. I say somewhat the enemy because their main duty is to quarantine the town and keep the virus from being a nationwide epidemic. As the chaos gets worse more and more townspeople get shot as apposed to being detained.

Romero seems to always deliver big on the opening scene. In The Crazies he starts you out with a very chaotic situation. It does a great job setting the tone for the film.

What this movie does well is keep the chaos going. The movie is shot with very quick scenes and jumps back and forth a lot between military and townspeople. I also thought the ending was well done.

On the negative side the drumming gets a little bit annoying after a while. Each time they cut back to the high school you get military drumming. Also, some of the acting got a little too over the top.

Overall, this is a fine movie and a must see for Romero fans. It is not as good as his first three "Dead" movies, but it is still a very solid film.