The Crazies [1973]

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1973
Running Times: 103 mins
Format: colour 16mm [blown up to 35mm]
Ratio: 1.37:1
Sound: mono

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Pittsburgh Films
Producer: A.C. Croft
Production Co-Ordinator: Edith Bell
Production Managers: Bob Rutowski, H. Cramer Riblett, Vince Survinski

SCRIPT
Script: George A. Romero
Story: Paul McCollough

DIRECTION
Director: George A. Romero

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: S. William Hinzman

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Post Production Co-Ordinator: Bob Rutowski
Editor: George A. Romero

MUSIC
Music: Bruce Roberts

SOUND
Sound Recording: Rex Gleeson, John Stoll
Sound Technicians: Eric Baga, Michael Gornick

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Carroll's Make Up: Doris Dodds

MISCELLANEOUS
Continuity: Bonnie Hinzman
Technical Advisor: Barry J. Rosenbaum

LOCATIONS
Locations: Evans City, Pennsylvania, USA; Zelienople, Pennsylvania, USA

CAST
Lane Carroll [Judy]
W.G. McMillan [David]
Harold Wayne Jones [Crank]
Lloyd Hollar [Colonel Peckham]
Lynn Lowry [Kathy]
Richard Liberty [Artie]
Richard France [Watts]
Harry Spillman [Major Ryder]
Will Disney [Dr Brookmire]
Edith Bell [lab technician]
W.L. Thurnhurst Jr [Brubacker]
Leland Starnes [Shelby]
A.C. MacDonald [General Bowen]
Robert J. McCully [Hawks]
Robert Karlowsky [Sheriff Cooper]
Ned Schmidtke [Sergeant Tragesser]
Tony Scott [Deputy Shade]
Roy Cheverie [army doctor]
Jack Zaharia [priest]
Stephen Liska
David Meek
Roger Brown
Kim Smith
Billy Hinzman
Richard Lewicki
William C. Kennedy
MaLynda Parker
Walton Cook
Peg Tilbrook
Vince Survinski
Norman Chase
Ross Harris

A military aircraft crashes into the water supply of Evan's City, Pennsylvania, infecting the inhabitants with the biological weapon, Trixie, that it was carrying. The townspeople are soon driven to murderous rages and the military have the town under a tight cordon. But the situation is soon out of control and Trixie is about to spread to neighbouring towns...

Somewhat undervalued and too-often in the shadow of Romero's Living Dead trilogy, The Crazies is pretty much a colour remake of the seminal Night of the Living Dead [1968], but is none the less effective for all that. The sense of a situation rapidly running out of control is well handled and the tension is often almost unbearable. There are a few dubious performances, but generally the acting is impressive and the downbeat finale, which again highlights one of Romero's favoured themes - that of human stupidity leading to unimaginable tragedy - is well nigh perfect.

UK
Video Distributors: Hello; Redemption [RETN 043]

USA
Theatrical Distributors: Cambist; Lee Hessel
Video Distributor: Anchor Bay Entertainment Inc

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Australia
Rating: M

Germany
Rating: 18

UK
Rating: 18

USA
Rating: R

1973
March
16: USA - theatrical release

2001
December
29: UK - television broadcast [on Channel Four]

2004
January
2: UK - television broadcast [on Channel Four]

Why are the good people dying?

A biological civil war.

Code Name: Trixie
The Mad People
Kaikki saastuneet tuhotaan - Finnish title
La cittą verrą distrutta all'alba - Italian title

SEE ALSO
The Alpha Incident [1977]
Dawn of the Dead [1978]
Day of the Dead [1985]
Night of the Living Dead [1968]

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
The American Nightmare [2000]

MAGAZINES

Cinefantastique vol.5 no.2 [Autumn 1976] p.33 [USA]
illustrated credits, review [by Jeffrey Frentzen]

Empire no.171 [September 2003] p.149 [UK]
DVD review

Films and Filming vol.24 no.7 [April 1978] pp.41-42 [UK]
credits, review [by Gordon Gow]

Films in Review no.24 [May 1973] p.306
review [by Roy Frumkes]

Flesh and Blood no.3 [1994] p.15 [UK]
illustrated note

Halls of Horror no.27 p.19 [UK]
note

Interview no.32 [May 1973] p.36 [USA]
interview

Monthly Film Bulletin vol.45 no.530 pp.42-43 [UK]
credits, synopsis, review

Monthly Film Bulletin vol.45 no.538 [November 1978] p.230 [UK]
note

Premiere vol.16 no.11 [July / August 2003 pp.109-111 [USA]
DVD review

Sight and Sound vol.4 no.11 [November 1994] p.62 [UK]
video review [by Peter Dean]

Sight and Sound vol.13 no.9 [September 2003] p.67 [UK]
DVD review

Take One vol.4 no.6 [July / August 1973] pp.8-10 [Canada]
illustrated article [A Pittsburgh Horror Story by Paul McCollough]

Time Out no.410 [10 February 1978] p.35 [UK]
illustrated review [by Tony Rayns]

Time Out no.441 [29 September 1978] p.59 [UK]
cinema listing

Variety 24 January 1973 p.18 [USA]
credits, synopsis, review

Video Watchdog no.54 [1999] pp.22-34 [USA]
illustrated DVD and video reviews

BOOKS

Hoffman's Guide to SF, Horror and Fantasy Movies 1991 - 1992 p.80
credits, review

Reference Guide to Fantastic Films p.77
credits

KEYWORDS

biological weapons, insanity, military, air crashes, viruses, germ warfare, plagues, paranoia, quarantines