The Crazies (1973)

Director:

George A. Romero

Writers:

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

Release Date:

16 March 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Horror | Thriller

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:

Virus | Insanity | Pennsylvania | Scientist | Cure

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
Stephen Metz	....	musical director

Other crew
Edith Bell	....	production coordinator
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)
• Vista Home Video (I) (1986) (USA) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Blue Underground (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (UK) (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• Filmfreak Distributie (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Anolis Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Blue Underground (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Cinépix Film Properties (CFP) (Canada)
• Transvídeo (Brazil) (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:

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:K-16 (1989) | Finland:K-18 (1985) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Sweden:18 (VHS rating) | Italy:VM14 | Australia:M | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Butler County, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Pittsburgh Films

Trivia:

Edith Bell, who plays the lab tech., is the wife of the film's presenter Lee Hessel.

Goofs:

Factual errors: It is stated repeatedly that the pathogen is a virus, but several references are made to it being a "bacteriological" weapon, as if viral infections and bacterial infections are the same thing. The female lead also takes an antibiotic that slows her response to the pathogen, but antibiotics are for bacteria and wouldn't help against a virus.

Quotes:

Army Doctor:Okay, Colonel Peckem, last test is negative. You're all clean, virus free. We can sign you out. The helicopter will be arriving in a few minutes.
Col. Peckem:Any news from Deitrich?
Army Doctor:They're sending a new man from the Trixie project to take over as Dr. Watts' replacement. He should be here in the morning. If only we knew what Watts was working on. We checked the slides he left behind in his microscope and his notes, but we can't make heads or tails out of any of it. He was onto something, we know that. We'll dope it out sooner or later.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Dead Will Walk (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

Heaven Help Us

Mass hysteria at its most intense

Just in case some stubborn people are still questioning George A. Romero's talent after his 1968 milestone "Night of the Living Dead", we hereby present "The Crazies"! Once again a film stuffed with subtle criticism on society and pitch black humor. "The Crazies" immediately demands your full attention with a powerful pre-credits opening sequence and the high-excitement level is upheld throughout the entire movie. The little Pennsylvanian town of Evans City is overcome with a secret, but very lethal, government virus leaving the infected either dead or incurably insane. "Trixie" initially was developed as a chemical weapon, so not one of the scientists or army officers know how to put a stop to it when innocent people are exposed to it. The simple plot and cheap elaboration are excellently camouflaged by Romero's sharp eye for detail. Right from the start, he builds up a tense atmosphere of truly realistic mass hysteria that confuses even you – the viewer – in not knowing which characters are infected and which aren't. They could all simply be trigger-happy Pennsylvanian hillbillies for all we know! Although this film never really becomes "disturbing", there are quite a few scenes that shock and that feel strangely real. You could also state "The Crazies" was quite ahead of its time because chemical warfare is much more in the picture now than it was 30 years ago, when this film got shot. Romero's premise is simple but efficient: the malfunctioning and greed of the human race is much scarier than any fictional horror monster could ever be. Best example is the military men who become eerie and threatening in their icky white suits.