This Week in Fright Film History October 1 - 7, 2017

George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead (1959) premiered at the Fulton Theatre in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on October 1, 1968, admission by invitation only and was met with a standing ovation.Night of the Living Dead (1968) was George A. Romero's feature debut and became one of the most successful independent films ever made.

The Brute Man (1946) an American horror film starring Rondo Hatton, Tom Neal and Jan Wiley and directed by Jean Yarbrough was released on October 1, 1946 to very negative reviews. Rondo Hatton suffered from a condition called Gigantism and Universal Studios attempting to capitalize on his condition for shock value, signed Hatton on for a six movie contract. The studio publicity department would often promote the fact that Hatton had no need for special makeup. Unfortunately Hatton died before the release of The Brute Man (1946).  Some film historians claim Universal was so embarrassed at exploiting Hatton’s illness for shock value that it sold the film to the Producers Releasing Corporation rather than issue it directly. Once considered a lost film it has been rediscovered and was released to home video in 1982.

Tod Browning, best known as the director of Dracula (1931), Freaks (1932) and a number of classic silent films with Lon Chaney, died from lung cancer on October 6, 1962, he was 82.

Edgar Allan Poe, an American author, poet, editor, and literary critic, best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, died on October 7, 1849 under mysterious

circumstances. The actual cause of his death still remains a mystery.