<P> Although the film is regarded as one of the launching pads for the modern zombie movie, the screenplay itself never uses the word . In fact, Romero would later confess that he felt the film's antagonists were distinct enough from Haitian zombies that they were "something completely new" with Romero actively avoiding any similarities between the two creatures although he notes that he may have subtly been inspired by them . </P> <P> The lead role was originally written for someone of Caucasian descent, but upon casting African - American actor Duane Jones, Romero intentionally did not alter the script to reflect this . Asked in 2013, if he took inspiration from the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. that same year, Romero responded in the negative noting that he only heard about the shooting when he was on his way to find distribution for the finished film . </P> <P> The small budget dictated much of the production process . According to Hardman, "We knew that we could not raise enough money to shoot a film on a par with the classic horror films with which we had all grown up . The best that we could do was to place our cast in a remote spot and then bring the horror to be visited on them in that spot". Scenes were filmed near Evans City, Pennsylvania, 30 miles (48 km) north of Pittsburgh in rural Butler County; the opening sequence was shot at the Evans City Cemetery on Franklin Road, south of the borough . The interior upstairs scenes were filmed in a downtown Evans City home that later became the offices of a prominent local physician and family doctor (Allsop). This home is still standing on South Washington St. (locally called Mars - Evans City Road), between the intersecting streets of South Jackson and Van Buren . The cemetery chapel was under warrant for demolition; however, Gary R. Steiner led a successful effort to raise $50,000 to restore the building, and the chapel is currently undergoing renovations . </P> <P> The outdoor, indoor (downstairs) and basement scenes were filmed at a location northeast of Evans City, near a park . The basement door (external view) shown in the film was cut into a wall by the production team and led nowhere . As this house was scheduled for demolition, damage during filming was permitted . The site is now a turf farm . </P>

Where was the original night of the living dead filmed