Night of the Living Dead: The Mansfield Connection

Former Mansfield professor and administrator John Ulrich will give a talk on Mansfield's connection to the film Night of the Living Dead on Sunday, Oct. 29, at 2 p.m. at the History Center, 61 N. North Main St., Mansfield.  

Ulrich will discuss how Mansfield State College alum Ronald Keith Hartman – a music major and aspiring singer – nabbed a role in Night of the Living Dead (1968), an iconic, hugely influential horror film famous for its graphic portrayal of flesh-eating zombies.

Why did the film’s director, George Romero, consider Hartman to be “our celebrity . . . our showbiz cat”? And why did Hartman choose to perform under the name “Keith Wayne” for what proved to be his only film? All this and more will be revealed at a special History Center Halloween presentation. The presentation will include film clips with brief scenes that some audience members may find mildly gruesome.