"He's coming to get you, Barbara!" Bill Hinzman dies, again.

[Eve]

From the AP:

Actor Bill Hinzman has died of cancer at 75, horror site Dread Central is reporting. His character, dubbed the Graveyard Zombie, makes an appearance early in the film, staggering towards brother and sister Barbara and Johnny in a cemetery, and killing Johnny. The line, “They’re coming to get you, Barbara” is famously delivered by Johnny just before Hinzman comes after the siblings.

Dread Central had high praise for Hinzman. “Afixture on the convention circuit, Bill was always there with a smile for fans, often appearing in costume as the famed ghoul we all grew up with,” site contributor Uncle Creepy (!) wrote. Hinzman later acted in other horror films, and wrote, produced, edited, directed and starred in 1988’s “Flesh Eater,” in which he appears to play the same zombie from “Night of the Living Dead.” He continued to represent the film that made him famous, even answering questions at a Chicago production of “The Musical of the Living Dead.”

[Renifer]

Talk about one of the most iconic short roles in the history of film. His screen time couldn’t have been more than eight to ten minutes (counting his appearance later with the other zombies who invade the house.)

I wonder how much of the cast is still alive. The little girl would be, most likely, and it isn’t beyond belief that some of the other adults from the film would still be around.

[Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank]

Karl Hardman died back in 2007. He played the father of the little girl (and was her father in real life). Duane Jones, who played Ben, died in the late 80’s. Keith Wayne, who played Tom, died in 1995,just a couple years after I got his autograph at a Con. I should dig out that photograph - It was a group shot, and I think I got everyone’s autograph on it except Duane Jones. I even got George Romero’s, and IIRC, Bill Hinzman’s as well.

I keep waiting for the reporter, “Chilly Billy” Cardille to kick off. He’s like 85 now. Somewhat related, he used to host a Saturday night horror movie program called,* Chiller Theater*, in Pittsburgh, and I remember it fondly.

Chiller Theatre was so popular in Pittsburgh that it kept Saturday Night Live off of its NBC affiliate WIIC in Pittsburgh for four years. Finally giving in to pressure from NBC, Chiller Theater was forced to follow SNL at 1:00 a.m. where it was reduced to a single feature movie program.