George A. Romero is basically a legend and a hero to the horror community. While some of his later films may have fallen a bit flat (I’m looking at you Survival of the Dead), it’s impossible to deny that his early works shaped and transformed the genre. Night of the Living Dead is an enduring classic that pioneered the zombie genre as we know it today and its sequel Dawn of the Dead is still one of the greatest horror movies ever released. But did you know that Romero’s first major production was for a series that is as far from horror as you can possibly get?
Back in the mid-60’s, Romero explains that his first big break was on the CBC children’s show “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood”, where he was assigned the task of putting together segments for the “Picture, Picture” portion of the show. Romero explains these segments, “…after Fred had hung up his sweater and fed the fish, he would ask his trolley to bring a new episode of “Picture, Picture”. A screen would open, the studio camera would push in, and a short film would be blue-screened.”
The purpose here was to expose children, usually around four-years-old, to various topics that may come up. It would explain various curiosities, such as how lightbulbs were manufactured, things with wheels, etc…, while also sometimes delving into the world of childhood fears and how adults had to endure them as well. Romero filmed several of these but it was the latter concept that proved to be the most memorable as he had to shoot “Mr. Rogers Gets a Tonsillectomy”, which he states unequivocally, “…is the scariest film I’ve ever made.” However, he quickly admits that it’s a joke and that the reason he dubs it so was because, “…I was scared shitless while I was trying to pull it off.”
What’s all the more heartwarming about this story is that Romero talks of how supportive Rogers was in his future endeavors, including his horror films. “He loved the film. He came and loved it. He was always a huge supporter over the years,” Romero told the Montreal Gazette.
While Rogers enjoyed Romero’s films, he was a bit steadfast about keeping their two worlds somewhat separate. “I originally wanted a local actress named Betty Aberlin, who was Lady Aberlin on ‘Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood’. He wouldn’t allow that. I originally wanted to use her in the role of Barbra and Fred put his foot down and said no,” Romero told the site. But all of that was water under the bridge for both of them.
He was a beautiful guy. He was the sweetest man I ever knew. What you see is what you get. That was Fred. In some ways he was still 10 years old. He was a wealthy guy, but very dedicated. He was a super wealthy cat — he could have just said “Forget about it.” But he was dedicated to educating kids and telling them “There’s nothing wrong with you. I like you just the way you are.” [Source]
Isn’t that just a delightful story to warm your heart on a cold Monday morning?
