31 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS WITH DAWN OF THE DEAD: DAY 6

Today's post features another one of my infamous shot re-creation and comparisons. This one features a photo of George Romero and Dario Argento visiting the Monroeville Mall before the filming of DAWN OF THE DEAD. Although this is only assumed, because I have never found a date for this photo. George looks younger here than how he looked when he made the movie, that’s the reason that I think it’s from before the filming of the movie. Argento had only visited once during the filming of the movie and George had a full beard at that time. I’ll post a picture from that day below. In case you don’t know, Dario Argento and Italian investors provided the majority of the money that was gathered to produce DAWN OF THE DEAD. This is the reason that Argento made several visits to the mall and became involved with Romero and DAWN OF THE DEAD. 

Looking at these two pictures you can of course match the marble columns in the picture, especially the one in the far back right of each picture. You can see the pattern on the marble pretty clear on that column, it sort of looks like a mad face, you can see that this is the same spot all these years later, and that this is the spot where a young Argento and Romero once stood. To the immediate right of this photo, out of frame, is where the George Romero memorial bust is located in the mall in Romero Court. In the modern day mall, there is a small tribute area to DAWN OF THE DEAD where there is a framed copy of the original photo above. It’s tucked away on the upper level in front of the mall, beside Macy’s, at the mall entrance there, on the right, as soon as you enter the building. I’ll include a picture of that area below also. 

Each day this month I will be showing you something cool, rare, or even noteworthy concerning DAWN OF THE DEAD as a Christmas Present to the fans from me. I hope that you are enjoying this holiday look at DAWN OF THE DEAD.

Seen here is Dario Argento during his only visit to the set of DAWN OF THE DEAD during it's filming. Pictured from left to right are: Dario Argento, George Romero, Michael Gornick, and Richard Rubinstein.

The tribute area in the Monroeville Mall.