The cult classic “Night of the Living Dead,” filmed in and around Western Pennsylvania, was one of the highest grossing films in 1968 and helped to revolutionize the horror movie genre.

The film’s director and producer, George Romero, and his business partners John Russo and Russell Streiner wanted to create a horror film. Mr. Russo and Mr. Romero wrote two drafts of the script, but Mr. Romero’s third draft — which featured reanimated human corpses terrorizing a farmhouse in rural Pennsylvania — was used for the film. While Mr. Romero described these living corpses as “ghouls,” fans of the movie would later call them “zombies,” despite the fact that the term was never mentioned.

Most of the scenes in “Night of the Living Dead,” shot in 35 millimeter black and white film, were filmed in and around Evans City, about 30 miles north of Pittsburgh in rural Butler County.

With a small budget just over $100,000, Mr. Romero utilized simple props and tricks to create the movie’s gory special effects. For example, the blood was Bosco Chocolate Syrup and the consumed human flesh was roasted ham donated by a local butcher.

“Night of the Living Dead” premiered Oct. 1, 1968, at the Fulton Theater (today’s Byham Theater) in Downtown Pittsburgh and eventually grossed $12 million domestically and $18 million internationally.

“Night of the Living Dead” remains an influential film, as TV shows such as “The Walking Dead” and movies such as “Warm Bodies” help to carry on the zombie legacy created in Western Pennsylvania.

Visitors to Heinz History Center can see Mr. Romero’s director chair in “Pittsburgh: A Tradition of Innovation.” Information: www.heinzhistorycenter.org.

First Published: January 15, 2015, 5:00 a.m.