Judith O'Dea (born April 20, 1945) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Barbra Blair in the 1968 George A. Romero film Night of the Living Dead.

Career

In addition to her signature role, O'Dea has appeared in the television movie The Pirate in the 1970s. She later took a break from acting to focus on raising her family.

In the new century, O'Dea returned to acting in several low budget horror films including the filmsClaustrophobia, Evil Deeds, October Moon and Women's Studies. She also returned to the Barbra role for the upcoming Night of the Living Dead: Genesis.

O'Dea owns and operates O'Dea Communications, a firm which deals in oral communications training.

Filmography

References

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Night of the Living Dead is a 1968 American independent zombie horror film, directed by George A. Romero, starring Duane Jones and Judith O'Dea. It premiered on October 1, 1968, and was completed on a $114,000 budget. The film became a financial success, grossing $12 million domestically and $18 million internationally. It has been a cult classic ever since. Night of the Living Dead was heavily criticized at its release for its explicit gore. It eventually garnered critical acclaim and has been selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry, as a film deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

The story follows characters Ben (Jones), Barbra (O'Dea), and five others trapped in a rural farmhouse in Western Pennsylvania, which is attacked by a large and growing group of unnamed "living dead" monsters drawing on earlier depictions in popular culture of zombies, which has led this type of creature to be referred to most popularly as a zombie. This is the most easily recognized version of the living dead, to the point where people gather in mass quantities for conventions dressed as zombies, complete with makeup and prosthetic limbs. Night of the Living Dead led to five subsequent films between 1978 and 2010, also directed by Romero, and has inspired several remakes.

Night of the Living Dead is a series of seven zombie horror films written and directed by George A. Romero and Cameron Romero beginning with the 1968 film Night of the Living Dead written by Romero and John A. Russo. The loosely connected franchise predominantly centers on different groups of people attempting to survive during the outbreak and evolution of a zombie apocalypse. The latest installment of the series, Survival of the Dead, was released in 2009, with Origins, a prequel film written and directed by Cameron Romero in the works.

History

After Night of the Living Dead's initial success, the two creators split in disagreement regarding where the series should head, and since the film was in the public domain, each were able to do what they liked with the continuity of their projects. Romero went on to direct five additional Dead films, while Russo branched into literary territory, writing Return of the Living Dead, which was later loosely adapted into a film of the same name and have its own franchise, and Escape of the Living Dead.

Night of the Living Dead is a 1990 American horror film directed by Tom Savini and starring Tony Todd, Patricia Tallman and Tom Towles. It is a remake of George A. Romero's 1968 horror film of the same name. Romero rewrote the original 1968 screenplay co-authored by John A. Russo.

Plot

Siblings Barbara and Johnnie visit their mother's grave in a remote Pennsylvania cemetery. During their visit, Barbara is attacked by a zombie. Her brother comes to her defense but is killed. Barbara flees the cemetery and discovers what at first seems to be an abandoned farmhouse. She seeks shelter there, only to find another pack of zombies. Shortly after, a man named Ben arrives, and the two clear the house of the dead and begin the process of barricading the doors and windows.

They discover other survivors who have been hiding in the cellar of the house: Harry Cooper, a loud and argumentative husband; his wife Helen; their daughter Sarah, who was bitten by a zombie and has fallen seriously ill; teenager Tom Bitner and his girlfriend Judy Rose Larson. The group is divided over what their next course of action should be. Harry believes everyone should retreat to the cellar and barricade the door to wait for the authorities. Ben thinks the cellar is a "death trap" and that they would be better served fortifying the house, which at least has alternate escape routes, and Barbara suggests that the group should simply leave the house on foot after she notices the zombies' limited mobility. An argument between Ben and Harry leaves the Coopers in the basement to tend to their ailing daughter, and the remaining members remain upstairs to continue their work reinforcing the doors and windows. The loud construction attracts even more zombies to the farmhouse, soon collecting a large mob.

Night of the Living Dead may refer to:

Film

Literature