Secret History of Latinos: George Romero*

Well, slap me silly and call me Gertrudis. I just found out George Romero is half-Cuban!

I knew the zombie king (and the one responsible for introducing racial critique into the genre) was from the Bronx, but it never occurred to me he was one of the tribe. I always figured the name Romero was Italian. (Though this other Cuban Romero shoulda tipped me off).

In a NY Daily News interview, he talks about wanting to hit Havana, especially now that as a Canadian resident, he can do so legally. Romero's teen memories of pre-revolutionary Cuba are the usual: "It was beautiful. I remember my uncle used to give me cigars and take me to nightclubs."

I'm imagining him making a Cuban zombie movie, with black market vivos and [email protected] fighting the encroaching gringo and Euro tourists. Anti-Castroites would likely cast el viejo as the zombie-in-chief. Or maybe he could do an update of that Caribbean zombie classic, I Walked with a Zombie. The possibilities are rich. In the meantime, check my favorite Cuban vampire movie, Vampiros en la Habana.

[*Apologies to my bud at KenBurnsHatesMexicans.com for borrowing his concept. George Romero photo by Sancetta/AP via NYDN]

Comments

[Kiko Jones]

So, Cesar Romero really was gay? Must've missed the memo...

[Caro]

If you read the account, you see there was no memo to get. Though how much gayer could the Joker have been???

[Kiko Jones]

Yeah, I knew about rumors during his lifetime but it wasn't until--sparked by your post--I read some other material that stated it was confirmed after his passing with the publication of interviews late in his life where Romero comes out.

And of course, his Joker seems quite gay to me now, but as a little kid I had no clue.