The Last Man On Earth (1964)
The Last Man On Earth
Richard Matheson's 1954 novel I Am Legend has been adapted for the big screen three times over the years since it was published. The first adaptation was The Last Man On Earth in 1964 and starred Vincent Price, the second was The Omega Man in 1971 starring Charlton Heston, and the most recent version was I Am Legend in 2007 starring Will Smith. All three versions somewhat follow the same story, of a virus that sweeps over the earth, and the infected turn into vampires, but the hero of the story is somehow immune to the virus. There are various differences between the films, and they all differ from the original novel in someway or another.
The Last Man On Earth released in 1964 is a low budget b-horror film that was directed by Ubaldo Ragona and Sidney Salkow. The screenplay was written by Logan Swanson (Richard Matheson's pseudonym that he used because he wasn't satisfied with the script) and William F. Leicester, the Italian version was written by Furio M. Monetti, and Ubaldo B. Ragona). The reason there was an Italian version of the script is because the film was shot in Italy with a mixed cast and crew of Americans and Italians. The film was distributed by American International Pictures (US), and 20th Century Fox (internationally). The original language for the film is both English and Italian, though for US released versions of the film the Italian dialogue was dubbed into English.
The Last Man On Earth stars Vincent Price as Dr. Robert Morgan and Franca Bettoia as Ruth Collins (though Carolyn De Fonseca did the English dub for the US released). In flashback scenes we see Emma Danieli as Virginia Morgan (Robert's wife), Christi Courtland as Kathy Morgan (Robert's daughter), and Giacomo Rossi Stuart as Ben Cortman (Robert's co-worker and best friend). The film has a minimal cast, most of the other onscreen actors played the "vampires". The only truly memorable cast member was Vincent Price, and much of the dialogue is Vincent Price acting as narrator through telling us his thoughts.
Sadly I haven't seen a quality restored version of the film, since it went into public domain in the 1980s, many of the copies that have been released are poor in quality. The sound quality also seems to be quite poor on many of the DVD copies that are out there, also there is just a lot of eerie silence in the film in general, though the music score that does exist is beautiful. Upon its initial release the film was not a box office hit, though it has become a classic of the post apocalyptic horror genre, and is now a critically acclaimed film. Many critics praise Vincent Price in the film, and even say that it was one of his best rolls. Mathison however felt that Price was miscast for the film, and he thought that it was poorly executed by the director, though he did say it was one of the more faithful adaptations of his novel. The Last Man On Earth also holds a high score on online film review sites like Rotten Tomatoes.
I have always loved this film, and it has always been my favourite adaptation of the film of the I Am Legend novel. I don't know if it is just that I feel like the black and white has a more haunting and creepy vibe to it, or if it just Vincent Price's amazing as he narrates the film, Vincent Price could make the most innocent story sound terrifying by just speaking the lines. The Last Man On Earth is a classic, and a must see film. If you have not yet seen it, I highly recommend checking it out, and since it is public domain it is really easy to find a copy to watch, you can even find it online for free.
The Last Man On Earth released in 1964 is a low budget b-horror film that was directed by Ubaldo Ragona and Sidney Salkow. The screenplay was written by Logan Swanson (Richard Matheson's pseudonym that he used because he wasn't satisfied with the script) and William F. Leicester, the Italian version was written by Furio M. Monetti, and Ubaldo B. Ragona). The reason there was an Italian version of the script is because the film was shot in Italy with a mixed cast and crew of Americans and Italians. The film was distributed by American International Pictures (US), and 20th Century Fox (internationally). The original language for the film is both English and Italian, though for US released versions of the film the Italian dialogue was dubbed into English.
The Last Man On Earth stars Vincent Price as Dr. Robert Morgan and Franca Bettoia as Ruth Collins (though Carolyn De Fonseca did the English dub for the US released). In flashback scenes we see Emma Danieli as Virginia Morgan (Robert's wife), Christi Courtland as Kathy Morgan (Robert's daughter), and Giacomo Rossi Stuart as Ben Cortman (Robert's co-worker and best friend). The film has a minimal cast, most of the other onscreen actors played the "vampires". The only truly memorable cast member was Vincent Price, and much of the dialogue is Vincent Price acting as narrator through telling us his thoughts.
Sadly I haven't seen a quality restored version of the film, since it went into public domain in the 1980s, many of the copies that have been released are poor in quality. The sound quality also seems to be quite poor on many of the DVD copies that are out there, also there is just a lot of eerie silence in the film in general, though the music score that does exist is beautiful. Upon its initial release the film was not a box office hit, though it has become a classic of the post apocalyptic horror genre, and is now a critically acclaimed film. Many critics praise Vincent Price in the film, and even say that it was one of his best rolls. Mathison however felt that Price was miscast for the film, and he thought that it was poorly executed by the director, though he did say it was one of the more faithful adaptations of his novel. The Last Man On Earth also holds a high score on online film review sites like Rotten Tomatoes.
I have always loved this film, and it has always been my favourite adaptation of the film of the I Am Legend novel. I don't know if it is just that I feel like the black and white has a more haunting and creepy vibe to it, or if it just Vincent Price's amazing as he narrates the film, Vincent Price could make the most innocent story sound terrifying by just speaking the lines. The Last Man On Earth is a classic, and a must see film. If you have not yet seen it, I highly recommend checking it out, and since it is public domain it is really easy to find a copy to watch, you can even find it online for free.
Comments
Post a Comment