The Last Man on Earth (1964)

Director:

Ubaldo Ragona
(more)

Writers:

William F. Leicester (screenplay) and
Richard Matheson (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

8 March 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

By night they leave their graves, crawling, shambling, through empty streets, whimpering, pleading, begging for his blood!

Plot:

When a disease turns all of humanity into the living dead, the last man on earth becomes a reluctant vampire hunter.

Plot Keywords:

Plague | Night | Disease | Vampire | Survivor

Cast

Vincent Price	...	Dr. Robert Morgan
Franca Bettoia	...	Ruth Collins
Emma Danieli	...	Virginia Morgan
Giacomo Rossi-Stuart	...	Ben Cortman
Umberto Raho	...	Dr. Mercer (as Umberto Rau)
Christi Courtland	...	Kathy Morgan
Antonio Corevi	...	Governor (as Tony Corevi)
Ettore Ribotta	...	TV Reporter (as Hector Ribotta)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Carolyn De Fonseca	...	Ruth Collins (voice) (uncredited)
Rolando De Rossi	...	(uncredited)
Giuseppe Mattei	...	New People Leader (uncredited)

Directed by
Ubaldo Ragona		(Italian prints) (as Ubaldo B. Ragona)
Sidney Salkow		(uncredited in Italian prints)

Writing credits
William F. Leicester		(screenplay) and
Richard Matheson		(screenplay) (as Logan Swanson)
Richard Matheson		(novel "I Am Legend")
Furio M. Monetti		screenplay
Ubaldo Ragona		screenplay (as Ubaldo B. Ragona)

Produced by
Samuel Z. Arkoff	....	executive producer
Harold E. Knox	....	associate producer
Robert L. Lippert	....	producer

Original Music by
Paul Sawtell
Bert Shefter

Cinematography by
Franco Delli Colli

Film Editing by
Gene Ruggiero
Franca Silvi

Production Design by
Giorgio Giovannini

Set Decoration by
Brunello Serena Ulloa

Costume Design by
Angiolina Menichelli		(as Lilly Menichelli)

Makeup Department
Piero Mecacci	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Lionello Meucci	....	assistant production manager
Vico Vaccaro	....	production manager
Luciano Volpato	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Carlo Grandone	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Enzo Silvestri	....	sound engineer
Armando Timpani	....	sound recordist
Bruno Zanoli	....	boom operator

Camera and Electrical Department
Alfonso Avincola	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Angelo Lannutti	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Alvaro Lanzoni	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Renato Pedrini	....	chief electrician (uncredited)
Federico Tocci	....	key grip (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Carmen Frosali	....	wardrobe mistress (uncredited)

Music Department
Alfonso D'Artega	....	orchestrator
Norman B. Schwartz	....	music editor (as Norman Schwartz)

Other crew
Rita Agostini	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Franco Rispoli	....	production secretary (uncredited)
Ermete Santini	....	production secretary (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Produzioni La Regina
• Associated Producers (API) (co-production)

Distributors

• American International Pictures (AIP) (1964) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (1964) (Mexico) (theatrical)
• Astral Films (1964) (Canada) (theatrical)
• VCI Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• Tapeworm Video Distributors (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Sinister Cinema (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• VCI Home Video (1997) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan)
• Diamond Entertainment Group (DEG) (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• BFS Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2004) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• St. Clair Vision (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Clint Hickman Productions (2005-????) (worldwide) (all media) (3D version)
• Epcott (2005) (Japan) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (VHS)
• Madacy Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2005) (USA) (VHS)
• Siren Visual Entertainment (2006) (New Zealand) (DVD)
• Forward (2007) (Japan) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2007) (USA) (all media)
• Legend Films (2008) (worldwide) (DVD)
• Ripley's Home Video (2008) (Italy) (DVD)
• American-International Television (AIP-TV) (????) (USA) (TV) (syndication)
• Liberty Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Something Weird Video (SWV) (199?) (USA) (VHS)
• Synergy Entertainment (2007) (worldwide) (DVD) (DVD-R)

Other Companies

• Clint Hickman Productions  3D process
• Legend Films  colorization
• Legend Films  restoration
• Screen Time Images  audio restoration
• Screen Time Images  film restoration

Also Known As:

"The Damned Walk at Midnight" - USA (alternative title)

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

Italy | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:Unrated | UK:PG (2007) | UK:X (1966) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Finland:K-18 (self applied) (2007) | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

E.U.R., Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Produzioni La Regina

Trivia:

K0KW was the amateur (HAM) radio call sign used when Price was transmitting on the radio. The call sign does exist but is not listed to "The Last Man on Earth".

Goofs:

Continuity: When Robert Morgan is dumping bodies into the city dump, in the long shot, he has a '56 Chevy. The next time it cuts to a long shot, it is a '58 Ford.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Robert Morgan:Another day to live through. Better get started.

Movie Connections:

Featured in More Brains! A Return to the Living Dead (2011) (V)

Vincent Price is Legend!!

I'm not sure why this film is as underrated as it is. This is an amazing, depressing and in many ways brilliant film based on the Richard Matheson classic novel "I Am Legend". Vincent Price effectively conveys the terror and despair of being the last living man on an Earth that is now overrun with vampires and/or zombies. The depiction of Price's day to day bleak existence is a moving and powerful thing to behold and the continual menace of the hordes of zombies is creepy in the same way as was later depicted in "Night of the Living Dead". In fact, as noted by others here, one can not watch the scenes where the zombies lay siege to Price's boarded up house and attack his car without recognizing how close these scenes would later be copied by George Romero in his classic zombie films. If you are a fan of horror film history or just looking for a classic and unique film with an interesting story, track down this lost gem.