The Omega Man (1971)

Army doctor Robert Neville struggles to create a cure for the plague that wiped out most of the human race.

Director:

Boris Sagal

Writers:

John William Corrington (screenplay), Joyce Hooper Corrington (screenplay) (as Joyce H. Corrington)

Stars:

Charlton Heston, Anthony Zerbe, Rosalind Cash

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Charlton Heston	...	Neville
Anthony Zerbe	...	Matthias
Rosalind Cash	...	Lisa
Paul Koslo	...	Dutch
Eric Laneuville	...	Richie
Lincoln Kilpatrick	...	Zachary
Jill Giraldi	...	Little Girl
Anna Aries	...	Woman in Cemetery Crypt
Brian Tochi	...	Tommy
DeVeren Bookwalter	...	Family Member (as De Veren Bookwalter)
John Dierkes	...	Family Member
Monika Henreid	...	Family Member
Linda Redfearn	...	Family Member
Forrest Wood	...	Family Member

Storyline

Due to an experimental vaccine, Dr. Robert Neville is the only survivor of an apocalyptic war waged with biological weapons. The plague caused by the war has killed everyone else except for a few hundred deformed, nocturnal people calling themselves "The Family". The plague has caused them to become sensitive to light, as well as homicidally psychotic. They believe science and technology to be the cause of the war and their punishment, and Neville, as the last symbol of science, the old world, and a "user of the wheel", must die. Neville, using electricity, machinery, and science attempts to hold them at bay.

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Plot Keywords:

one man film | abandoned theater | plague | biological weapon | night | 

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Taglines:

The World Is Dead. One Survivor. Then The Others. Crawling In Darkness. The Strangest Sect Of All. *Hunting The Last Man On Earth.*

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Genres:

Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

GP

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 August 1971 (USA)

Also Known As:

I Am Legend

Filming Locations:

South Flower Street, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$8,720,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walter Seltzer Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Brian Tochi's feature film debut.

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Goofs

In the movie's opening sequence of post-apocalyptic downtown Los Angeles, when Neville drives past West 6th Street on South Flower Street, two people can be seen outside; the first near the corner by the Bank of America Tower at 555 South Flower Street, and the second in front of the Southland Hotel at 605 South Flower Street.

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Quotes

[first lines]
[the last man on earth wrecks his car]
Neville: There's never a cop around when you need one.

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Crazy Credits

The opening credits feature the credit "Based on a book by Richard Matheson", and does not give the title of the actual book, I Am Legend.

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Connections

Spoofed in The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror VIII (1997)

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Soundtracks

Coming Into Los Angeles
(uncredited)
Written by Arlo Guthrie

User Reviews

The Omega Man

Despite the ridiculous plot, this shows what a very strong pair of actors (Heston and Zerbe) and a very visually arresting director (Boris Sagal), and a strong musical talent (Ron Grainer) can do, to say the least of Richard Matheson who is an acknowledged wizard in the field of paranoid science fiction (a particular genre).

The film is gut-wrenching on many levels and is one of my top 20 films. Heston does the loner better than any other actor.

Grainer, who scored the remarkable score for McGoohan's Prisoner series, is in fine form, with an excellent score.

Sagal's visuals are absolutely gripping.

Zerbe is the perfect antagonist and shows that his TV persona works perfectly on the silver screen.

If you get the movie, turn the lights down and watch it at night. You're in for a treat.

Many good lines in this movie.