Last Woman on Earth

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The Last Woman on Earth
Directed by	Roger Corman
Produced by	Roger Corman Charles Hannawalt
Written by	Robert Towne
Starring	Betsy Jones-Moreland Antony Carbone Robert Towne (billed as Edward Wain)
Music by	Ronald Stein
Cinematography	Jacques R. Marquette
Editing by	Anthony Carras
Distributed by	The Filmgroup Inc.
Release date(s)	September 1960
Running time	71 min.
Country
Language	English
IMDb profile

The Last Woman on Earth is a 1960 American science-fiction film produced and directed by Roger Corman. It tells the story of three survivors of a mysterious apocalypse which appears to have wiped out all human life on earth. The screenplay is by Robert Towne, who also appears in the film billed as "Edward Wain". The music was composed and conducted by Ronald Stein.

[edit] Plot

Harold Gern, a successful businessman from New York who has been in a lot of legal trouble recently, is spending a holiday in Puerto Rico with his attractive wife Evelyn, whom he married "between trials". They are joined by Martin Joyce, Gern's friend and lawyer, who has come to discuss legal matters. Not in the mood to talk business, Gern invites him along on a boat trip during which all three try out some newly bought scuba diving equipment. When they resurface they realize to their astonishment that they are unable to breathe without using their oxygen tanks. They climb back into their boat and find Manuel, their servant, dead on board—asphyxiated.

Unable to start the engine, they row ashore. With 40 minutes worth of oxygen left they enter the jungle, where, due to the plants giving off oxygen, they can soon breathe normally again (and light a cigarette to calm down their nerves).

Gradually it dawns upon the three that they might be the only survivors in the area, maybe in the world. They briefly speculate on what has happened ("an act of God … or bigger and better bombs") but try to "keep that kind of talk to a minimum" and mainly concern themselves with becoming self-sufficient, for example by moving to a villa near the beach. The two men teach themselves how to fish—as only animals that live in the water have survived—but when they see insects again they realize that they must have survived inside their eggs. Accordingly, they feel that in the long run they will have to move North to a colder climate—to avoid an insect problem and also problems with food preservation and to increase their chances of meeting other survivors.

Very soon the Gerns and Martin Joyce can no longer cope with the triangular situation. Although they still keep up appearances—Evelyn is still wearing jewellery, and Harold Gern, a tie for their seafood dinners—Martin points out to Gern that neither the latter's marriage certificate nor his money mean anything any more. Evelyn feels attracted to the lawyer, who eventually tells her husband what he really thinks of him ("The way you made your money stank. […] And furthermore, Harold, you stink."). After a short fistfight Martin pretends to be leaving the couple but at the last moment Evelyn hops into the car, and the two lovers drive off. Harold hotwires the other car and follows them. At the harbour another fight between the two men ensues during which Martin is fatally injured. The two survivors are left wondering where they will go or what they will do now.

[edit] Home video availability

The film is in the public domain, and several DVD editions exist. Most are copies of black and white 16mm prints struck for television. The Retromedia release is transferred from a color-corrected 35mm print. This was released on DVD through Image Entertainment, featuring introductions by Corman, with commentary tracks by Jones-Moreland and Carbone. The release also features the other two entries in Corman's "Puerto Rico Trilogy": Creature from the Haunted Sea and Battle of Blood Island, films shot back to back with Last Woman.