The Omega Man (1971)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Boris Sagal

Writers:

John William Corrington (screenplay) and
Joyce Hooper Corrington (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

1 August 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Pray for the last man alive. Because he's not alone.

Plot:

Robert Neville, a doctor, due to an experimental vaccine, is the only survivor of an apocalyptic war waged with biological weapons...

Plot Keywords:

Plague | Vaccine | Albino | Flashback | Germ Warfare

Cast

Charlton Heston	...	Robert Neville
Anthony Zerbe	...	Jonathan 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
John Dierkes	...	Family Member
Monika Henreid	...	Family Member
Linda Redfearn	...	Family Member
Forrest Wood	...	Family Member

Directed by
Boris Sagal

Writing credits
John William Corrington		(screenplay) and
Joyce Hooper Corrington		(screenplay) (as Joyce H. Corrington)
Richard Matheson		(novel "I Am Legend")

Produced by
Walter Seltzer	....	producer

Original Music by
Ron Grainer

Cinematography by
Russell Metty

Film Editing by
William H. Ziegler		(as William Ziegler)

Art Direction by
Art Loel		(as Arthur Loel)
Walter M. Simonds

Set Decoration by
William L. Kuehl

Makeup Department
Gordon Bau	....	makeup supervisor
Jean Burt Reilly	....	supervising hair stylist

Production Management
Frank Baur	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Donald Roberts	....	assistant director
Ted Swanson	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Robert Martin	....	sound (as Bob Martin)

Stunts
Joe Canutt	....	action coordinator
Wanda Ann Yates	....	stunt double
Denny Arnold	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Brookfield	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Canutt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tap Canutt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Courtney	....	stunts (uncredited)
Larry Duran	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gary Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tony Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Richard Farnsworth	....	stunts (uncredited)
Buddy Joe Hooker	....	stunts (uncredited)
Whitey Hughes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Harold Jones	....	stunts (uncredited)
Kim Kahana	....	stunts (uncredited)
Henry Kingi	....	stunts (uncredited)
Wayne King Sr.	....	stunts (uncredited)
Glenn Randall Jr.	....	stunts (uncredited)
Roy N. Sickner	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Williams	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bernie Abramson	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Lydia Clarke	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Margo Baxley	....	costume supervisor
Bucky Rous	....	costume supervisor

Music Department
Ron Grainer	....	conductor
Dan Wallin	....	score mixer

Other crew
Shirley Cohen	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1971) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1974) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Fox Movies SF Horror (2007) (Japan) (TV)
• Sandrew Metronome Norge (2003) (Norway) (DVD)
• Scanvideo (198?) (Finland) (video)
• Veronica Omroep Organisatie (1979) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Warner Bros. / Columbia Pictures (1971) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Television
• Warner Bros. (1971) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Japan) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Japan) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Japan) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)

Other Companies

• Pacific Title  titles

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | Australia:PG (TV rating) | Canada:14A | USA:PG | Sweden:15 | Singapore:NC-16 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (1971) | UK:PG | USA:GP

Filming Locations:

Columbia/Warner Bros. Ranch - 411 N. Hollywood Way, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The production company wanted a locale that looked like an abandoned metropolitan area, but it was too costly to build. The producer drove through Downtown Los Angeles one weekend and discovered there were no shoppers, so the majority of the film's exteriors were shot there on weekends.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: The 8-track that Robert Neville puts into his car stereo at the beginning of the movie can very briefly be made out to be Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night". What actually plays on the soundtrack is Max Steiner's "Theme from 'A Summer Place'".

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Featured in Century of Black Cinema (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

'Round Midnight

Flawed Wonderland

A film that can't help but aim too high, "The Omega Man" suffers from the very thing that makes it great. Set in a post-apocalyptic future (for the audience of 1971) the film attempts to show a world populated by a single solitary man. Well, a man and a cult of malcontented zombie/mutant/vampire beings. Robert Neville (Heston) is the lone survivor of a germ war that turned the population of the world into freaks. Based on the amazingly brilliant book "I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson, the film shares most of the qualities of the book, yet excludes the portions that make "Legend" fantastic.

The idea of being the last man is intriguing. I used to fantasize about being Neville as a child (probably not the healthiest thing for a kid). Neville has paradise, but with the highest price possible. He can have anything he wants, but no one to share it with. And come night time, he must hide in his fortress away from the angry mob of mutants.

The apocalyptic world that makes the first half so captivating is destroyed by the second half's plot device. I won't go into details for those who haven't seen it. However, I will say the film starts to slide downhill from the mid-way point. But the lesser parts can be enjoyed as early 70's camp.

Even with its faults, "The Omega Man" is a great Sci-fi movie. It also gives Heston a chance to play his quintessential role of a man at the end of civilization. The film's weaknesses don't ruin the experience entirely. It is a film that myself and my friends talk about to this day despite the fact that most of my friends only saw it once or twice (when forced by me).

Related note: I Am Legend was also made into the film "The Last Man on Earth" starring Vincent Price. "Omega Man" is discussed in the first scene of indie-film classic "Slacker."