Directed by Sidney Salkow and Ubaldo B. Ragona, The Last Man on Earth is a post-apocalyptic horror film released in the U.S. on May 6, 1964, and in Italy on August 19, 1964. Based on Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel I Am Legend, the film stars Vincent Price as a lone survivor in a world overrun by vampiric plague victims. Produced as a U.S.–Italian co-production, it remains one of the earliest cinematic treatments of the “infected humanity” trope.
Plot Summary
Dr. Robert Morgan (Vincent Price) is the last known human immune to a global plague that has turned the population into nocturnal, zombie-like vampires. Living in a fortified house, he spends his days hunting the infected and his nights fending off their attacks. Haunted by memories of his wife and daughter, Morgan discovers a woman named Ruth (Franca Bettoia) who appears uninfected—but she harbors a secret that challenges everything he believes about the plague and its victims.
As Morgan uncovers the truth, he becomes a symbol of resistance—and ultimately, a threat to the new society emerging from the ruins.
Cast Highlights
- Vincent Price as Dr. Robert Morgan
- Franca Bettoia as Ruth Collins
- Emma Danieli as Virginia Morgan
- Giacomo Rossi-Stuart as Ben Cortman
- Umberto Raho, Christi Courtland, and Ettore Ribotta in supporting roles
Trivia & Behind the Scenes
- The film was shot in Rome, with Italian actors dubbed into English; Vincent Price was the only American lead
- Richard Matheson, who wrote the original novel, co-wrote the screenplay but was dissatisfied with the final product and used the pseudonym Logan Swanson
- This was the first film adaptation of I Am Legend, predating The Omega Man (1971) and I Am Legend (2007)
- The infected are portrayed as slow-moving, intelligent vampires, a hybrid between traditional undead and proto-zombies
- The film’s bleak tone and moral ambiguity influenced later horror classics like Night of the Living Dead (1968), which George A. Romero cited as inspired by Matheson’s novel
- The ending diverges from the book but retains its philosophical core, with Morgan becoming a legend to the new society—feared and misunderstood
- Despite its modest budget, the film has gained cult status for its atmosphere, Price’s performance, and its foundational role in modern horror storytelling
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.