The Last Man On Earth

Heston, unaware of the previously filmed Italian version, discovered the Matheson novel, devoured it on a lengthy airplane ride, and brought it to the attention of producer Walter Seltzer. Seltzer agreed the book would make an excellent film and proceeded to make a valuable contribution when he suggested they change the title from "I Am Legend" to the much more exotic-sounding "The Omega Man," a reference to the fact that omega is the last letter of the Greek alphabet. Incidentally, Seltzer would also go on to produce yet another Charlton Heston movie with a distressing view of the Earth's future, Soylent Green (1973), in which Edward G. Robinson's dying scene really was his dying scene (he died within hours, having told no one on the set ahead of time).

The Omega Man project was placed in the capable directorial hands of Boris Sagal, father of Katey Sagal, best known as Peg Bundy on the sitcom "Married With Children" and the recent sci-fi movie Smart House. Although Boris Sagal was best known for his work on TV series (Man From UNCLE, Naked City, Twilight Zone) he also directed the occasional theatrical feature such as Girl Happy (1965), starring Elvis Presley and Shelly Fabares. In Charlton Heston's 1998 biography, In the Arena, he relates the tragic story of Sagal's on-set death in 1981 when, in the aftermath of an argument with his cameraman on the set of the 4-hour tv-movie "World War 3", he stormed off and walked into the tail rotor blade of a helicopter that he'd just stepped from, making him perhaps the only member of the Directors Guild ever to be killed in the line of duty.

Speaking of cameramen, be sure to check out the fine work of The Omega Man's veteran cinematographer, Russ Metty. Metty, a steadily employed cameraman from the mid 1930's until his death in 1978, had a resume that included such classic Orson Welles films as The Magnificent Ambersons, The Stranger, and A Touch Of Evil, which coincidentally featured Charlton Heston in a large supporting role. Some of Metty's most striking work in The Omega Man can be seen in the film's opening shot of Heston driving through the bleak, litter-strewn streets of downtown Los Angeles. The scene was filmed just after dawn on a Sunday morning to guarantee the streets would be as empty as possible.

Starring opposite Heston, in just her second film role, is actress Rosalind Cash as Lisa, one of the leaders of a group of infected humans who have not yet totally succumbed to the plague that has destroyed the rest of humanity. The role was one that every black actress in Hollywood seemed to be fighting for. Warner Brothers strongly recommended Diahann Carroll, best known for her starring role on TV's Julia, but Heston and producer Seltzer picked Cash, stuck to their guns and Cash wound up with the sought-after role.

The Omega Man was Cash's first film experience with a star of Heston's magnitude, leading her to remark of their love scenes, "It's a spooky feeling to screw Moses." Not only did she get to bed down with Biblical hero -- she also got to hitch a motorcycle ride with him. Heston, who'd never ridden a motorcycle before, reported that it was much easier than driving a chariot. By the way, some have noted that the motorcycle chase in post-apocalyptic Los Angeles in the new Terminator 3-D movie at the Universal Studios Tour theater looks very similar to the one in Omega Man...

The Omega Man (1971), Rating: TV-PG, occasionally scheduled on cable tv, with Anthony Zerbe as the head of a pasty-faced Family that wants to "cleanse" the planet.