Last Woman on Earth (1960) Review

Last Woman on Earth (1960) Review

I can’t do an entire month of schlock films without talking about Roger Corman. Mr. Corman is a producer and director (and occasional actor) who is one of the earliest proponents of independent cinema, with literally hundreds of films to his credit, whether as producer or director or both. He worked in many genres, though is most well-known for his efforts in sci-fi and horror, and helped launch the careers of many Hollywood directors and actors, some of which are now considered among the greatest of all-time. If you haven’t heard of him before, don’t feel bad. Roger Corman’s body of work is known for its quantity rather than quality. Not to discredit his many achievements, but his name is associated with a great many pieces of trash. 

Some of his campier, cheesier, more poorly-made films are pretty well-known, but I wanted to review one of his that I’ve never heard anyone talk about before. Last Woman on Earth is about three people who go diving in Puerto Rico, and when they come up, the oxygen in the air has temporarily disappeared, which kills everyone except them. There’s Harold, a rich businessman who is always in legal trouble, his wife Evelyn, and Martin, Harold’s lawyer. Even before the event, Martin and Evelyn start flirting when Harold isn’t present, and it is clear Evelyn isn’t all that happy in her marriage. When it becomes just the three of them, the tension starts to mount, and their relations become ever more strained.  

Last Woman on Earth was shown as a double feature with the more-commonly-known The Little Shop of Horrors. Even though it isn’t well-known or fondly remembered, Last Woman on Earth isn’t a piece of crap. It plays a bit like an extended episode of The Twilight Zone, only without a big twist ending. It’s a pretty simple premise, and when I first saw it, I actually thought it was ripping off The Last Man on Earth starring Vincent Price, but Last Woman predates it by a few years.  

The title is the equivalent of click bait. The characters state there may be other survivors elsewhere, and when you think about it, the chances of them actually being the only ones on the entire planet to survive this unexplained extinction seems highly unlikely. Having said that, they are the only three people in the entire movie, and as a result, it does get a little dull at times. The trio of characters aren’t that unique and most of the conflict is toward the end, but thanks to a short runtime, it doesn’t drag out. 

Last Woman on Earth is a decent little post-apocalyptic flick from one of the great masters of schlock cinema. One last fun fact: the screenplay was written by Robert Towne, who also plays the role of Martin, and he is most well-known for his Academy Award-winning screenplay for Chinatown. Just one of the many success stories with humble beginnings tied to Roger Corman.