"Last Woman on Earth" shows what happens as a romantic triangle plays out during an "end of the world" type of story. Harold Gern (Antony Carbone) is a shady banker enjoying the sights and sounds of Puerto Rico. Tagging along are his sexy young wife Evelyn (Betsy Jones- Moreland) and his loyal attorney Martin Joyce (future Oscar winning screenwriter Robert Towne, acting under the pseudonym Edward Wain). After a scuba diving excursion, they come out of the sea to find that some mysterious disaster has eliminated almost every living thing in sight. Harold is given to macho "this is how it's gonna be" proclamations, while Martin, who realizes that he's falling for Evelyn, acts as a voice of reason.
Towne also wrote the screenplay for this one, his first. Since he worked slowly (according to producer & director Roger Corman), his script was unfinished by the time of filming. So, in order to ensure that the screenwriter could be on set regularly, Corman convinced Towne to co-star in the film. Corman had come to Puerto Rico partly to take in the beauty of the surroundings, but largely due to "certain tax laws". By the time he and his crew left the country, they had not one film under their belt, but three: this one, "Creature from the Haunted Sea" (a remake of "Naked Paradise"), and "Battle of Blood Island".
A great film this is not, but it's a passably engrossing one, thanks to some wonderful atmosphere (Corman actually ponied up the dough to shoot it in color) and Townes' somewhat philosophical tale. There is some decent dialogue, good music by Ronald Stein, and effective cinematography by Jacques R. Marquette. The three cast members are reasonably good. Towne fares well enough, despite not being a professional actor.
The ending is abrupt, and may not be to all viewers' satisfaction. Still, Corman and Towne deserve some credit for tackling the theme of the hostility and violence ingrained in mankind, on a rather meagre budget.
Six out of 10.
