The Omega Man

Year:

1971

Duration:

98 min

Genres:

Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

IMDB rate:

6.6

Director:

Boris Sagal

Details

Country: USA

Release Date: 1971-08-01

Filming Locations: South Flower Street, Los Angeles, California, USA

Earnings

Gross: $8,720,000 (USA) Rentals $4,000,000 (USA)

Cast

Actor

Character

Charlton Heston

Neville

Anthony Zerbe

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 (also as De Veren Bookwalter)

John Dierkes

Family Member

Monika Henreid

Family Member

Linda Redfearn

Family Member

Forrest Wood

Family Member

Steve Goldstein

Last Boy

Did you know?

Trivia

Neville's primary weapon during the film is a Smith & Wesson M76 submachine gun, sometimes fitted with a flashlight. During the first night attack by the Family, Neville uses a Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) with an infrared scope.

Share this

Charlton Heston had read the original novel on an airplane coming back to California, and was very interested in a modern adaptation of the book; he was totally unaware of the fact it had already been made into a film long before - The Last Man on Earth (1964) starring Vincent Price.

Share this

In the film, the plague that causes the end of the world was unleashed by germ warfare as the result of a border war between China and Russia. In fact, China and Russia had some very serious border skirmishes during 1969 that had many world leaders concerned about the possibility of an all-out war between the Communist superpowers.

Share this

Goofs

When Neville and Lisa are kissing on the floor, Neville says, ''It's been so long, I'm not sure I remember how this goes.'' He couldn't have said this, as he was still kissing Lisa at the same moment.

Share this

In a city supposedly laid waste, Neville has to resort to running a generator any time he requires electricity. He does so to power his apartment; he does so to power up the projector inside the cinema when he goes to watch the film. But this city with no surviving infrastructure (in the opening scenes, as he's driving around in the red convertible), all the traffic lights are powered up.

Share this

When the little girl pulls Neville's hat from the water and places it on the ledge of the fountain, the entire hat is on the ledge. When the hat is shown from the other point of view, however, it is only half-way on the ledge.

Share this

Quotes

Matthias: Definition of a scientist - a man who understands nothing until there was nothing left to understand.

Share this

Matthias: The bad dream is over, friend Neville. Now we can sleep in peace.

Share this

Dutch: Well, let's move kids. We've got a long way to go.

Share this

Faq

Q

A Note Regarding Spoilers

A

The following FAQ entries may contain spoilers. Only the biggest ones (if any) will be covered with spoiler tags. Spoiler tags have been used sparingly in order to make the page more readable.

Q

What is 'The Omega Man' about?

A

Following the use of germ warfare in a 1975 apocalyptic war between China and the Soviet Union, a plague has wiped out most of the human race, killing everyone except a 'family' of deformed, light-sensitive, albino mutants, led by former newscaster Jonathan Matthias (Anthony Zerbe), In Los Angeles, another survivor, U.S. Army Colonel Robert Neville (Charlton Heston), who previously immunized himself with an experimental vaccine and now finds that he is immune to the plague, struggles to find a cure while attempting to stay alive against the constant nighttime attacks of the family, who are hellbent on destroying all remnants of the prior science- and technology-driven civilization that led to the holocaust...especially Neville.

Q

Was Matthias in the I am Legend novel?

A

No. Matthias does not appear in Richard Matheson's original novel. He was invented for this film.

Share this