LAST WOMAN ON EARTH

   Film (1960). Filmgroup. Prod and dir Roger CORMAN, starring Antony Carbone, Betsy Jones-Moreland, Edward Wain (pseudonym of Robert Towne). Screenplay Towne. 71 mins. Colour.

   For unexplained reasons (war?) the world is drained of oxygen for several hours; the lone survivors (as far as we know) are three scuba divers: two men (one wealthy and aggressive, one effete and intellectual) and the first man's wife. Scientifically silly and poorly acted, with scriptwriter Towne - later celebrated for Chinatown (1974) and other films-called in to play the intellectual part at the lastminute, LWOE still has compelling moments. For a quickie-movie the script is remarkably mannered; yet it may be a sharper, less sentimental film than the more famous The WORLD, THE FLESH AND THE DEVIL (1959), on which it was presumably modelled.

   PN