IT'S GREAT TO BE ALIVE if you're THE LAST MAN ON EARTH. In this sound remake of the 1924 comedy, Raul Roulien is engaged to Gloria Stuart, but his numerous ex-girlfriends won't take "No" for an answer, particularly Joan Marsh. When Herbert Mundin puts Roulien in the wrong bed room, Gloria calls off the wedding. Roulien stomps off to make a daring cross-Pacific flight. His plane goes down in the middle of nowhere as a plague emerges that kills all the men on Earth.
Some time later, Roulien is discovered, captured by gangsters -- the etymologically feminine ending applying -- but taken by scientist Edna May Oliver for an international congress to decide what to do.
Fox was trying to make a Chevalier-style comedy, but Roulien lacks the personality for it. In addition, there is no explanation of how Roulien is going to avoid being infected for the women-carried germ and dying. The comedy is competently executed by director Alfred Werker, as is the over-the-top choreography by Sammy Lee (think "Freedonia's Going to War"). There are some competent but unmemorable songs by William Kernell that make this a decent but unremarkable time-waster.
Some time later, Roulien is discovered, captured by gangsters -- the etymologically feminine ending applying -- but taken by scientist Edna May Oliver for an international congress to decide what to do.
Fox was trying to make a Chevalier-style comedy, but Roulien lacks the personality for it. In addition, there is no explanation of how Roulien is going to avoid being infected for the women-carried germ and dying. The comedy is competently executed by director Alfred Werker, as is the over-the-top choreography by Sammy Lee (think "Freedonia's Going to War"). There are some competent but unmemorable songs by William Kernell that make this a decent but unremarkable time-waster.