The Man from Earth
Encyclopedia
The Man from Earth is a 2007
science fiction
film
written by Jerome Bixby
and directed by Richard Schenkman
. The film stars David Lee Smith as John Oldman, the protagonist of the story. The screenplay for this movie was conceived by Jerome Bixby
in the early 1960s and was completed on his death bed in April 1998, making it his final piece of work. The movie gained recognition in part for being widely distributed through Internet peer-to-peer
networks and its producer publicly thanked users of these networks for this.
The plot focuses on John Oldman, a departing university professor who claims to be a Cro-Magnon
(or Magdalenian
caveman) who has somehow survived for over 14,000 years. The only setting is in and around Oldman's house during his farewell party, with the plot advancing through intellectual arguments between Oldman and his fellow faculty.
, preparing to move to a new home. His colleagues show up to give him an impromptu farewell party: Harry (John Billingsley
), a biologist; Edith (Ellen Crawford
), an art history professor and devout Christian; Dan (Tony Todd
), an anthropologist; Sandy (Annika Peterson), a historian who is in love with John; Dr. Will Gruber (Richard Riehle
), a psychiatrist; Art (William Katt
), an archaeologist; and his student Linda (Alexis Thorpe
).
As John's colleagues continue to pressure him for the reason for his departure, John slowly, and somewhat reluctantly, reveals that he is a prehistoric "caveman
" who has survived for more than 14,000 years. His colleagues refuse to believe his story. John continues his tale, stating that he was once a Sumer
ian for 2000 years, then a Babylonian under Hammurabi
, then a disciple of Gautama Buddha
. He claims to have known Christopher Columbus
, Van Gogh
, and other famous historical figures.
During the course of the conversation, John's colleagues question his story according to their specialties. For instance, Harry, the biologist, discusses the possibility of a human living for so long. Art, the archaeologist, questions John about events in prehistory; he exclaims that John's answers, though correct, could have come from any textbook.
The discussion turns to the topic of religion
. John mentions that he is not a follower of a particular religion; though he does not necessarily believe in an omnipotent God
, he does not discount the possibility of such a being's existence. John then reluctantly reveals that he was the inspiration for the Jesus
story and "the one called Jesus", which leaves members of his audience, especially Edith, aghast and angry. Out of his hearing, they begin to talk about the possibility of John being mentally ill or high on drug
s.
After this shocking revelation, emotions in the room run high. Edith begins crying, and Gruber sternly demands that John end his tale and give closure by admitting it was all a hoax
, threatening him with the possibility of locking him up for observation. John apologizes to everyone and tells them that it was all just a story.
John's friends begin to leave. John apologizes to Harry and Edith, while Art and Linda depart without many parting words. When it is Dan's turn to say goodbye, his words hint that he believes John's story. After everyone but Dr. Gruber and Sandy has left, Dr. Gruber overhears John and Sandy's conversation, which suggests that the story was true after all. John mentions some of the pun
pseudonym
s he had used over the years, such as John Paley (as in Paleolithic
) and John Savage. He also mentions another pseudonym, used over sixty years ago while a chemistry professor at Harvard
: John Thomas Partee (as in John T. Party of Boston
). This was the name of Gruber's father; upon hearing this, Gruber, shocked and over-excited at the sight of his ageless father, suffers a heart attack and dies. After Gruber's body is taken away, Sandy notes that John seems especially struck by his death. She realizes that it is the first time he has seen his grown child die. John wordlessly gets in his truck and drives away, as though to leave forever. Then he stops and looks at Sandy, apparently deciding to spend some time with her. The movie ends with Sandy getting into the truck.
Film Festival in July 2007, and premiered theatrically in Hemet, California and Pitman, New Jersey in October 2007. It was released on DVD in North America by Anchor Bay Entertainment on November 13, 2007 and became available for digital rental and sale at iTunes on September 22, 2009. It won the grand prize for Best Screenplay and first place for Best Feature at the Rhode Island Film Festival in August 2007.
Producers Schenkman (sellingrs), Bixby (Emerson_Bixby) and Wilkinson (EWilkinson100) have written comments on IMDb forums and responded to questions from fans.
2007 in film
This is a list of major films released in 2007.-Top grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2007...
science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
written by Jerome Bixby
Jerome Bixby
Drexel Jerome Lewis Bixby was an American short story writer, editor and scriptwriter, best known for his work in science fiction. He also wrote many westerns and used the pseudonyms D. B. Lewis, Harry Neal, Albert Russell, J. Russell, M. St...
and directed by Richard Schenkman
Richard Schenkman
Richard Schenkman is an award-winning American screenwriter, film producer, film director and occasional actor. Throughout his career, he has frequently also been credited as "George Axmith".-Awards:...
. The film stars David Lee Smith as John Oldman, the protagonist of the story. The screenplay for this movie was conceived by Jerome Bixby
Jerome Bixby
Drexel Jerome Lewis Bixby was an American short story writer, editor and scriptwriter, best known for his work in science fiction. He also wrote many westerns and used the pseudonyms D. B. Lewis, Harry Neal, Albert Russell, J. Russell, M. St...
in the early 1960s and was completed on his death bed in April 1998, making it his final piece of work. The movie gained recognition in part for being widely distributed through Internet peer-to-peer
Peer-to-peer
Peer-to-peer computing or networking is a distributed application architecture that partitions tasks or workloads among peers. Peers are equally privileged, equipotent participants in the application...
networks and its producer publicly thanked users of these networks for this.
The plot focuses on John Oldman, a departing university professor who claims to be a Cro-Magnon
Cro-Magnon
The Cro-Magnon were the first early modern humans of the European Upper Paleolithic. The earliest known remains of Cro-Magnon-like humans are radiometrically dated to 35,000 years before present....
(or Magdalenian
Magdalenian
The Magdalenian , refers to one of the later cultures of the Upper Paleolithic in western Europe, dating from around 17,000 BP to 9,000 BP...
caveman) who has somehow survived for over 14,000 years. The only setting is in and around Oldman's house during his farewell party, with the plot advancing through intellectual arguments between Oldman and his fellow faculty.
Plot
The movie begins with Professor John Oldman (David Lee Smith) packing his belongings onto his truckPickup truck
A pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...
, preparing to move to a new home. His colleagues show up to give him an impromptu farewell party: Harry (John Billingsley
John Billingsley
John Billingsley is an American actor, known for his role as Doctor Phlox on the television series Star Trek: Enterprise.-Career:...
), a biologist; Edith (Ellen Crawford
Ellen Crawford
Ellen Crawford is an American actress. Most recently, she co-starred as Edith, in The Man from Earth. She also played Nurse Lydia Wright on ER from 1994–2003 and then again in 2009 for the series finale...
), an art history professor and devout Christian; Dan (Tony Todd
Tony Todd
Anthony T. "Tony" Todd is an American actor and movie producer, known for his height of 6'5", and deep voice. He is well known for playing the Candyman in the horror movie franchise of the same name, William Bludworth in Final Destination and for guest starring roles on numerous television...
), an anthropologist; Sandy (Annika Peterson), a historian who is in love with John; Dr. Will Gruber (Richard Riehle
Richard Riehle
-Life and career:Riehle was born in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, the son of Mary Margaret , a nurse, and Herbert John Riehle , an assistant postmaster. He attended the University of Notre Dame....
), a psychiatrist; Art (William Katt
William Katt
William Theodore Katt is an American film and television actor, best known as the star of The Greatest American Hero. He is also known for playing Tommy Ross, the ill-fated prom date of Carrie White in the film version of Carrie and Paul Drake Jr. in the Perry Mason TV movies...
), an archaeologist; and his student Linda (Alexis Thorpe
Alexis Thorpe
Alexis Ann Thorpe , is an American actress, eldest of four children, who grew up in Yorba Linda and whose first professional role was at the Canyon Lake Theatre as Wendy in Peter Pan. She is known for her role as Cassie Brady on the American television daytime drama Days of our Lives, which she...
).
As John's colleagues continue to pressure him for the reason for his departure, John slowly, and somewhat reluctantly, reveals that he is a prehistoric "caveman
Caveman
A caveman or troglodyte is a stock character based upon widespread concepts of the way in which early prehistoric humans may have looked and behaved...
" who has survived for more than 14,000 years. His colleagues refuse to believe his story. John continues his tale, stating that he was once a Sumer
Sumer
Sumer was a civilization and historical region in southern Mesopotamia, modern Iraq during the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age....
ian for 2000 years, then a Babylonian under Hammurabi
Hammurabi
Hammurabi Hammurabi Hammurabi (Akkadian from Amorite ʻAmmurāpi, "the kinsman is a healer", from ʻAmmu, "paternal kinsman", and Rāpi, "healer"; (died c...
, then a disciple of Gautama Buddha
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
. He claims to have known Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
, Van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh , and used Brabant dialect in his writing; it is therefore likely that he himself pronounced his name with a Brabant accent: , with a voiced V and palatalized G and gh. In France, where much of his work was produced, it is...
, and other famous historical figures.
During the course of the conversation, John's colleagues question his story according to their specialties. For instance, Harry, the biologist, discusses the possibility of a human living for so long. Art, the archaeologist, questions John about events in prehistory; he exclaims that John's answers, though correct, could have come from any textbook.
The discussion turns to the topic of religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
. John mentions that he is not a follower of a particular religion; though he does not necessarily believe in an omnipotent God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
, he does not discount the possibility of such a being's existence. John then reluctantly reveals that he was the inspiration for the Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
story and "the one called Jesus", which leaves members of his audience, especially Edith, aghast and angry. Out of his hearing, they begin to talk about the possibility of John being mentally ill or high on drug
Drug
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
s.
After this shocking revelation, emotions in the room run high. Edith begins crying, and Gruber sternly demands that John end his tale and give closure by admitting it was all a hoax
Hoax
A hoax is a deliberately fabricated falsehood made to masquerade as truth. It is distinguishable from errors in observation or judgment, or rumors, urban legends, pseudosciences or April Fools' Day events that are passed along in good faith by believers or as jokes.-Definition:The British...
, threatening him with the possibility of locking him up for observation. John apologizes to everyone and tells them that it was all just a story.
John's friends begin to leave. John apologizes to Harry and Edith, while Art and Linda depart without many parting words. When it is Dan's turn to say goodbye, his words hint that he believes John's story. After everyone but Dr. Gruber and Sandy has left, Dr. Gruber overhears John and Sandy's conversation, which suggests that the story was true after all. John mentions some of the pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
s he had used over the years, such as John Paley (as in Paleolithic
Paleolithic
The Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory...
) and John Savage. He also mentions another pseudonym, used over sixty years ago while a chemistry professor at Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
: John Thomas Partee (as in John T. Party of Boston
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a direct action by colonists in Boston, a town in the British colony of Massachusetts, against the British government and the monopolistic East India Company that controlled all the tea imported into the colonies...
). This was the name of Gruber's father; upon hearing this, Gruber, shocked and over-excited at the sight of his ageless father, suffers a heart attack and dies. After Gruber's body is taken away, Sandy notes that John seems especially struck by his death. She realizes that it is the first time he has seen his grown child die. John wordlessly gets in his truck and drives away, as though to leave forever. Then he stops and looks at Sandy, apparently deciding to spend some time with her. The movie ends with Sandy getting into the truck.
Production
The story is Jerome Bixby's last work, which he completed on his deathbed in April 1998. Bixby dictated the last of his screenplay to his son, screenwriter Emerson Bixby. After Jerome Bixby's death the script was given to Richard Schenkman to direct on a $200,000 budget.Cast
In order of appearance:- David Lee Smith as John Oldman
- Tony ToddTony ToddAnthony T. "Tony" Todd is an American actor and movie producer, known for his height of 6'5", and deep voice. He is well known for playing the Candyman in the horror movie franchise of the same name, William Bludworth in Final Destination and for guest starring roles on numerous television...
as Dan - John BillingsleyJohn BillingsleyJohn Billingsley is an American actor, known for his role as Doctor Phlox on the television series Star Trek: Enterprise.-Career:...
as Harry - Ellen CrawfordEllen CrawfordEllen Crawford is an American actress. Most recently, she co-starred as Edith, in The Man from Earth. She also played Nurse Lydia Wright on ER from 1994–2003 and then again in 2009 for the series finale...
as Edith - Annika Peterson as Sandy
- William KattWilliam KattWilliam Theodore Katt is an American film and television actor, best known as the star of The Greatest American Hero. He is also known for playing Tommy Ross, the ill-fated prom date of Carrie White in the film version of Carrie and Paul Drake Jr. in the Perry Mason TV movies...
as Art Jenkins - Alexis ThorpeAlexis ThorpeAlexis Ann Thorpe , is an American actress, eldest of four children, who grew up in Yorba Linda and whose first professional role was at the Canyon Lake Theatre as Wendy in Peter Pan. She is known for her role as Cassie Brady on the American television daytime drama Days of our Lives, which she...
as Linda Murphy - Richard RiehleRichard Riehle-Life and career:Riehle was born in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, the son of Mary Margaret , a nurse, and Herbert John Riehle , an assistant postmaster. He attended the University of Notre Dame....
as Dr. Will Gruber - Robbie Bryan as Police Officer
Distribution and Publicity
The film screened at the San Diego Comic-ConComic-Con International
San Diego Comic-Con International, also known as Comic-Con International: San Diego , and commonly known as Comic-Con or the San Diego Comic-Con, was founded as the Golden State Comic Book Convention and later the San Diego Comic Book Convention in 1970 by Shel Dorf and a group of San Diegans...
Film Festival in July 2007, and premiered theatrically in Hemet, California and Pitman, New Jersey in October 2007. It was released on DVD in North America by Anchor Bay Entertainment on November 13, 2007 and became available for digital rental and sale at iTunes on September 22, 2009. It won the grand prize for Best Screenplay and first place for Best Feature at the Rhode Island Film Festival in August 2007.
Producers Schenkman (sellingrs), Bixby (Emerson_Bixby) and Wilkinson (EWilkinson100) have written comments on IMDb forums and responded to questions from fans.
Festivals and awards
The film has been nominated and won numerous awards.- 2007 – WINNER – 1st place – Best Screenplay - Rhode Island International Film FestivalRhode Island International Film FestivalFlickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival takes place every year in Providence and Newport, Rhode Island as well as satellite locations throughout the state. Started in 1997, the Festival is produced by Flickers, the Newport Film/Video Society & Arts Collaborative, a 501 non-profit...
- 2007 – WINNER – Grand Prize - Best Screenplay - Rhode Island International Film Festival
- 2008 – WINNER – Best Film – Montevideo Fantastic Film Festival of Uruguay
- 2008 – WINNER – Audience Choice Award Montevideo Fantastic Film Festival of Uruguay
- 2008 – WINNER – Best Director - Fantaspoa – International Fantastic Film Festival of Porto Alegre, Brazil
- 2008 – WINNER – 2ND place – Best Screenplay - Rio de Janeiro International Fantastic Film Festival (RioFan)
- 2008 – WINNER – Audience Award: Best Screenplay Film – Fixion-Sars Horror & Fantastic Film Festival of Santiago, Chile
- 2008 – WINNER – Jury Award: Best Screenplay – Fixion-Sars Horror & Fantastic Film Festival of Santiago, Chile
- 2008 – WINNER – Best SCI-FI Screenplay - International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival, Phoenix, AZ
- 2008 – WINNER – Best Screenplay - Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre – Int'l Independent Horror, Fantasy & Bizarre, Argentina
- 2007 – Official Selection - Another Hole in the Head SF IndieFest
- 2007 – Official Selection – San Diego ComicCon International Film FestivalComic-Con InternationalSan Diego Comic-Con International, also known as Comic-Con International: San Diego , and commonly known as Comic-Con or the San Diego Comic-Con, was founded as the Golden State Comic Book Convention and later the San Diego Comic Book Convention in 1970 by Shel Dorf and a group of San Diegans...
- 2008 – Official Selection – Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival
- 2008 – Official Selection (Opening Night Screenplay) – Down Beach Film Festival, Atlantic City, NJ
- 2008 – Official Selection – Otrocine Fantastic Film Festival of Bogota
- 2008 – Official Selection – FilmColumbia – Festival of Film in Chatham, NY
- 2008 – Official Selection - Festival de Cine Fantástico (Fantastic Film Festival of Malaga) (FANCINE)
- 2008 – Official Selection - Festival Cinema de Salvador
- 2008 – Official Selection - Mostra Curta Fantástico of São Paulo, Brazil
- 2007 – Saturn AwardSaturn AwardThe Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within...
nominee - Best DVD Release - The Man From Earth - 2008 – WINNER – DVD Critics Award – Best Non-Theatrical Movie
Soundtrack
All music performed by Mark Hinton Stewart.- "7th Symphony - 2nd MovementSymphony No. 7 (Beethoven)Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92, in 1811, was the seventh of his nine symphonies. He worked on it while staying in the Bohemian spa town of Teplice in the hope of improving his health. It was completed in 1812, and was dedicated to Count Moritz von Fries.At its debut,...
" - Written by Ludwig van BeethovenLudwig van BeethovenLudwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of... - "Forever"
- Lyrics by Richard Schenkman
- Music by Mark Hinton Stewart
- Performed by Mark Hinton Stewart and Chantelle Duncan
- Copyright - BDI Music LTD.
Publicity through filesharing
In what may be an unprecedented move, the producer of this film, Eric D. Wilkinson, has publicly thanked users of BitTorrent who have distributed the movie without express permission, saying that it has lifted the profile of this product far beyond the financier's expectations, while encouraging fans to purchase the DVD or donate.See also
- Requiem for Methuselah 1969 Star TrekStar TrekStar Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
episode by Jerome BixbyJerome BixbyDrexel Jerome Lewis Bixby was an American short story writer, editor and scriptwriter, best known for his work in science fiction. He also wrote many westerns and used the pseudonyms D. B. Lewis, Harry Neal, Albert Russell, J. Russell, M. St...
, an earlier version of this story, by the same author. "Mr. Flint" is 6000 years old and has lived through all of recorded history. - The Gnarly Man 1939 short story by L. Sprague de CampL. Sprague de CampLyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction and fantasy books, non-fiction and biography. In a writing career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and notable works of non-fiction, including biographies of other important fantasy authors...
about a cave man (in this case a NeanderthalNeanderthalThe Neanderthal is an extinct member of the Homo genus known from Pleistocene specimens found in Europe and parts of western and central Asia...
, not a Cro Magnon), who makes it to modern times by failing to age, after being struck by lightning.http://www.troynovant.com/Franson/DeCamp/Gnarly-Man.html The story ends with the main character "Clarence" tearing apart a laboratory of a scientist who wants to vivisect him. In The Man from Earth, John says he's stayed away from laboratories "for fear of going in and not coming out." - All Men are MortalAll Men are MortalAll Men are Mortal is a 1946 novel by Simone de Beauvoir. It tells the story of Raimon Fosca, a man cursed to live forever. The first American edition of this work was published by The World Publishing Company. Cleveland and New York, 1955. It was adapted into a 1995 film.-Plot:Regina is a young...
1946 novel by Simone de BeauvoirSimone de BeauvoirSimone-Ernestine-Lucie-Marie Bertrand de Beauvoir, often shortened to Simone de Beauvoir , was a French existentialist philosopher, public intellectual, and social theorist. She wrote novels, essays, biographies, an autobiography in several volumes, and monographs on philosophy, politics, and...
. It tells of a man born in 1279 A.D. who is cursed to wander the Earth without aging. See also the 1986 film Highlander (film)Highlander (film)Highlander is a 1986 fantasy action film directed by Russell Mulcahy and based on a story by Gregory Widen. It stars Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Clancy Brown, and Roxanne Hart. The film depicts the climax of an ages-old battle between immortal warriors, depicted through interwoven past and...
about a Scotsman from a similar time, who finds he does not age, and must keep moving to avoid persecution. - The Wandering JewWandering JewThe Wandering Jew is a figure from medieval Christian folklore whose legend began to spread in Europe in the 13th century. The original legend concerns a Jew who taunted Jesus on the way to the Crucifixion and was then cursed to walk the earth until the Second Coming...
: a series of old legends about a Jewish man who is made immortal in the time of Jesus, and cursed to wander the Earth until the second coming. - She: A History of Adventure, an 1886 novel by H. Rider HaggardH. Rider HaggardSir Henry Rider Haggard, KBE was an English writer of adventure novels set in exotic locations, predominantly Africa, and a founder of the Lost World literary genre. He was also involved in agricultural reform around the British Empire...
about an ageless woman who rules a lost African kingdom, discovered by explorers. She ages rapidly and dies at the end. - Long Live Walter JamesonLong Live Walter Jameson"Long Live Walter Jameson" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone.-Synopsis:Walter Jameson, a college professor, is engaged to a young doctoral student named Susanna Kittridge...
1960 Twilight ZoneTwilight zone-Television series and spinoffs:*The Twilight Zone, the anthology television series and its franchise:**The Twilight Zone , the 1959–1964 original television series***Twilight Zone: The Movie, a 1983 film based on the original series...
episode by Charles BeaumontCharles BeaumontCharles Beaumont was a prolific American author of speculative fiction, including short stories in the horror and science fiction subgenres. He is remembered as a writer of classic Twilight Zone episodes, such as "The Howling Man", "Miniature", and "Printer's Devil", but also penned the...
, about a man more than 2000 years old, who has not aged due to an encounter with an alchemist. He teaches very realistic history classes. - Queen of the NileQueen of the NileQueen of the Nile may refer to:*A common description of Cleopatra VII of Egypt*Queen of the Nile , an episode of The Twilight Zone...
1964 Twilight ZoneTwilight zone-Television series and spinoffs:*The Twilight Zone, the anthology television series and its franchise:**The Twilight Zone , the 1959–1964 original television series***Twilight Zone: The Movie, a 1983 film based on the original series...
episode about an Egyptian queen (implied to be Cleopatra) who has learned the secret of immortality by stealing youth from others (something Professor Oldman is accused randomly of doing in the Bixby film, but this is never established or suggested by any other plot elements.) - The 2000 Year Old Man 1961 Mel BrooksMel BrooksMel Brooks is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows...
/Carl ReinerCarl ReinerCarl Reiner is an American actor, film director, producer, writer and comedian. He has won nine Emmy Awards and one Grammy Award during this career...
comedy skit with both cave man jokes and ancient history jokes. The title character has lived to the present by not aging. - Grotto of the Dancing DeerGrotto of the Dancing Deer"Grotto of the Dancing Deer" is one of Clifford D. Simak's later short stories. It won the 1980 Nebula Award for Best Short Story and the 1981 Hugo Award for Best Short Story. It involves an archaeologist discovering an ancient painting and its painter....
1980 short story on a similar theme. - Last Supper (The Outer Limits), which features a women from Medieval Spain who survived into the present day after being the sole survivor after everyone in her village died from the Black Plague. She is subjected to brutal medical experiments by the US military to test her endurance and healing ability. The doctor who conducted the experiments injects lab rats with samples of her blood that has extended their lifespan so that even twenty years later they are still living.