Pioneering Independent Producer And King Of B Movies, Roger Corman, Has Passed Away At 98
Image Source: JoBlo
Roger Corman passed away on May 9th at his home in Santa Monica at the age of 98. Corman started life as an engineer, but only managed a few days before deciding it was a huge mistake. He found work as a messenger at 20th Century Fox, and the rest was history.
The filmmaker became one of the most influential figures in Hollywood. Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, James Cameron and Polly Platt all got their starts under Corman.
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Corman gave Ron Howard his break as a director at 23, on Grand Theft Auto. He reportedly told Howard, “If you do a good job on this film, you'll never have to work for me again." Corman also helped Jack Hill (Foxy Brown, House of Evil) into the director’s chair. In an interview, Corman said:
“My ace assistant, Francis Coppola, shot a couple of days, then we shut down until we got some more money, then Jack Hill shot a few days, Monte Hellman shot a few days, and on the last day of shooting Jack Nicholson came to me and said, ‘Roger, every idiot in town has directed part of this film. Let me direct the last day.’ I said, ‘Why not, Jack? You can direct.”
Roger Corman made inventive and fun low-budget B-movies. As a filmmaker, he was prolific, producing over 491 films and directing 56 in his 67-year career. Corman preferred science fiction and horror, but he worked across the genres, creating cult classics like Little Shop of Horrors, The Blood Fist franchise, Machine-Gun Kelly and Piranha.
His film The Fall of the House of Usher, an adaption of an Edgar Allen Poe short story, has even been included in the Library of Congress as part of the National Film Registry. However, Corman has received recognition from all quarters, including lifetime achievement awards from The Academy Awards, The Bram Stoker Awards, The PGA’s, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Due to his popularity, he made cameos in a number of projects, including Beverly Hills, 90210, Apollo 13, Scream 3, The Manchurian Candidate, and Attack of the 50ft Cheerleader.
Roger Corman kept on working right up until his death in an industry he loved. His exceptional contribution will always be remembered. Corman is survived by his wife of over 50 years and his four children.
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