Roger Corman, renowned for producing low-budget movies including 'Little Shop of Horrors,' passes away at 98.
Roger Corman, the renowned filmmaker known as the "King of the B Movies" and the "Pope of Pop Cinema," passed away on May 9, 2022, in his Santa Monica home, surrounded by his family. His wife, Julie Corman, and their daughters, Mary and Catherine, shared the news in a heartfelt statement on his verified Instagram page.
The statement acknowledged Roger's generous, open-hearted, and kind nature, emphasizing his dedication as a father who deeply loved his daughters. It also commended his revolutionary and iconoclastic films, which captured the essence of an era.
In the 1950s and '60s, Corman's style of exploitation cinema thrived. He brought to life several Edgar Allan Poe tales, with Vincent Price starring in most of them, such as "House of Usher" and "The Masque of the Red Death." Corman exploited the fact that the Poe stories were public domain, a testament to his resourceful approach to filmmaking. His films also cast a young Jack Nicholson in "The Raven" and featured the future "Shock Theater" host in "The Little Shop of Horrors" (1960), which was later transformed into a musical and remade for the big screen.
Corman's career included movies with provocative titles like "The Beast with a Million Eyes" and "It Conquered the World" in the 1950s, which were shot speedily and on limited budgets, even compared to the standards of the time.
Corman was born in Detroit, Michigan. In California, where his family relocated, he developed a passion for movies. Post-WWII, he earned an engineering degree from Stanford University and later landed a position at a Hollywood studio before venturing into independent film production.
Corman sought out young filmmakers because they were more affordable. He mentored future filmmaking giants like Francis Ford Coppola, Peter Bogdanovich, and Martin Scorsese.
Legendary director and "Happy Days" star Ron Howard fondly remembered Corman as an "extraordinary movie maker and mentor" in a heartfelt social media post. "When I was 23, he gave me my first shot at directing. He set many careers in motion and subtly influenced our industry in significant ways. He remained active and sharp even at 98," stated Howard.
In 1970, Corman established New World Pictures. He continued producing and distributing low-budget movies while also serving as the US distributor for critically acclaimed international films, including Ingmar Bergman's and Federico Fellini's works.
Corman directed one of his final films, "Frankenstein Unbound," in 1990. A few years later, he produced a movie surrounded by intrigue: "Fantastic Four," based on the Marvel Comics super-team. The film was shot in just three weeks as the rights to such an adaptation were about to expire. It later became a cult favorite among comic book aficionados.
Corman's expansive connections throughout Hollywood resulted in him appearing in numerous films, including "The Godfather Part II," "The Silence of the Lambs," and one of the "Scream" sequels.
In 2009, Corman received an honorary Academy Award for his outstanding contributions to the film industry. His autobiography was titled "How I Made a Hundred Movies in Hollywood and Never Lost a Dime."
Joe Dante, the director of "Gremlins," paid tribute to Corman at an event in October 2023, remarking, "I can't think of anyone with as much knowledge about movies as Roger. And those who learned under his tutelage believe their most creatively fulfilling years were spent with someone so knowledgeable."
During a 2022 interview with Paste magazine, Corman took pride in the many successful filmmakers whose early careers he fostered, explaining, "I'm thrilled to see so many of the men and women who started with me experiencing such remarkable achievements. I'm friends with all of them, and I genuinely enjoy it."
In a message to CNN, Julie Corman shared her husband's dedication to helping others, stating, "He was equally passionate about boosting the careers of others as he was about his own career. He believed in shooting on the streets when no one else did. He thought to bring 'Cries and Whispers' to drive-ins when no one else would." When asked how Corman wanted to be remembered, she replied, "He wished to be remembered simply as a filmmaker."
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Roger Corman's influence in the entertainment industry extended beyond filmmaking, with his productions often showcased on television.
His low-budget movies, like "The Little Shop of Horrors," gained popularity not only in theaters but also as television shows, reaching a wider audience and continuing to entertain people decades after their initial release.
Source: edition.cnn.com
