Roger Corman, a trailblazing filmmaker who carved out a revolutionary path in low-budget cinema and launched the careers of countless Hollywood stars, has died at the age of 98. The B-movie king had directed and produced hundreds of films before passing away on Thursday at his home in Santa Monica, California.
A statement from Corman’s family celebrated him, saying,
“His films were revolutionary and iconoclastic, and captured the spirit of an age. When asked how he would like to be remembered, he said, ‘I was a filmmaker, just that.'”
The late producer had an appetite for low-budget films including action and science fiction. Actors like Jack Nicholson and Robert De Niro both got their start working on Corman’s sets, honing their craft under his mentorship.
Roger Corman’s empire, which operated under various banners like New World Pictures and Concorde/New Horizons, also rivaled major studios in productivity while maintaining profitability. Furthermore, he provided opportunities to women in key creative roles and looked beyond barriers of age, race, and gender.
Born in Detroit on April 5th, 1926, Corman’s passion for filmmaking blossomed after his family’s move to Los Angeles during his teenage years. Following service in World War II and studies at Stanford University, he scraped together funds to produce his first film, “Monster from the Ocean Floor,” in 1954.
From there, Roger Corman’s rise was fueled by a relentless work ethic, churning out a steady stream of low-budget productions for American International Pictures (AIP) throughout the 1950s and 60s. His Edgar Allan Poe-inspired horror series, featuring stars like Vincent Price and Boris Karloff, became cult classics.
While many of his films were dismissed as exploitation fare, his impact extended far beyond the drive-in circuit. He pioneered innovative marketing strategies for art-house cinema, introducing audiences to foreign masterpieces from filmmakers like Ingmar Bergman.
