Roger Corman, known as the “King of the Bs” for his work in low-budget Hollywood movies, has passed away at age 98.
A statement from his family remembered him as “generous, open-hearted and kind.” Throughout his half-century career, Mr.
Corman was an independent director and producer.
He made hundreds of B movies and mentored many in the industry.
Mr.
Corman’s films were revolutionary and iconoclastic.
They captured the spirit of an age, often revolving around horror, science fiction, and crime.
Some of his cult classics include “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Attack of the Crab Monsters,” and “Black Scorpion.” He maintained good relationships with major studio companies while producing his own independent projects, like his first feature film, “Monster From the Ocean Floor” in 1954.
His directorial acclaim came from a series of films based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe.
For the next 15 years, he directed almost all the films he produced.
He released at least eight pictures a year, with specialty theaters and drive-ins being the only bookers at the time.
His early films were shot in about ten days for less than $60,000 each.
It was during the 1960s that national chains began hosting his films due to increasing viewership among teenagers.
His openness to creating pictures about horror, sex, and drugs, often with unique titles, contributed to this rise in popularity.
Some of these films included “Little Shop of Horrors” and “The Trip.
By the early 1970s, Mr.
Corman’s influence extended beyond just creating classics as he became a source of new talent in Hollywood.
He took chances on A-list directors like Martin Scorsese, Jonathan Demme, Francis Ford Coppola, and James Cameron.
He also helped launch the acting careers of Robert De Niro, Jack Nicholson, Dennis Hopper, and William Shatner.
In 1971, Mr.
Corman founded his own production company, New World Pictures, which produced films such as “Women in Cages” (1971), “Death Race 2000” (1975), “Rock ‘n’ Roll High School” (1979), and “Galaxy of Terror” (1981.
He sold New World in 1983, creating a home video-focused production and distribution company called Concorde-New Horizons.
In the 1990s, he also sold Concorde and its library for $100 million.
Mr.
Corman won an honorary Oscar in 2009.
In 2011, a documentary feature, “Corman’s World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel,” was made about him.
His theory on filmmaking emphasized the importance of quick decision-making due to tight schedules, often resulting in unconventional and innovative choices.