RIP: Roger Corman

Roger Corman,  the award-winning writer, actor, director and producer died on May 9, 2024.  Mr. Corman was 98.

After graduating high school Roger Corman went to Stanford University.  While in the program, Mr. Corman decided he didn’t want to be an engineer.  He enlisted in the Navy and served two years.  He then went back to Stanford to complete his degree.  Mr. Corman’s career as an engineer lasted less than a week.  He quit and got a job in the 20th Century Fox mailroom.

From the mailroom, Roger Corman took various jobs to learn as much as he could about filmmaking.  He sold his first script and worked on the film as an associate producer.  Mr. Corman formed his own production company and raised money to produce his first film.  He never looked back.

Over the course of his career Roger Corman worked as an actor (46 credits), director (56 credits) and producer (493 credits).  He is noted for hiring young, untested talents such as Jack Nicholson, Sly Stallone, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, James Cameron, Gale Anne Hurd, Jonathan Demme, Ron Howard, Peter Bogdanovich and others.  Roger Corman won an Honorary Academy Award in 2010.

Roger Corman’s writing resume includes: The Gunfighter (uncredited script consultant); Highway Dragnet (story); The Fast and the Furious (1954) (story); The Little Shop of Horrors (co-writer uncredited); The Terror (uncredited); Frankenstein Unbound (screenplay); Black Scorpion (creator – 22 episodes).

Some of Roger Corman’s acting appearances include: Monster from the Ocean Floor; Highway Dragnet; Day the World Ended; The Crybaby Killer; The Wasp Woman; Battle of Blood Island; Blood Bath; The Godfather Part II; Cannonball; The Howling; Swing Shift; Lords of the Deep; The Silence of the Lambs; Philadelphia; Apollo 13; Beverly Hills 90210; Scream 3; The Manchurian Candidate (2004); Dinoshark; Sharktopus and Attack of the 50 Foot Cheerleader.

Roger Corman’s directing resume includes: Five Guns West; The Beast with a Million Eyes; Day the World Ended; It Conquered the World; Attack of the Crab Monsters; Not of This Earth; The Undead; Rock All Night; Carnival Night; Machine-Gun Kelly; I, Mobster; A Bucket of Blood; House of Usher; The Little Shop of Horrors; The Pit and the Pendulum; The Premature Burial; The Intruder; Tales of Terror; Tower of London; The Raven; The Terror; X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes; The Haunted Palace; The Masque of the Red Death; The Tomb of Legeia; The Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre; The Trip; Bloody Mama; Deathsport; Battle Beyond the Stars and Frankenstein Unbound.

Roger Corman’s producing credits include: Highway Dragnet; Monster from the Ocean Floor; The Fast and the Furious; The Beast with a Million Eyes; Day the World Ended; It Conquered the World; Attack of the Crab Monsters; Machine-Gun Kelly; I, Mobster; The Wasp Woman; Bucket of Blood; House of Usher; The Little Shop of Horrors; The Pit and the Pendulum; The Premature Burial; The Intruder; Tales of Terror; The Raven; X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes; Dementia 13; The Haunted Palace; The Masque of the Red Death; The Tomb of Ligeia; Ride in the Whirlwind; The Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre; The Trip; Targets; Pit Stop; Bloody Mama; Boxcar Bertha; Amarcord; Cockfighter; Big Bad Mama; Capone; Death Race 2000; The Romantic Englishwoman; The Story of Adele H; Nashville Girl; Eat My Dust; Jackson County Jail; Cannonball; Grand Theft Auto; I Never Promised You a Rose Garden; A Hero Ain’t Nothin’ But a Sandwich; Deathsport; Piranha; Saint Jack; The Lady in Red; Breaker Morant; Battle Beyond the Stars; Shogun Assassin; Space Raiders; Deathstalker; Stripped to Kill; Big Bad Mama II; Bloodfist II; Frankenstein Unbound; Dead Space; Bloodfist III: Forced to Fight; Kyko; Black Scorpion (22 episodes); Marlene Dietrich: Her Own Song; Rage and Discipline; Saurian and Death Race (2008).

I admire Roger Corman’s talent and tenacity.  He was able to be successful as a writer, director, actor and producer.  The length of his career is amazing.  He worked with legends such as Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre and Vincent Price.  He gave starts to the careers of Sly Stallone, Jack Nicholson and James Cameron to name three.  There were many more.  I always thought it was cool that Mr. Corman was known best for his low budget films, yet we would see him turn up acting in movies like The Godfather Part II, The Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia and Apollo 13.  

I don’t know that we’ll ever see another career to match Roger Corman’s.

Out thoughts and prayers go out to Roger Corman’s family, friends and fans.