Roger Corman

Director, Executive, Producer

About

Also Known As

Henry Neill, Roger William Corman

Birth Place

Detroit, Michigan, USA

Born

April 05, 1926

Biography

Filmography

Slaughter Studios (2002)

Director

Frankenstein Unbound (1990)

Director

Von Richthofen and Brown (1971)

Director

Bloody Mama (1970)

Director

Gas-s-s-s ... or It May Become Necessary To Destroy the World in Order To Save It! (1970)

Director

Gas-s-s-s! (1970)

Director

Photos & Videos

View All

Deathsport (1978) -- (Original Trailer)

The Big Doll House (1971) -- (Movie Clip) Open, Long Time Woman

Family & Companions

Julie Corman

Wife

Producer.

Bibliography

"Roger Corman: An Unauthorized Bioography of the Godfather of Indie Filmmaking"

Beverly Gray, Renaissance Books (2000)

"The Films of Roger Corman: 'Shooting My Way Out of Trouble'"

Alan Frank, Batsford (1998)

"How I Made a Hundred Movies in Hollywood and Never Lost a Dime"

Roger Corman and Jim Jerome, Random House (1990)

"Roger Corman: The Best of the Cheap Acts"

Mark McGee Thomas, McFarland (1988)

Biography

Ever since the early 1950s, famed indie producer and sometime director Roger Corman turned out hundreds of low-budget genre flicks while revolutionizing the way films were made and distributed. Working outside the studio system, Corman established a record as one of the most commercially successful filmmakers in Hollywood history, having had about 90 percent of his films turn a profit. Though he had made over 200 films in his career, there were a few that stood out as classics of their genre, including "Not of This Earth" (1957), "The Little Shop of Horrors" (1960), "The Raven" (1963), "Death Race 2000" (1975) and "Battle Beyond the Stars" (1980). Perhaps more important than being a success himself, Corman was singlehandedly responsible for launching numerous Hollywood careers, boasting some of the biggest names of the latter half of the 20th century as his protégés - Jack Nicholson, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Jonathan Demme, Joe Dante, Ron Howard, Peter Bogdanovich, John Sayles, Curtis Hanson and James Cameron, among many others, all of whom started their careers with Corman. Meanwhile, in the 1970s, he helped such foreign directors as Akira Kurosawa, Francois Truffaut and Ingmar Bergman gain a distribution foothold in the United States when no one else would take the chance. Having been one of the first producers to recognize the financial advantages of shooting in Europe while he used sets discarded from other lavish, expensive movies for his own films, it was no wonder that Corman, once dubbed the "King of the B's," had become one of the most prolific and successful producers of his day.

Filmography

Life Events

1949

Became story analyst for Fox

1954

First film distributed by American International Pictures, "The Fast and the Furious"

1954

First film as co-producer (also co-story), "Highway Dragnet"

1954

First film as producer for own production company (Palo Alto), "Monster from the Ocean Floor"

1955

Feature directing debut (also producer), "Five Guns West"

1960

Directed the original version of "The Little Shop of Horrors" in only two days

1962

Directed William Shatner in "The Intruder," based on a short story by Charles Beaumont

1971

Retired from directing to concentrate on production and distribution through his company New World Pictures

1974

Acted in Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather Part II" as one of the senators on the congressional committee

1975

Through his company New World Pictures, produced and distributed "Death Race 2000"

1983

Sold New World Pictures for $16.5 million (January) which had become the largest independent production and distribution company in the US

1983

Founded Concorde/New Horizons, a production company

1990

Returned to directing with the poorly received, "Frankenstein Unbound"

2001

Created his first TV series "Black Scorpion"

2008

Was the executive producer of "Death Race"

2015

Produced the TV movie "Sharktopus vs. Whalewolf"

2015

Voiced a role in the animated film "Extraordinary Tales"

Photo Collections

The Little Shop of Horrors (1960) - Lobby Cards

The Haunted Palace - Lobby Cards

Here are a few Lobby Cards from AIP's The Haunted Palce (1963), starring Vincent Price. Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8. As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions.

The Pit and the Pendulum - Lobby Card Set

Here is a set of Lobby Cards from AIP's The Pit and the Pendulum (1961), starring Vincent Price and directed by Roger Corman. Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8. As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions.

The Terror - Movie Poster

Here is the American one-sheet movie poster for Roger Corman's The Terror (1963). One-sheets measured 27x41 inches, and were the poster style most commonly used in theaters.

Dementia 13 - Lobby Cards

Here are a few Lobby Cards from Dementia 13 (1963), directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8. As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions.

Not of This Earth - Lobby Cards

Here are several Lobby Cards from Allied Artists' Not of This Earth (1957), starring Beverly Garland and directed by Roger Corman. Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8. As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions.

A Bucket of Blood - Lobby Card Set

Here is a lobby card set from Roger Corman's A Bucket of Blood (1959), starring Dick Miller. Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8. As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions.

Death Race 2000 - Pressbook

Here is the campaign book (pressbook) for Roger Corman's Death Race 2000 (1975). Pressbooks were sent to exhibitors and theater owners to aid them in publicizing the film's run in their theater.

The Harder They Come - Movie Poster

Here is the American one-sheet movie poster for the cult film The Harder They Come (1972), starring Jimmy Cliff. One-sheets measured 27x41 inches, and were the poster style most commonly used in theaters.

The Trip - Movie Poster

Here is the American one-sheet movie poster for the exploitation picture The Trip (1967). One-sheets measured 27x41 inches, and were the poster style most commonly used in theaters.

Grand Theft Auto - Movie Poster

Here is the American one-sheet movie poster for Grand Theft Auto (1977), starring Ron Howard. One-sheets measured 27x41 inches, and were the poster style most commonly used in theaters.

Attack of the Crab Monsters - Movie Poster

Here is the original half-sheet movie poster for Allied Artists' Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957), directed by Roger Corman.

The Trip - Pressbook

Here is the original campaign book (pressbook) for The Trip (1967). Pressbooks were sent to exhibitors and theater owners to aid them in publicizing the film's run in their theater.

A Bucket of Blood - Movie Poster

Here is the American one-sheet movie poster for A Bucket of Blood (1959), starring Dick Miller and directed by Roger Corman. One-sheets measured 27x41 inches, and were the poster style most commonly used in theaters.

A Bucket of Blood - Scene Stills

Here are several scene stills from A Bucket of Blood (1959), starring Dick Miller and directed by Roger Corman.