Christian Laspada
Roger Corman, who died last week at 98, was a writer, director, producer, and mentor to some of the most influential and famous filmmakers. From films like The Little Shop of Horrors (1960) to Dinocroc (2004), Corman’s work spanned genres and styles, with influences still seen today. His legacy is filled with schlocky drive-in, B-rated, direct-to-video movies that have since become cult classics. Beyond his own work, he had a knack for seeing talent and gave several directors and actors their big break such as Martin Scorsese, James Cameron, and Gale Ann Hurd. The world has lost a once-in-a-lifetime creative genius, but Corman’s legacy will continue to reverberate through cinema after his death.
Born in Detroit, Michigan in 1926, Corman started his career in film as a messenger in the 20th Century Fox mail room. He quickly climbed his way up to a story reader but left after not receiving credit for his ideas used in The Gunfighter (1950). He got his big break in 1954 after selling his script for Highway Dragnet (originally called “House in the Sea”) for $2,000 to William F. Broidy at Allied Artists. He used this money and his personal contacts to produce his first feature-length film Monster from the Ocean Floor (1954). The film was produced by Corman’s own company Palo Alto. His passion and creativity were fueled by the release of Monster from the Ocean Floor, and he went on to release the racing-car thriller The Fast and the Furious (1955) which he eventually licensed to Universal in 2001 (yes, THAT Fast and Furious). Ironically, “fast and furious” perfectly described Corman’s work ethic. He was known for releasing several low-budget horror films back-to-back, taking about a week to make each of them. This work ethic led to him directing over 50 films in his filmmaking career.
One of Corman’s early successes was 1960’s The Little Shop of Horrors. The film was reported to have been shot in two days and one night and is a cult classic that perfectly encapsulates Corman’s cultural impact and sense of humor. The film wasn’t an immediate success, but later culminated in an off-Broadway musical adaptation in 1982 and a movie version of the musical in 1986 and is hailed as a classic. In the 60s, Corman decided to move away from low-budget films and proposed an adaptation of “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe which would be an in-color film with a budget of $200,000. The film House of Usher (1960) was shot in 15 days and was a critical and commercial hit. This resulted in the Corman-Poe cycle, a series of horror films adapted from Edgar Allen Poe stories directed by Corman and starring Vincent Price.
Corman’s drive and love for creation extended beyond the big screen, especially after the 1970s. Corman operated a short-lived comic book series from 1995-96 called “Roger Corman’s Cosmic Comics”. The comics were based on his films including titles like Welcome to the Little Shop of Horrors and Death Race 2020. He continued to produce creature films, working with the Syfy Channel to release made-for-TV films like Raptor (2001) and Dinocroc (2004). He continued making movies for the Syfy Channel, with his last film ever released being 2017’s Death Race 2050.
Corman had a clear talent for filmmaking and writing, but he also had an incredible skill to see the talent and potential in others. Corman is responsible for some of the most successful directors and actors known today as he took a chance and gave them their big break. From talents like Martin Scorsese, Bruce Dern, Francis Ford Coppola, Joe Dante, James Cameron, Charles Bronson, Dennis Hopper, and more – their film careers were all nurtured in one way or another by Corman. He was also known for giving women more opportunities than they typically had in the film industry at that time, including Penelope Spheeris and Gale Ann Hurd. He allowed these creatives to find their voice and express themselves within the realm of film and entertainment. He gave major film directors their break by serving as a producer for classics such as Bogdanovich’s paranoid film Targets (1968), Scorsese’s Mean Streets (1973), and Coppola’s ax-murder movie Dementia 13 (1963). He mentorship and influence are solidified in modern cinema and have revolutionized the way movies are made.
In 1994 Roger Corman and Bernd Eichinger produced The Fantastic Four which was never released but can be found on line in places like You Tube.
The modern era of film would be radically different without the influence of Roger Corman. His passion, work ethic, and creativity produced critically acclaimed cult classics and gave way for the careers of several famous filmmakers. It’s so rare to have a gem and creative genius like Corman in the entertainment industry. The world lost Corman on May 9, 2024, but his legacy and influence will live on forever.
