The world of Hollywood mourns a major loss, a figure who revolutionised the big screen thanks to his crucial involvement in low-budget films, popularly known as ‘B-movies‘, and mentored actors and directors who went on to make great careers in the audiovisual world.
Roger Corman, aged 98, died on Thursday, May 9, at his home in Santa Monica (California).
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His family published an emotional statement in which they announced the farewell of this Hollywood personality: “He was generous, open-hearted and kind to all who knew him […] When asked how he would like to be remembered, he said: ‘I was a filmmaker, that’s all.'”
The American was involved in films such as ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ and ‘Attack of the Crab Monsters’, which were huge hits in their day.
Among the directors Corman has worked with in his feature films are such prominent figures as Francis Ford Coppola, Ron Howard, James Cameron and Martin Scorsese.
Jack Nicholson, Robert De Niro and Ellen Burstyn had their first chance with Corman
“Working on a low budget comes with a lot of limitations, but at the same time there are certain opportunities. You can gamble a bit more. You can experiment. You have to find a more creative way to solve a problem or present a concept,” the filmmaker said in a 2007 documentary.
Not only did he help directors, but he also gave actors such as Jack Nicholson, Robert De Niro, Bruce Dern and Ellen Burstyn their first opportunity.
There was always talk of the small budgets that the filmmaker managed in his projects. One of the best anecdotes was when Ron Howard asked him for an extra half day to finish filming ‘Grand Theft Auto’ in 1977.
Corman‘s response was: “Ron, you can come back if you want, but there won’t be anyone else.”
