A fan of Tarantino, he discovered Scorsese, Cameron and Coppola: the king of B-series Roger Corman has left us at the age of 98.

A fan of Tarantino, he discovered Scorsese, Cameron and Coppola: the king of B-series Roger Corman has left us at the age of 98.

On May 27, 2023, the Cannes Film Festival invited him to present the main prize of the 76th Festival (Area of ​​Interest) in the company of his biggest fan, Quentin Tarantino, who introduced him as. “Her Hero”. Hollywood legend, prolific producer and discoverer of today’s essential talent, Roger Corman died Thursday, May 9, at his home in Santa Monica, California, surrounded by loved ones, according to our colleagues. variety. He was 98 years old.

On the stage of the Palais des Festivals a year ago, he said to a long standing ovation reserved for him: “Wow, Cannes! And finally! What a joy to share this stage with Quentin. My cinema knows no inhibitions, it’s full of excess, laughter, and I get the impression that Cannes is too. It’s the most exciting film festival in the world. And you’re all lucky to be a part of it.

A talented scout

After studying engineering, Roger Corman joined 20th Century in 1948 and gradually rose through the company’s ranks. Major Hollywood.

In the mid-1950s, he began a very prolific artistic career that saw him alternate between the roles of producer, distributor, screenwriter and actor. At the same time, he proved himself as the discoverer of many talents, such as Martin Scorsese, James Cameron, Sylvester Stallone, Jack Nicholson, Brian De Palma, Robert De Niro and Ron Howard.

Director

With the establishment of the American International Pictures (AIP) company, Samuel Z. with Arkoff and James H. Roger Corman achieved success with Nicholson.

All genres are addressed by the American, but he has been making his mark since 1960 with the production of horror films: Little Shop of Horrors, then eight films adapted from the works of Edgar Allan Poe, such as The Fall of the House of Usher, The Torture Chamber and The. Empire of Terror.

Jack Nicholson in Roger Corman’s Little Shop of Horrors.

Behind the camera, Roger Corman stood out for only fifteen years. He made his debut in 1955 with Western Five guns in the westAnd wouldn’t stop until 1990, after the release of Frankenstein’s Resurrection with John Hurt and Bridget Fonda.

Tireless actor and producer

He then focused on his acting career. We see him in great performances such as The Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia, Apollo 13 or Scream 3. Francis Ford Coppola also offered him the role of a senator in The Godfather, Part 2 in 1972.

As a producer, directly or indirectly involved, Roger Corman can be associated with more than 500 films, an impressive number explained by the fact that AIP released a film or more a month for years. In 1957 alone, there were 18 feature films.

Francis Ford Coppola spoke on our microphone about Roger Corman and his contribution to the film industry:


Source: Allocine

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