Roger CORMAN

* 05.04.1926, Detroit, USA † 09.05.2024, Santa Monica, California, USA

Regisseur, Produzent * (nach dem Militär- bzw. Kriegsdienst) studiert engineering [Ingenieurwesen] an der Stanford University * 1948 geht zu Twentieth Century-Fox und versucht beim Film Fuß zu fassen (messenger boy, story analyst/script reader) * (nach einem Aufenthalt in Europa) wagt 1953 erneut einen Versuch im Filmgeschäft - diesmal als Produzent und Drebuchautor (Highway Dragnet) * 1954 Debüt als Regisseur (Five Guns West) - bis 1970 dreht fast 50 Filme und macht sich einen Namen durch günstig produzierte, jedoch qualitativ überdurchschnittliche und kommerziell erfolgreiche B-Movies (/.../ his standard method of operation: inexpensive productions shot in the minimum amount of time, often in less than one week." Encyclopaedia Britannica) * realisiert die meisten seiner Filme für die kleine, unabhängige Produktionsfirma American International Pictures [AIP] * 1960-64 inszeniert acht Produktionen (fast alle mit Vincent Price in der Hauptrolle) nach Vorlagen von Edgar Allan Poe * 1970 beendet praktisch seine Karriere als Filmregisseur (1989 kehrt für Frankenstein Unbound noch einmal hinter die Kamera als Regisseur zurück), gründet mit seinem Bruder Gene New World Pictures und betätigt sich fortan als Produzent und Verleiher * 1983 verkauft New World Pictures und gründet anschließend neue Firmen (New Horizons /1984/ > Produktion & Concorde /1985/ > Verleih) * 1990 veröffentlicht seine Autobiographie How I Made a Hundred Movies in Hollywood and Never Lost a Dime * erlangt filmhistorische Bedeutung durch die Förderung von später berühmten Regisseuren (James Cameron, Francis Ford Coppola, Jonathan Demme, Martin Scorsese) oder Schauspielern (Jack Nicholson)

"I started as a writer and then I became a writer-producer. I produced two films and I watched what the directors were doing and I simply said: 'I can do that'. So, I just took over on the third film that I produced and started directing. I watched the two directors and saw what they were doing. I looked to other films and studied them, the way the shots were laid out and so forth, and taught myself to direct."

"The $100 and $200 million films are dominating the box office so much that there is no space, or very little space, for the independent films. Every now and then an independent film will come through and can do some business at the box office. So the genre is not completely dead, but it's been heavily damaged."
FILMS

Five Guns West (Fünf Revolver gehn nach Westen, 1954-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: R. Wright Campbell, K: Floyd Crosby, M: Buddy Bregman, D: John Lund * Dorothy Malone) 78m-Western (11-12; 5504)

Apache Woman (Heiße Colts und schnelle Pferde, 1955-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Lou Rusoff, K: Floyd Crosby, M: Ronald Stein, D: Lloyd Bridges * Joan Taylor * Lance Fuller) 83m-Western (06-07; 5510) > "... the first time that I tried to deal with the subject of racial prejudice within the framework of a commercial movie."

Day the World Ended (Die letzten Sieben, 1955-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Lou Rusoff, K: Jock Feindel, M: Ronald Stein, D: Richard Denning ° Lori Nelson ° Adele Jergens) 79m-Science-Fiction (09; 5601)

Swamp Women (Vier Frauen im Sumpf, 1955-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: David Stern, K: Frederick E. West, M: Willis Holman, D: Marie Windsor ° Carole Matthews ° Beverly Garland) 67/71m-Krimiabenteuer (10-?; 5610, LA)

The Oklahoma Woman (Einer schoss schneller, 1955/56-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Lou Rusoff, K: Frederick E. West, M: Ronald Stein, D: Richard Denning * Peggie Castle * Cathy Downs) 72m-Western (12-?; 5606)

Gunslinger (Sonntag sollst du sterben, 1956-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Charles B. Griffith, Mark Hanna, K: Frederick E. West, M: Ronald Stein, D: John Ireland * Beverly Garland * Allison Hayes) 77/83m-Western (01-02; 5606)

It Conquered the World (1956-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Lou Rusoff, K: Frederick E. West, M: Ronald Stein, D: Peter Graves * Beverly Garland * Lee Van Cleef) 68/71m-Science-Fiction (04; 5607)

Not of This Earth (Gesandter des Grauens, 1956-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Charles B. Griffith, Mark Hanna, K: John J. Mescall, M: Ronald Stein, D: Paul Birch ° Beverly Garland ° Morgan Jones) 67m-Science-Fiction (06-2 Wochen; 5703)

The Undead (1956-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Charles B. Griffith, Mark Hanna, K: William Sickner, M: Ronald Stein, D: Pamela Duncan ° Richard Garland ° Allison Hayes) 71/5m-Horror (07-08; 5703)

She Gods of Shark Reef (1956-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Robert Hill, Victor Stoloff, K: Floyd Crosby, M: Ronald Stein, D: Don Durant ° Lisa Montell ° Bill Cord) 63m-Abenteuer (08-?; 5808)

Naked Paradise / Thunder over Hawaii (1956-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Charles B. Griffith, Mark Hanna, K: Floyd Crosby, M: Ronald Stein, D: Richard Denning, Beverly Garland, Lisa Montell, Leslie Bradley) 68m-Drama (09-2 Wochen; 5701)

Attack of the Crab Monsters (1956-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Charles B. Griffith, K: Floyd Crosby, M: Ronald Stein, D: Richard Garland ° Pamela Duncan ° Russell Johnson) 62/7m-Sci-Fi-Horror (11-?; 5703)

Rock All Night (1956-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Charles B. Griffith, K: Floyd Crosby, ML: Buck Ram, D: Dick Miller ° Russell Johnson ° Abby Dalton) 62m-Krimidrama (12; 5704)

Teenage Doll (1957-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Charles B. Griffith, K: Floyd Crosby, M: Walter Greene, D: June Kenney ° Fay Spain ° John Brinkley) 67/71m-Krimidrama (02-?; 5709)

Carnival Rock (1957-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Leo Lieberman, K: Floyd Crosby, M: Walter Greene & Buck Ram, D: Susan Cabot ° Brian G. Hutton ° David J. Stewart) 75m-Musikdrama (05-06; 5709)

Sorority Girl (Aufruhr im Mädchenheim, 1957-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Ed Waters, K: Monroe P. Askins, M: Ronald Stein, D: Susan Cabot ° Dick Miller ° Barboura O'Neill [=Barboura Morris]) 62m-Drama (07-?; 5710)

The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent / Viking Women and the Sea Serpent (1957-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Lawrence Louis Goldman, K: Monroe P. Askins, M: Albert Glasser, D: Abby Dalton ° Susan Cabot ° Brad Jackson, June Kenney, Richard Devon) 65m-Abenteuer (08; 5801)

War of the Satellites (Planet der toten Seelen, 1957-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Lawrence Louis Goldman, K: Floyd Crosby, M: Walter Greene, D: Dick Miller ° Susan Cabot ° Richard Devon) 66m-Science-Fiction (12; 5804)

Machine-Gun Kelly (Revolver-Kelly, 1958-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: R. Wright Campbell, K: Floyd Crosby, M: Gerald Fried, D: Charles Bronson * Susan Cabot) 80/4m-Gangsterfilm (01-02; 5805)

Teenage Cave Man (1958-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: R. Wright Campbell, K: Floyd Crosby, M: Al[bert] Glasser, D: Robert Vaughn ° Darrah Marshall ° Leslie Bradley) 66m-Sci-Fi-Abenteuer (04-05; 5807) [AT: Prehistoric World]

I, Mobster (Gangster Nr. 1, 1958-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Steve Fisher, K: Floyd Crosby, M: Gerald Fried, Edward L. Alperson, Jr., D: Steve Cochran * Lita Milan) 80m-Krimidrama (Roman von Joseph Hilton Smyth, 1951) (07-08; 5902)

The Wasp Woman (Die Wespenfrau, 1958-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Leo Gordon, K: Harry Neumann, M: Fred Katz, D: Susan Cabot ° Fred/Anthony Eisley ° Barboura Morris) 66/73m-Horror (12; 5910)

A Bucket of Blood (Das Vermächtnis des Professors Bondi, 1959-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Charles B. Griffith, K: Jack/Jacques R. Marquette, M: Fred Katz, D: Dick Miller ° Barboura Morris ° Antony Carbone) 66m-Gruselfilm (05 > 5 Tage; 5910)

Last Woman on Earth (1959-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Robert Towne, K: Jack/Jacques Marquette, M: Ronald Stein, D: Antony Carbone ° Betsy Jones-Moreland ° Edward Wain [= Robert Towne]) 71m-Science-Fiction (06; 6009)

Creature from the Haunted Sea (1959-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Charles B. Griffith, K: Jack/Jacques Marquette, M: Fred Katz, D: Antony Carbone ° Betsy Jones-Moreland) 60m-Horrorkomödie (5 Tage; 6106)

Ski Troop Attack (1959-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Charles B. Griffith, K: Andrew M. Costikyan, M: Fred Katz, D: Frank Wolff ° Michael Forest) 62m-Kriegsfilm (10 Tage; 6005)

The Little Shop of Horrors (Kleiner Laden voller Schrecken, 1959-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Charles B. Griffith, K: Arch R. Dalzell, M: Fred Katz, D: Jonathan Haze ° Jackie Joseph ° Mel Welles) 70m-Horrorkomödie (12; 6009)

House of Usher / The Fall of the House of Usher (Die Verfluchten, 1960-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Richard Matheson, K: Floyd Crosby, M: Les Baxter, D: Vincent Price, Mark Damon, Myrna Fahey, Harry Ellerbe) 79/86m-Horror (Kurzgeschichte The Fall of the House of Usher von Edgar Allan Poe, 1839) (01; 6007)

Atlas (1960-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Charles B. Griffith, K: Basil Maros, M: Ronald Stein, D: Michael Forest) 79/84m-Abenteuer (08-10; 6105)

The Pit and the Pendulum (Das Pendel des Todes, 1961-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Richard Matheson, K: Floyd Crosby, M: Les Baxter, D: Vincent Price ° John Kerr ° Barbara Steele ° Luana Anders) 80/5m-Horror (Erzählung von Edgar Allan Poe, 1842) (01; 6108)

The Intruder / I Hate Your Guts! / [1966] Shame (Weißer Terror, 1961-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Charles Beaumont, K: Taylor Byars, M: Herman Stein, D: William Shatner ° Frank Maxwell ° Jeanne Cooper) 84m-Drama (Roman von Charles Beaumont, 1959) (07-08; 6205)

Premature Burial (1961-USA) (Kurzgeschichte von Edgar Allan Poe) (10-11; 6203)

Tales of Terror (1961-USA) (Kurzgeschichten von Edgar Allan Poe) (11-12; 6207)

Tower of London (Der Massenmörder von London, 1962-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Leo Gordon, Amos Powell, James B. Gordon, K: Arch R. Dalzell, M: Michael Andersen, D: Vincent Price, Michael Pate, Joan Freeman, Robert Brown) 79m-Historiendrama (03-15 Tage; 6210)

The Young Racers (Schnelle Autos und Affären, 1962-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: R. Wright Campbell, K: Floyd Crosby, M: Les Baxter, D: Mark Damon ° William Campbell ° Luana Anders) 82m-Actiondrama (05-?; 6310, NY)

The Raven (Der Rabe - Duell der Zauberer, 1962-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Richard Matheson, K: Floyd Crosby, M: Les Baxter, D: Vincent Price * Peter Lorre * Boris Karloff) 86m-Horrorkomödie (Gedicht von Edgar Allan Poe, 1845) (09-10; 6301)

The Terror (The Terror - Schloß des Schreckens, 1962-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Leo Gordon, Jack Hill, K: John M. Nickolaus, Jr. M: Ronald Stein, D: Boris Karloff, Jack Nicholson, Sandra Knight) 81m-Horror (10/+1963; 6309, LA)

X - The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (Der Mann mit den Röntgenaugen, 1963-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Robert Dillon, Ray Russell, K: Floyd Crosby, M: Les Baxter, D: Ray Milland, Diana van der Vlis, Harold J. Stone, John Hoyt & Don Rickles) 80m-Sci-Fi-Horror (03 > 3 Wochen; 6309)

The Haunted Palace (Die Folterkammer des Hexenjägers, 1963-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Charles Beaumont, K: Floyd Crosby, M: Ronald Stein, D: Vincent Price * Debra Paget * Lon Chaney, Jr.) 85m-Horror (Kurzgeschichte von Edgar Allan Poe /1839/ + Kurzgeschichte The Case of Charles Dexter Ward von H. P. Lovecraft /1941/) (04; 6309)

The Secret Invasion (Geheimauftrag Dubrovnik, 1963-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: R. Wright Campbell, K: Arthur E. Arling, M: Hugo Friedhofer, D: Stewart Granger * Raf Vallone * Mickey Rooney * Edd Byrnes & Henry Silva) 95m-Kriegsabenteuer (Sommer > 36 Tage; 6409)

The Masque of the Red Death (1963-GB) (Kurzgeschichte von Edgar Allan Poe) (11-12; 6406)

The Tomb of Ligeia (Das Grab der Lygeia, 1964-GB; R: Roger Corman, B: Robert Towne, K: Arthur Grant, M: Kenneth V. Jones, D: Vincent Price * Elizabeth Shepherd) 81m-Horrordrama (Kurzgeschichte von Edgar Allan Poe, 1838) (06-?; 6412)

The Wild Angels (Die wilden Engel, 1966-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Charles B. Griffith, K: Richard Moore, M: Mike Curb, D: Peter Fonda * Nancy Sinatra, Bruce Dern & Diane Ladd) 87/93m-Actiondrama (03-04; 6607)

The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (Chikago-Massaker, 1966-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Howard Browne, K: Milton Krasner, M: Fred Steiner, D: Jason Robards * George Segal * Ralph Meeker * Jean Hale) 100m-Gangsterkrimi (10-12; 6706)

The Trip (1967-USA) (03-04; 6708)

Target: Harry / How to Make It (Target: Harry, 1967-USA; R: Henry Neill=Roger Corman, B: Bob Barbash, K: Patrice Pouget, M: Les Baxter, D: Vic Morrow, Suzanne Pleshette, Victor Buono, Cesar Romero, Stanley Holloway, Charlotte Rampling, Michael Ansara) 85m-Thriller (6905)

Bloody Mama (Bloody Mama, 1969-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Robert Thom, K: John A. Alonzo, M: Don Randi, D: Shelley Winters, Pat Hingle, Don Stroud, Diane Varsi) 90m-Gangsterfilm (08-?; 7003)

Gas-s-s-s / Gas! -Or- It Became Necessary to Destroy the World in Order to Save It. (G.A.S.S. oder: Es war notwendig, die Welt zu vernichten, um sie zu retten, 1969-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: George Armitage, K: Ron Dexter, M: Country Joe & the Fish, D: Robert/Bob Corff ° Elaine Giftos ° Bud Cort) 79m-Schwarze Komödie (12 > 4 Wochen; 7009)

Von Richthofen and Brown (Manfred von Richthofen - Der rote Baron, 1970-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: John William Corrington, Joyce H[ooper] Corrington, K: Michael Reed, M: Hugo Friedhofer, D: John Phillip Law ° Don Stroud, Barry Primus, Karen Huston) 97m-Kriegsdrama (06-09; 7106)

(Roger Corman's) Frankenstein Unbound (Roger Cormans Frankenstein, 1989-USA; R: Roger Corman, B: Roger Corman, F.X. Feeney, K: Armando Nannuzzi, Michael Scott, M: Carl Davis, D: John Hurt * Raul Julia, Bridget Fonda, Jason Patric, Michael Hutchence, Nick Brimble) 85m-Horrorthriller (Roman von Brian Aldiss, 1973) (06-08; 9011)
AWARDS

Career Achievement Award [Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards 1996]

Honorary Award / Ehrenoscar [Academy Awards 2010]
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