Roger Corman

Biography

Roger Corman was an American film director and producer who became a leading figure in independent cinema. Born in Detroit in 1926, he started at 20th Century Fox as a messenger, then wrote scripts and produced his first feature, Monster from the Ocean Floor (1954). He directed or produced low-budget Westerns, horror and science fiction, including Day the World Ended (1955), War of the Satellites (1958), The Wasp Woman (1959), and Ski Troop Attack (1960). He also produced The Cry Baby Killer (1958), which served as Jack Nicholson's first lead. His adaptation House of Usher (1960) began a series of Edgar Allan Poe films. He co-founded New World Pictures, distributed foreign art films, and mentored directors such as Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese. In 2009, he received an Academy Honorary Award. He also acted in films by directors he had helped, and Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel (2011) covered his career. He died in 2024.

98years old at death

Born April 5, 1926Detroit
Died May 9, 2024Santa Monica
Star sign: AriesThe sign runs March 21 to April 19
Roger William Corman (birth name)

Movie Career

Films: 30
Career span: 67 years1954 to 2021

Genres

Documentary47%, 14 films
Horror40%, 12 films
Sci-Fi27%, 8 films
Comedy13%, 4 films
Adventure10%, 3 films

First and latest

Photos

Did you know?!

A first
Roger Corman's New World Pictures earned more Best Foreign Film Academy Awards over a 10-year span than every other studio put together.
Early training
Under the G.I. Bill, Corman attended the University of Oxford, where he studied English literature, and he also spent time living in Paris.
Behind the award
In 1998, the Cannes Film Festival handed out a Producer's Award for the first time, and Corman was the one who won it.

Roger Corman movies on Netflix

Boris Karloff: The Man Behind The Monster2021IMDb rating 7.6as Self - Interviewee
Memory: The Origins of Alien2019IMDb rating 6.8as Himself
Doomed! The Untold Story of Roger Corman's The Fantastic Four2015IMDb rating 6.8as Himself
That Guy Dick Miller2014IMDb rating 7.4as Himself
Extraordinary Tales2013IMDb rating 6.4as Prince Prospero (segment 'The Masque of the Red Death') (voice)
Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel2011IMDb rating 7.5as Himself
Still Screaming: The Ultimate Scary Movie Retrospective2011IMDb rating 7.3as Himself
Charles Beaumont: The Short Life of Twilight Zone's Magic Man2010IMDb rating 7.5as Himself
Dinoshark2010IMDb rating 3.2as Dr. Frank Reeves
Machete Maidens Unleashed!2010IMDb rating 7.3as Himself
Sharktopus2010IMDb rating 3.3as Beach Bum
Nightmares in Red, White and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film2009IMDb rating 7.1as Himself
Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story2007IMDb rating 7.5as Himself
The Sci-Fi Boys2006IMDb rating 6.9as Himself
The True Story of Hannibal2005IMDb rating 7.6as Self - Producer
A Decade Under the Influence2003IMDb rating 7.6as Himself
Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood2003IMDb rating 7.5as Himself
Looney Tunes: Back in Action2003IMDb rating 5.8as Hollywood Director
Scream 32000IMDb rating 5.7as Studio Executive
The Second Civil War1997IMDb rating 6.6as Sandy Collins
Lords of the Deep1989IMDb rating 2.7as Corporate executive
The State of Things1982IMDb rating 6.9as The Lawyer
Blood Bath1966IMDb rating 5.1as Antonio Sordi (in flashback)
Battle of Blood Island1960IMDb rating 4.9as Soldier on Hilltop
Ski Troop Attack1960IMDb rating 4.2as German Soldier Entering Cabin
The Wasp Woman1959IMDb rating 4.8as Hospital Doctor
The Cry Baby Killer1958IMDb rating 5.1as Joe - TV Truck Man
War of the Satellites1958IMDb rating 5.1as Ground Control
Day the World Ended1955IMDb rating 5.4as Nelson - Louise's Fiancée in Framed Photograph
Monster from the Ocean Floor1954IMDb rating 3.8as Tommy

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

Top

The Wasp Woman1959 Horror, Sci-Fias Hospital Doctor
IMDb rating 4.86.2K votes
Day the World Ended1955 Horror, Sci-Fias Nelson - Louise's Fiancée in Framed Photograph
IMDb rating 5.43.1K votes
Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel2011as Himself
IMDb rating 7.52.9K votes
Doomed! The Untold Story of Roger Corman's The Fantastic Four2015as Himself
IMDb rating 6.82.0K votes
Sharktopus2010as Beach Bum
IMDb rating 3.315K votes
Machete Maidens Unleashed!2010as Himself
IMDb rating 7.31.9K votes
War of the Satellites1958as Ground Control
IMDb rating 5.11.5K votes
Extraordinary Tales2013as Prince Prospero (segment 'The Masque of the Red Death')voice
IMDb rating 6.43.8K votes

Most often with

Joe Dante directed two of these films, Jack Hill two. Joe Dante appears in six of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

Top

Joe Dante

Dick Miller

Jonathan Haze

Peter Bogdanovich

John Landis

Forrest J. Ackerman

Joe DanteDirector, 2 films

Jack HillDirector, 2 films

Films together

Joe Dante6 films together, 2007 to 2021
Joe Dante's page
- Boris Karloff: The Man Behind The Monster2021IMDb rating 7.6Corman as Self - IntervieweeDante as Self - Interviewee
- That Guy Dick Miller2014IMDb rating 7.4Corman as HimselfDante as Himself
- Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel2011IMDb rating 7.5Corman as HimselfDante as Himself
- Machete Maidens Unleashed!2010IMDb rating 7.3Corman as HimselfDante as Himself
- Nightmares in Red, White and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film2009IMDb rating 7.1Corman as HimselfDante as Himself
- Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story2007IMDb rating 7.5Corman as HimselfDante as Himself
Dick Miller5 films together, 1958 to 2021
Dick Miller's page
- Boris Karloff: The Man Behind The Monster2021IMDb rating 7.6Corman as Self - IntervieweeMiller as Self - Interviewee
- That Guy Dick Miller2014IMDb rating 7.4Corman as HimselfMiller as Himself
- Looney Tunes: Back in Action2003IMDb rating 5.8Corman as Hollywood DirectorMiller as Security Guard
- The Second Civil War1997IMDb rating 6.6Corman as Sandy CollinsMiller as Eddie O'Neill
- War of the Satellites1958IMDb rating 5.1Corman as Ground ControlMiller as Dave Boyer
Jonathan Haze5 films together, 1954 to 2014
Jonathan Haze's page
- That Guy Dick Miller2014IMDb rating 7.4Corman as HimselfHaze as Himself
- Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel2011IMDb rating 7.5Corman as HimselfHaze as Self - Actor
- Blood Bath1966IMDb rating 5.1Corman as Antonio Sordi (in flashback)Haze as Beatnik
- Day the World Ended1955IMDb rating 5.4Corman as Nelson - Louise's Fiancée in Framed PhotographHaze as Contaminated Man
- Monster from the Ocean Floor1954IMDb rating 3.8Corman as TommyHaze as Joe
Peter Bogdanovich4 films together, 2003 to 2021
Peter Bogdanovich's page
- Boris Karloff: The Man Behind The Monster2021IMDb rating 7.6Corman as Self - IntervieweeBogdanovich as Self - Interviewee
- Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel2011IMDb rating 7.5Corman as HimselfBogdanovich as Himself
- A Decade Under the Influence2003IMDb rating 7.6Corman as HimselfBogdanovich as Himself
- Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood2003IMDb rating 7.5Corman as HimselfBogdanovich as Himself
John Landis4 films together, 2006 to 2021
John Landis's page
- Boris Karloff: The Man Behind The Monster2021IMDb rating 7.6Corman as Self - IntervieweeLandis as Self - Interviewee
- Machete Maidens Unleashed!2010IMDb rating 7.3Corman as HimselfLandis as Himself
- Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story2007IMDb rating 7.5Corman as HimselfLandis as Himself
- The Sci-Fi Boys2006IMDb rating 6.9Corman as HimselfLandis as Himself
Forrest J. Ackerman3 films together, 2006 to 2010
Forrest J. Ackerman's page
- Charles Beaumont: The Short Life of Twilight Zone's Magic Man2010IMDb rating 7.5Corman as HimselfAckerman as Himself
- Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story2007IMDb rating 7.5Corman as HimselfAckerman as Himself
- The Sci-Fi Boys2006IMDb rating 6.9Corman as HimselfAckerman as Himself
Joe DanteDirector, 2 films, 1997 to 2003
All films by Joe Dante
- Looney Tunes: Back in Action2003IMDb rating 5.8Corman as Hollywood Director
- The Second Civil War1997IMDb rating 6.6Corman as Sandy Collins
Jack HillDirector, 2 films, 1959 to 1966
All films by Jack Hill
- Blood Bath1966IMDb rating 5.1Corman as Antonio Sordi (in flashback)
- The Wasp Woman1959IMDb rating 4.8Corman as Hospital Doctor
Also three films together2 more actors
- Bob BurnsCorman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel (2011), Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story (2007) and The Sci-Fi Boys (2006)
- Allan ArkushThat Guy Dick Miller (2014), Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel (2011) and Machete Maidens Unleashed! (2010)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Box office

What Roger Corman's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

Top

Combined worldwide box office

$231 million

6 of the 30 films have a worldwide figure.

6Worldwide figure
3US gross only
5Never in cinemas
16Figure not found

Top grosser

Scream 32000Studio Executive$162 million

Highest grossing

The six biggest films earned 100% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

1
Scream 32000as Studio Executive
$162M70.0% of the total
2
Looney Tunes: Back in Action2003as Hollywood Director
$69M29.6% of the total
3
The Cry Baby Killer1958as Joe - TV Truck Man
$600K0.3% of the total
4
Day the World Ended1955as Nelson - Louise's Fiancée in Framed Photograph
$200K0.1% of the total
5
Monster from the Ocean Floor1954as Tommy
$117K0.1% of the total
6
A Decade Under the Influence2003as Himself
$35K0.0% of the total

Awards

Seven awards and honors from 1984 to 2012, one of them major.

Top

Roger Corman's awards and nominations, grouped by award
Year	Award	Result
Academy Awards
2010	Honorary Award	Honorary
Other honors
2012	Telluride Film Festival Silver Medallion	Won
1998	Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement	Won
1998	Time Machine Award	Won
1995	Inkpot Award	Won
1984	The President's Memorial Award	Won
	Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame	Honored

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

Top