Roger Corman: a career in pictures
Best known for his low-budget Edgar Allan Poe adaptations, Corman also produced over 400 films and helped kickstart the careers of Jack Nicholson, Nicholas Roeg, Peter Fonda, James Cameron and Martin Scorsese
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Roger Corman was born 5 April 1926 in Detroit, Michigan.This publicity image is circa 1955
Photograph: Hulton Archive/Getty Images
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Day The World Ended, 1955
Corman started directing films in 1955 and had made eight by the end of 1956Photograph: Alamy
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The Undead, 1957
Poster by Albert KallisPhotograph: The Kobal Collection
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Not Of This Earth and Attack Of The Crab Monsters, both 1957
These two movies were released as a double featureComposite: Movie Poster Image Art/ Getty Images
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Attack of the Crab Monsters, 1957
This was Corman’s most prolific year, directing nine moviesPhotograph: Alamy
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Teenage Doll, 1957
A Film Noir influenced girl gang moviePhotograph: Everett/REX Shutterstock
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The Wasp Woman, 1959
A lurid tale that cost an estimated $50,000 to makePhotograph: Moviestore/REX Shutterstock
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The Fall of the House of Usher, 1960
This was the first of eight films of Poe’s works by Corman. Vincent Price (here with Myrna Fahey) starred in all but onePhotograph: Everett/REX Shutterstock
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The Little Shop of Horrors, 1960
Corman cast a young Jack Nicholson in several movies including this, The Raven and The St. Valentine’s Day MassacrePhotograph: Alamy
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The Pit and the Pendulum, 1961
Corman and Vincent Price on setPhotograph: Everett/REX Shutterstock
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The Pit and the Pendulum, 1961
Corman inspects the pendulum on setPhotograph: Everett/REX Shutterstock
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X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes, 1963
Poster by Reynold BrownPhotograph: Public Domain
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X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes, 1963
Corman lines up a shot of leading man Ray MillandPhotograph: Hulton Archive/Getty Images
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Tomb of Ligeia, 1964
Corman produced Martin Scorsese’s first major film, Boxcar Bertha and, as a thank you, Scorsese included a clip from Tomb in his next film, Mean StreetsPhotograph: Everett/REX Shutterstock
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The Masque of the Red Death, 1964
Nicholas Roeg was cinematographer on this Poe adaptationComposite: BFI
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The Wild Angels, 1966
Corman and assistant director Peter Bogdanovich directing Peter FondaPhotograph: Everett/REX Shutterstock
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The Wild Angels, 1966
Peter Fonda had the idea for Easy Rider as a result of this biker flick. Poster by Reynold BrownPhotograph: Everett/REX Shutterstock
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The Wild Angels, 1966
Corman chats with Nancy Sinatra on setPhotograph: Ronald Grant Archive
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The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, 1967
20th Century Fox gave Corman a big budget and long deadline but he came under on both. He preferred shoestring budget movies shot quicklyComposite: REX Shutterstock/Alamy
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The Trip, 1967
This movie, written by Jack Nicholson and starring Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper, began the psychadelic film craze of the late 60s and early 70sPhotograph: Movie Poster Image Art/Getty Images
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Bloody Mama, 1970
The 70s saw Corman move away from behind the camera to concentrate on producing. He produced over 400 movies in his lifetimeComposite: REX/Ronald Grant Archive
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Corman and his wife Julie (they were married in 1970) and daughter Catherine outside the Orpheum Theatre in New York on 31 August 1982 after a performance of Little Shop of Horrors, a stage musical based on Corman’s 1960 film
Photograph: Getty Images
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Frankenstein Unbound, 1990
After a hiatus of almost 20 years Corman returned to directing one last timeComposite: REX Shutterstock
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Roger Corman accepts an honorary Oscar in 2009.
Photograph: Michael Yada/Getty Images
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Corman photographed at the Sundance film festival in Utah on 20 January 2013
Photograph: Victoria Will/Invision/AP
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