Throughout his 74-year career, Corman cast a large shadow over much of Hollywood and became a trailblazer for its independent scene.
Roger Corman, producer and writer of indie and B-movies like Death Race 2000 and Sharktopus, passed away on May 9, per Variety. He was 98 years old, and said to have passed surrounded by his family.
Born April 5, 1926, he got his Hollywood start as a mailroom clerk for 20th Century Fox in 1950. Eventually, he became a story reader and repeatedly provided notes for The Gunfighter starring Gregory Peck, and after learning he wouldn’t be credited, left Fox to start his own studio. He’d later raise enough money to produce the 1954 sci-fi flick Monster from the Ocean Floor, which did well enough that he decided to keep producing movies.
Throughout his career, Corman became known for making movies at a fast clip, the majority of which was genre fare like sci-fi, horror, and action.
