What was Roger Corman's Net Worth?
Roger Corman was a prolific movie director and producer who had a net worth of $200 million at the time of his death. Roger Corman died on May 9, 2024, at the age of 98. The full extent of Roger Corman's net worth was highlighted during a legal battle with his sons, who first sued him in 2009 over trusts valued between $120 million and $160 million. In 2018, they sued again to prevent the sale of their father's film library, claiming it was part of trusts established for them in 1978. The lawsuit was settled in 2020 on undisclosed terms.
Roger Corman was a pioneering figure in independent film. He directed numerous films including "The Little Shop of Horrors," "House of Usher," "The Intruder," "The Wild Angels," and "The Trip," which became low-budget cult classics. Corman also distributed works by prominent international filmmakers and mentored several directors who became central to the New Hollywood movement.
Early Life and Education
Roger Corman was born on April 5, 1926, in Detroit, Michigan, to Anne and William Corman. He had a younger brother, Gene, who also worked in the film industry. Corman attended Beverly Hills High School and then majored in industrial engineering at Stanford University. Realizing engineering wasn’t his passion, he enlisted in the V-12 Navy College Training Program. After serving in the Navy from 1944 to 1946, he returned to Stanford to complete his BS degree. In the early 1950s, he studied English literature at the University of Oxford.
Career Beginnings
In 1948, Corman briefly worked at US Electrical Motors in Los Angeles before quitting after four days. He then secured a job in the mailroom of 20th Century Fox, eventually becoming a story reader in 1950. Disappointed by the lack of credit for his contributions to "The Gunfighter," he left 20th Century Fox. Corman wrote and sold his script for "Highway Dragnet," which was produced by Allied Artists in 1954. He used the fee to produce "Monster from the Ocean Floor" and the crime drama "The Fast and the Furious."
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Film Directing
Corman's first directorial effort was the 1955 Western "Five Guns West," followed by films like "Apache Woman" and "Day the World Ended." In 1957 alone, he directed eight films, including "Attack of the Crab Monsters" and "Sorority Girl." His first critical success came with the 1958 biopic "Machine-Gun Kelly," starring Charles Bronson in his first leading role. The 1960s saw Corman finding success with "House of Usher," which launched a series of Edgar Allan Poe adaptations. That same year, the cult classic "The Little Shop of Horrors" was released.
In 1962, Corman released "The Intruder" with William Shatner. He continued directing notable films throughout the decade, including "The Masque of the Red Death" and "The Tomb of Ligeia." By the late 1960s, he directed cult hits like "The Wild Angels" with Peter Fonda and Nancy Sinatra. In the 1970s, Corman found success with "Bloody Mama" and directed his long-desired Red Baron project, "Von Richthofen and Brown." His final directorial effort was "Frankenstein Unbound" in 1990.
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Producing and Distribution
Corman made significant contributions as a producer and distributor. In 1959, he co-founded Filmgroup with his brother Gene, producing films like "High School Big Shot." Later, in 1970, they founded New World Pictures, which had great early success with films such as "The Student Nurses" and "The Big Doll House," triggering cycles of similar genre films. New World produced and distributed numerous iconic films, including "Death Race 2000," and handled US distribution for renowned international directors like François Truffaut and Federico Fellini. Notable later productions included the 1980 space opera "Battle Beyond the Stars." After selling New World in 1983, Corman founded Millennium Films, later renamed New Horizons, and the distribution company Concorde Pictures. He produced several popular creature features for the SyFy Channel.
Personal Life and Death
In 1970, Corman married Julie Halloran. They had four children and remained together until his passing.
On May 9, 2024, Roger Corman passed away at his home in Santa Monica, California, at 98 years old.
