Ron Howard shares emotional tribute to Roger Corman
Roger Corman, an innovative mind and one of the biggest historical influences on independent cinema, passed away on May 12th, aged 98, leading to a swathe of tributes from the film industry, including Ron Howard.
Corman’s list of accolades stretches far beyond the 50 feature films he was responsible for making. Though his exciting approach towards low-budget productions injected Hollywood with much-needed spice, he was also responsible for sourcing some of the most notable talents in modern cinema.
While working as a producer, Corman gave chances to a number of filmmakers who have since become huge names within the industry. He helped Francis Ford Coppola and Jonathan Demme direct their first movies, Dementia 13 and Fighting Mad. He also helped Howard with his debut feature, Grand Theft Auto, who has recently spoken out following the passing of Corman to deliver a heartfelt tribute.
He wrote (per Variety), “Roger not only mentored a couple of generations of high-profile filmmakers, but he also opened doors to many on the production side who were struggling to find career paths in the industry,” he continued, “When I was working for Roger, he had far more women in positions of authority throughout his company and various movie departments than any other studio at that time.”
Howard’s message continued as he spoke about the mentorship that Corman provided many filmmakers, noting, “For us rookie directors, he taught us to find our creative voices and express ourselves within the framework of popular entertainment genres. The audiences were always king, and despite the tight budgets, Roger pushed to deliver on each movie’s promise to the audience.”
In applying Corman’s lessons to his own work, Howard said, “In the case of Grand Theft Auto, that meant more cars, more zany characters and more outlandish crashes. But don’t think I didn’t learn lessons both in shooting and post-production that I’ve leaned on throughout my career.”
Finally, reflecting on the last time he saw Corman, Howard said, “When I last saw Roger, it was at a tribute to his career at the Aero Theatre last year, and it was a vivid reminder of the breadth of his work and impact on Hollywood. It was also gratifying as hell to see Roger so sharp and crackling with energy. What a life.”
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