Gene Corman preceded his more-famous brother Roger in the film business, working as a motion picture agent. Beginning in 1956, he and Roger joined forces as producers to make such films as "Hot Car Girl", "Night of the Blood Beast", "Attack of the Giant Leeches" and "Beast from Haunted Cave" for distributors like AIP, Allied Artists and Roger's ...
[on filming The Intruder (1962)] We were run out of Sikeston, Missouri, the Klan [Ku Klux Klan] came after us, they threatened us--Christ, I'd never gone through such an experience before in my life! And wearing glasses was no protection!
2
[on The Intruder (1962)] "The Intruder" was a film that [brother Roger Corman] and I always wanted to make, and it violated some of our basic precepts. We got ourselves so caught up in "The Intruder" that it was the only film that he and I personally financed that lost money.
3
[on veteran heavy Leo Gordon, with whom he worked on Tobruk (1967)] Leo was a very burly, tough fellow, but--his background belied his looks . . . he was a very witty, interesting conversationalist. In many ways, his appearance in those tough-guy roles probably worked to his disadvantage, because to have Leo walk into a story conference was somewhat intimidating! I remember on "Tobruk" [Gordon not only acted in but wrote the screenplay for the film] having [director] Arthur Hiller, who is really a very fey, gentle soul, taken aback when he met Leo--it took maybe two or three story conferences before he could come to grips with the size and bulk of Leo! The way he presented himself was intimidating.
4
[on being forced to shoot Tower of London (1962) in black and white] Never make a picture in black and white. "Tower of London" was as if we were making a silent film when everyone else was using sound.
He won the Emmy Award for "A Woman Called Golda (1982)" starring Ingrid Bergman in 1982. Also in 1982, he won a Fellowship Award and the Christopher Award.
4
Interviewed in "Interviews with B Science Fiction and Horror Movie Makers: Writers, Producers, Directors, Actors, Moguls and Makeup" by Tom Weaver (McFarland 1988).
5
According to him, he had no plans to enter show business. He became interested in show business after reading magazine articles about a talent agent who spent most of his afternoons playing tennis at the Hollywood Country Club. He became an agent with MCA.
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He was a avid tennis player and was on the Stanford tennis team.
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1948 graduate of Stanford University, with a AB in Social Science/Social Thought
$9 Million
