Roger Corman

Roger Corman is a brief but revealing presence in Andy Warhol’s diary, where the discussion of Bad places him at the intersection of film production, distribution, and reputation. The entries portray him both through Fred Hughes’s account of how decisions were made and through Warhol’s own observations during a visit to Corman’s office.

Identity and Screen Context

Corman enters the account through Bad, which had been shot in New York in 1976 with a union crew and a mix of Warhol’s studio performers and Hollywood professionals. By January 1977, Fred Hughes was discussing a New World distribution deal for the film with the lawyer Bob Montgomery. Corman’s connection to the prospective release made him a point of reference in those conversations, although the diary does not describe him as the person selecting films for distribution.

Bad and the Distribution Plan

On January 10, Hughes reported that Corman himself had not yet seen Bad, but that this would not determine its prospects: according to Hughes, Bob Rehme, rather than Corman, chose the movies. The plan was to try different ways of opening the film around the country, assess what worked, and bring it to New York afterward. The entry thus presents distribution as a process of testing regional approaches, not as a decision resting solely on Corman’s personal response to the film.

The Office Visit and Reputation

On March 25, Warhol and Hughes went to a meeting at Corman’s office in Los Angeles. Warhol described the office as being in a brand-new building and noted the young people working there. Hughes had characterized Corman as shy and reluctant to give interviews; Warhol’s impression from meeting him differed. The diary records Warhol’s view that Corman was not shy and had recently been giving many interviews, leaving a small but telling contrast between Corman’s reported reputation and the public-facing activity Warhol observed.