Jonathan Haze: A B-Movie Icon Passes Away at 95
Jonathan Haze, a celebrated figure of B-movie cinema, known for his roles in nearly 20 cult classics directed by the legendary Roger Corman, passed away on Saturday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 95 years old. His daughter, Rebecca Haze, confirmed the news of his death.
Haze, who arrived in Los Angeles with dreams of stardom, found himself working at a gas station in 1952 when he was discovered by Wyott Ordung, a budding actor and director who had connections with Corman. At that time, Corman was just beginning a prolific career that would see him produce over 300 exploitation films and direct around 50, including notable titles such as The Beast With a Million Eyes and Teenage Cave Man.
Corman recognized Haze’s potential and cast him in two films in 1954: Monster From the Ocean Floor, directed by Ordung, and The Fast and the Furious, which would later inspire the blockbuster franchise featuring Vin Diesel, where Haze played an uncredited role.
- Among the numerous Corman films featuring Haze was Not of This Earth (1957), where he shared the screen with Paul Birch and Beverly Garland.
- He also appeared in Gunslinger (1956), collaborating again with Garland, alongside Chris Alcaide and Martin Kingsley.
As noted by the Tumblr site Know Your B Movie Actors, Haze was a small, slight man with a boyish charm, making it unlikely for him to take on leading roles even within Corman’s unconventional universe. Instead, he embraced the opportunity to portray a variety of eccentric characters, often embodying the quirks of oddballs and misfits in the films that defined a generation of low-budget cinema.
