Ivan Rogers
BornSeptember 20, 1954
DiedAugust 22, 2010(2010-08-22) (aged 55)
Indianapolis
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Actor, director, producer, musician
Years active1980s - 2010

Ivan Rogers (1954–2010) was an independent film actor, director and producer. He was also a musician. He appeared to be following in the footsteps of his mentor, fellow Indiana native, Fred Williamson.

Background

Rogers was born on September 20, 1954. He was one of three boys born to Paul B. Rogers and his wife Ola. His father was a building contractor.[1]

Rogers studied at Ball State University and was in a music program. He left the university to become a professional musician. He worked in various R&B bands and even backed Marvin Gaye. He was also a martial artist and a second dan black belt. A professional kick boxer, he competed in martial arts and kickboxing tournaments in the US and abroad.[2][3] He was approached by a video disc company executive to make an instructional video which he ended up starring in as well as writing and producing. In his travels he met former Elvis Presley bodyguard Mike Stone who had a degree of success with producing made-for-television movies. On the advice of Stone, Rogers moved to Los Angeles to further his film career. Fred Williamson gave him advice on other aspects of the film business.[4]

Career

In the mid 1980s, he had a video out called Karate & Self Defense, released through Best Film & Video Corporation.[5]

His 1987 film Two Wrongs Make a Right was directed by Robert Brown. It had a resemblance harking back to the black actioners of the 1970s. According to Variety Film Reviews it also had an abstract tone and a similarity to work by French filmmaker Jean-Pierre Melville.[6] He produced and directed Caged Women II about a woman who encounters, drugs, molestation and torture. Rogers played Detective Nate Penna in the film.[7][8] His films include Forgive Me Father which came out in the early 2000s.[9] In the film Rogers plays a hit man who has been living as a priest in Canada. Thought to be dead Father Virgil Garrett (played by Rogers[10]) goes after the people who killed his brother.[11] It premiered at the Madame Walker Theatre Center in Indiana in March 2000. Rogers donated a portion of the premiere takings to Indianapolis Police department.[12][13]

Death

He died in Indianapolis on 22 August 2010.[14]

Selected filmography

Actor
Title Role Director Year Notes #
One Way Out Det. Joe Weeks Paul Kyriazi 1986
Two Wrongs Make a Right Fletcher Quinn Robert Brown 1987 screen story and screenplay by Ivan Rogers
Slow Burn Murphy John Eyres 1989
Ballbuster Roosevelt Prophet Eddie Beverly Jr. 1989
The Runner Lewis T. Holden Chris Jones 1992
Striking Point Capt. Matthews Thomas H. Fenton 1995
Karate Raider Edwards Ronald L. Marchini, Charlie Ordonez 1995
Caged Women II Det. Nate Penna Ivan Rogers 1996 Screenplay by Ivan Rogers
Laserhawk Col. Lewis Teagarden USAF Jean Pellerin 1997
Forgive Me Father Father Virgil Garrett Ivan Rogers 2001
Down 'n Dirty Bartender Fred Williamson 2001
The Payback Man Jesse Cole Ivan Rogers 2010 Story by Ivan Rogers
Producer, writer, director
Title Role Year Notes #
Karate and Self-Defense Writer, producer 1985
One Way Out Producer, screen story and screenplay 1986
Tigershark Screenplay 1987
Two Wrongs Make a Right Producer, screen story and screenplay 1987
Ballbuster Producer 1989
Caged Women II Director, producer, screenplay & story 1996
Forgive Me Father Director, producer 2001
The Payback Man Director, producer, story 2010

[15]

References

  1. ↑ Hoosiers in Hollywood, David Lee Smith - Indiana Historical Society, 2006 - Page 300
  2. ↑ Indianapolis Recorder, January 25, 2002 - Page 5
  3. ↑ Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2010, By Harris M. Lentz III - Page 360 Rogers, Ivan
  4. ↑ Indianapolis Recorder, January 25, 2002 - Page 5
  5. ↑ Billboard Magazine, April 13, 1985 - Page 65 New Releases, HOME VIDEO
  6. ↑ Variety Film Reviews, Volume 21 - -
  7. ↑ Indianapolis Monthly, Oct 1996 - Page 199 Indiana On Screen
  8. ↑ Letterboxd - Caged Women II 1996 Directed by Ivan Rogers
  9. ↑ Indianapolis Recorder, January 25, 2002 - Page 5
  10. ↑ contactmusic.net - Forgive Me Father
  11. ↑ Indianapolis Monthly, January, 1998 - entertainment, BIT PART, One man's voyage through the low-budget film world of Indy auteur Ivan Rogers.
  12. ↑ Indianapolis Monthly, Mar 2000 - book Page 33 OUT-OF-THE-HOUSE-EVENTS - EDITED BY LOU HARRY
  13. ↑ Indianapolis Monthly, Mar 2000 - Page 46 FILMS
  14. ↑ BFI - Ivan Rogers
  15. ↑ Imdb - Ivan Rogers, Filmography
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