Corman was famous for giving a lot of guys their first break as actors and directors, as long as they worked cheap. Realizing he wasn't going to be cute forever, Howard wanted to direct. Corman said, "Great, no problem, but you have to star in the movie, too."
Rance. Rance Howard, not Chance. A longtime character actor, seen most recently in "Cinderella Man" as one of the fight referees.