The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)

Most people would know Little Shop of Horrors from the stage musical and subsequent movie starring Rick Moranis and Ellen Greene.  Long before that it was a movie directed by low-budget maven Roger Corman, who rushed it into production, got principle filming done in two days and made sure it was out in theaters early the next year.  There are several stories about why there was such a quick film schedule, but it helped already having sets that had been made for other films and a willing accomplice in screenwriter Charles Griffith. 

Seymour Krelborn (Jonathan Haze) works in a skid row flower shop owned by Gravis Mushnik (Mel Welles).  After Seymour makes one mistake too many Mushnik decides to fire him over the objections of his cashier Audrey (Jackie Joseph), who has a crush on Seymour.  Desperate to keep his job so he can care for his hypochondriac mother (Myrtle Vail) he tells Mushnik of a plant he created and has named Audrey, Jr.  The plant, though interesting, isn't doing too well until it accidentally gets a taste of Seymour's blood.

Audrey, Jr. soon requires more than just a few squirts of blood and, after his clumsiness results in the death of a railroad detective (Robert Coogan) Seymour brings back what can be salvaged to feed to his plant.  Mushnik catches him in the act, but says nothing, since the plant continues to grow and attract visitors and revenue to the shop.  Soon the disappearances are noticed by detectives Fink (Wally Campo) and Stoolie (Jack Warford), who begin to investigate, while both Seymour and Mushnik become concerned that Audrey, Jr. is beyond their control.

There are differences in the original plot, as Audrey, Jr. does not come from outer space, but is instead a hybrid created by Seymour himself.  It still talks, though, with Griffith providing the voice.  The dentist (John Herman Shaner) is still here but isn't a rival for Audrey's affections.  Instead he is part of an hilarious sequence involving Wilbur Force (Jack Nicholson) showing up to be put in as much pain as possible.  There is also a character that should have been included in the musical but was left out, which is Fouch (Dick Miller), a man who sees Mushnik's flower shop as a smorgasbord. 

When I originally saw the film - with no cover declaring it a comedy - I expected it to be a cheap 1950s film whose plot was saved by making the musical.  Rather, it is a well-written slapstick farce loaded with Borscht Belt humor, Audrey's attempts to use big words in stunning horrible ways and, for the budget, about as good a puppet as they could get for the plant, even if most of it is paper.  The best thing is that no one is acting like they are making a skid row picture.  Everyone is having fun, and the results show. 

The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)

Time: 73 minutes

Starring: Jonathan Haze, Mel Welles, Jackie Joseph

Director: Roger Corman