The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)

By Wuchak

RELEASED IN 1960 and directed by Roger Corman, “Little Shop of Horrors” stars Jonathan Haze as Seymour, a klutzy worker at a Los Angeles Skid Row florist shop. On the verge of getting fired by the owner (Mel Welles), the young man brings his weird hybrid plant to the store to spur business. Unbeknownst to Seymour, it requires flesh & blood to grow and live. Jackie Joseph plays the other worker at the shop and Seymour’s potential girlfriend. A very young Jack Nicholson appears as a patient at a dentist office for about 8 minutes. Back when this was released I’m sure the black humor was almost scandalous (e.g. Seymour feeding body parts to the ravenous plant), but Corman got away with it because it’s such an inane, quirky comedy. A lot of the humor didn’t work for me and I personally don’t like black & white. But there are enough amusing elements to make it worth checking out and Jackie possesses a winsome sweetness that’s a pleasure to behold. Filmed in late December, 1959, the late 50s/early 60s ambiance is a highlight. THE FILM RUNS 1 hour & 12 minutes and was shot in Los Angeles. WRITER: Charles B. Griffith. ADDITIONAL CAST: Toby Michaels and Karyn Kupcinet are on hand as high school girls in need of flowers for a float. GRADE: C