The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)

The Little Shop of Horrors is a 1960 American black‑comedy horror film directed by Roger Corman and written by Charles B. Griffith. Shot in just two days on leftover sets from A Bucket of Blood, it became one of the most enduring cult films of the era, later inspiring the stage musical and the 1986 big‑budget remake. Its blend of absurdist humor, deadpan performances, and low‑budget ingenuity has made it a cornerstone of American midnight‑movie culture.

Plot Summary

In the skid‑row flower shop of Gravis Mushnick (Mel Welles), hapless assistant Seymour Krelborn (Jonathan Haze) unveils a strange hybrid plant he has been cultivating. He names it Audrey Junior, after his co‑worker and secret crush, Audrey Fulquard (Jackie Joseph).

The plant soon reveals its true nature: it thrives only on human blood. Seymour begins feeding it with pinpricks from his fingers, but as Audrey Junior grows, so does its appetite. The plant demands full bodies, speaking the famous command: “Feed me!”

A series of darkly comic accidents and murders follow—Seymour’s dentist visit, a botched robbery, and various mishaps that conveniently provide the plant with sustenance. As Audrey Junior becomes a local sensation, Seymour’s guilt and fear escalate. The climax sees the plant turning on its creator, consuming him and leaving Mushnick’s shop with a grotesque new crop of talking buds.

Cast

• Jonathan Haze as Seymour Krelborn
• Jackie Joseph as Audrey Fulquard
• Mel Welles as Gravis Mushnick
• Dick Miller as Burson Fouch
• Myrtle Vail as Mrs. Shiva
• Jack Nicholson as the masochistic dental patient (early cameo)
• Wally Campo, Leola Wendorff, and others in supporting roles

Production Notes & Context

• Directed by Roger Corman, who shot the film in two days and one night, using leftover sets to minimize cost.
• Script by Charles B. Griffith, whose absurdist humor shapes the film’s tone—deadpan, macabre, and self‑aware.
• Produced by The Filmgroup, Corman’s independent company.
• The plant puppet Audrey Junior was operated through a combination of hand controls and simple mechanical rigs, giving it a jerky, uncanny presence.
• The film’s copyright lapsed, placing it in the public domain, which contributed to its widespread circulation on television and home video.
• Jack Nicholson’s cameo as a dental patient became one of the film’s most famous elements, though it was originally just a small gag role.

Legacy

The Little Shop of Horrors is now regarded as a cult classic of American independent cinema. Its influence extends far beyond its modest origins:

• It inspired the 1982 Off‑Broadway musical, which in turn led to the 1986 film adaptation.
• It remains a key example of Corman’s ability to turn minimal resources into enduring pop‑culture artifacts.
• Its mixture of horror, comedy, and satire helped shape the tone of later genre hybrids.
• The film’s public‑domain status ensured its survival and popularity among collectors, archivists, and midnight‑movie audiences.

For cataloging purposes, it stands as a foundational title in low‑budget American horror‑comedy and a prime example of Corman’s early production methods.