"No, we didn’t feel that we were creating something special or even unique. In fact, what has happened since--with all the millions and millions of fans...that it has formed 16 or 18 theatre companies and a $32 million musical film--was all a big surprise..."
                --Mel Welles

For a $5.95 movie, The Little Shop Of Horrors spawned a lot of fan interest, not to mention an off-Broadway musical and mega-million-dollar movie.  It seems Little Shop grew from a black-and-white cult film to...

By JASMINE ORR

Once, long long, ago, in a galaxy far, far away, you would find a  murderer, a semi-willing accomplice, a couple trying to get by who foster their love against the odds. Although these factors sound like a serious drama, you quickly change the category when adding to it that the bodies are being fed to a bribe-happy, singing plant, as well as a sadistic bad-boy dentist and his devoted but infuriating masochistic patient.

These factors make up Little Shop Of Horrors.

Our younger crowd will think of the movie musical, starring Rick Moranis. Our older crowd will think of the original version. Some may even be thinking of the off-Broadway version. Although it never became a blockbuster, Little Shop is a cult classic.

Off-Broadway version:

Enter Seymour: A quiet boy, in love with someone who is attached with nothing is working out in his life. His boss hates him, his parents are dead, his income is next to nothing, his rather wishful-thinking girl, Audrey, is dating a psychopath, and he has a plant that is getting on his nerves--literally. His boss, Mushnik, says he will fire Seymour if he does not keep his plant healthy...no problem until Seymour finds that the plant’s diet consists of blood.

He gives in to the bloodsucking plant in hopes of keeping his job, since the plant attracts customers, which results in money for Mushnik. Audrey begins to show interest in Seymour, which makes it that much easier on his conscience when he turns Audrey’s boyfriend into plant food. When Mushnik gets curious, Seymour ends up killing him too. At this point, the plant is ceiling high and has become rude and greedy. Seymour is inundated with offers concerning the plant. He accepts so he can take the money, destroy the plant, and move away with Audrey.

His plans are ruined when Audrey falls prey to Audrey Two, and he is so devastated, that he commits suicide, by jumping into the plant.

With the finale song "Don’t Feed the Plants," you are shown that Audrey Two has taken over the world.

1960: Much the same; the 1960 version is the original, and entitled The Little Shop Of Horrors.

This edition, directed by Roger Corman, isn’t a musical. Seymour’s father is gone and Seymour lives with his mother. Other changes are that Audrey is not dating the dentist and Seymour kills more people. The ending is changed—Seymour and a group of the public are gathered, ready to receive an award for Audrey, its pods open, showing the faces of all that it has eaten. Following is a long police chase, ending in Seymour diving inside the plant. The closing scene is Audrey Two opening its last pod, showing Seymour’s face.

1986: The musical.

The most widely known version, it follows the off-Broadway edition with the exception of the ending: Originally, both Audrey and Seymour died and Audrey Two goes on a downtown rampage. But when that ending was shown to its first audiences, they were upset, so the ending was re-shot. Instead, it ended with Seymour killing the plant with an electric surge and going off to live with Audrey…the last scene being a small Audrey Two in their garden, a maniacal grin on its face.

Seymour Krelborn: 1960, Jonathon Haze, 1986, Rick Moranis.

Timid and clumsy but very much in love, he’s the one who crossed plants and created Audrey Two. Audrey is the one he loves, but their romance is played up more in the later version.

Audrey: 1960, Jackie Joseph. 1986, Ellen Green.

Audrey’s character was one of two that were very different. In ’60, Audrey was a classy, well-dressed brunette. ’86 brought a voluptuous, no-fashion-sense, bleached blonde. She dates a psychopath and speaks in an almost inaudible whisper.

Audrey Two: 1960, ? 1986, Levi Stubbs.

The talking plant whose diet regimen is blood. He turns Seymour’s life into a living hell, blackmailing him into performing illegal acts.

Mr. Mushnik. 1960, Mel Welles, 1986, Vincent Gardenia.

The crotchety owner of the flower shop, who threatens Seymour with unemployment if he does not keep his plant healthy.

Dentist. 1960, Dr. Phoebus Farb, DDS, 1986, Orin Scrivello, DDS. 1960, John Shaner, 1986, Steve Martin.

This is the second changed character. In ’60, he is still sadistic, but Martin’s rendition is amazing. First seen in a leather jacket, next seen in a dentist's lab coat and last seen entering Audrey Two’s mouth.

Patient. 1960, Jack Nicholson, 1986, Bill Murray

Just those names give you images of the quality of this character. A young Nicholson does a wonderful job looking as deranged as ever in his role as the masochistic patient, and Murray hams it up as well. Murray is seen entering the office of pain and torture looking giddy and eager. When exiting, followed by a livid Orin, Murray is still grinning.

1960—Mrs. Shiva, Leola Wendorff.

Although she had a role in 1960, she is only briefly mentioned in the 1986 film as Mushnik's favorite customer—Her relatives are dropping like flies.

1960—Seymour’s Mother, Winnifred Vail

A rather small role, she is a hypochondriac who drinks medicine for its alcohol content.

1986 also brought us cameos; John Candy as the radio announcer that debuts Audrey Two, and Christopher Guest, the first Audrey Two fan, and Jim Belushi, the man who comes up with the idea of populating the world with baby Audrey Twos.

One of the most memorable roles throughout the 1986 version are the "Shoo-Bop" girls. Showing up whenever a song plays, they dance and sing away, adding to the scene with their bright personalities and outfits.  

First off, I noticed the lack of humor in the original. Since I saw the 1986 version first, the older one didn't seem as humorous. There were funny bits, such as the masochistic patient reading Pain Magazine, but for the most part, it was serious.

The 1960 version opens with music and a quaintly sketched town, as opposed to the depressing 1986 picture of downtown skid row, eternally wet streets glistening. A powerful voice begins to sing the infamous song "Downtown," and the movie has begun.

It is amazing what the inclusion of and the lack of music and singing can do. Adding the musical aspect accentuates the already present surreal feel. The whole feel of it is altered with the musical numbers.

A big thing that dates the 1986 version is Audrey’s version of a perfect life "somewhere that’s green." The comments about watching I Love Lucy on their big, enormous, 12-inch screen, etc.. only add to the surreal, fairy tale—or nightmare feel.

1986 brings us the "Shoo-Bop" girls, an implausible element. They always show up, singing in insane outfits to every song. If not in the foreground, shimmying to the beat, they are in the background. They always seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Bringing us to a question often asked of musicals: Why doesn’t anyone notice that all these people are singing in the middle of the street, or why does everyone knows the same dance moves?

The plant changed over the years. In 1960, it was a sign of how well movies were made. Audrey Two only spoke to say, "Feed me, I’m starving," etc., in a wimpy voice. It is nicknamed Audrey Junior, and called "the sweetest plant in the whole wide world."

In 1986, the plant was very animated—a quick tongue, vines to match, and a dirty vocabulary. With the strong, bawdy voice of Stubbs of the Four Tops behind it, it bellows out a few songs.

A newcomer to singing, Seymour (Moranis) impressed everyone with his singing voice. His vocal chords teamed up with Green’s made for a gorgeous combination.

I am used to modern movies, so it is hard not to find problems with older movies—bad filming, cheaply done, odd music, and Seymour’s acting are things I noticed with the original. But these are because of the time period it was made in. The 1960’s version seemed almost corny, when the newer one bordered on seeming almost plausible.

This time, the black and white filming did not change the feel. It was a small-budget movie. Yet, I see how it must have once seemed scary. The newer, musical version was not meant to frighten, but to entertain.

The original gave the masochistic patient a larger role—after being operated on by Seymour, he hears about the plant’s popularity and goes to the store to burgle it. But instead, he gets too close to the plant.

Seymour’s character was originally very weak—shy, clumsy and slow. In the remake, as the movie goes, he becomes braver, attacking the plant. In the 1960 version, the first feeding of a whole body to the plant is accidental—a train runs over a man and Seymour takes advantage of it, or Seymour is in a trance, muttering about feeding his "Master," and kills a hooker, not meaning to. In the dentist’s office, Seymour actually does go in because of a toothache and only kills the dentist in self-defense. These actions are all changes in character.

Some people consider both films to be  cult classics—yet, many people have never heard of them. They are not high-tech movies, although the plant is done very well in both versions, but the singing and acting in the musical are outstanding. The old version is even less well-known than the musical. In this day of technology and violence, we have lost the ability to appreciate older movies.

Remember to watch out for sadistic dentists, masochistic patients, suspicious-looking deaths, and lastly...

Don’t feed the plant.

We won't Jasmine...we'll just watch the plant...and we'll watch it in its natural habitat--Mushnik's little skid row shop in the original Corman film.  Cheers!

Article copyright Jasmine Orr

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