Mel Welles
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Mel Welles (February 17, 1924 - August 18, 2005) was an American film actor. His best-remembered role may be that of hapless flower shop owner Gravis Mushnik in the 1960 low-budget Roger Corman dark comedy, The Little Shop of Horrors (which featured Jack Nicholson as a masochistic dental patient).
Not much is known of Welles' early life, except that he was born Ira Meltcher in New York City. He graduated from Mt. Carmel High School, in 1940. He went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree from Penn State University, a Master of Arts degree from West Virginia University, and a Ph.D. in psychology from Columbia University.
Welles held a number of jobs during his lifetime; at one time or another he worked as a clinical psychologist, radio DJ, television actor, writer and film director. He did some stage work before traveling to Hollywood, where in 1953 he appeared in his first film, Appointment in Honduras. His favorite role (The Little Shop of Horrors) was also his last in the U.S. for many years.
In the early 1960s, he left the United States to act, produce and direct primarily in European film productions including the cult horror films Maneater of Hydra (1967) and Lady Frankenstein (1971). His fluency in five languages proved to be most helpful. He also served as a film consultant. Later he returned to the U.S., appearing in a number of films, doing voice work, and teaching voice acting.
Probably his most widely seen work in the late 1970's was his English adaptation of the Japanese television show, "Spectreman" which was seen on UHF and cable across the United States. While he shares writing credit with two other people, it's clear that most of the English voice work, and the offbeat humor, is his.
In 1998, Welles took to the stage in a community theater production of Little Shop of Horrors (musical) as Mushnik, the role he created in the original Roger Corman film. Welles had never performed in the musical and was happy to be asked to do the role, which he described as a "mitzvah" for Scotts Valley Performing Arts. Jonathan Haze, who played Seymour in the original film, attended the opening, and Welles also received a visit from Martin P. Robinson, the designer of the Audrey II plant puppets used in the off-Broadway production (Robinson is also famous for his puppetry on Sesame Street).
Welles was working on a horror screenplay, tentatively titled House of a Hundred Horrors, at the time of his death.
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Photos
Films (59)
The Lady and the Orgy
2023 · Self
Piecing Together Lady Frankenstein
2018
Howard
2018 · Gravis Mushnick (archive footage)
The Truth About Lady Frankenstein
2007 · Self
Secret Agent 00 Soul
1990 · Production Manager
Wizards of the Lost Kingdom II
1989 · Caedmon
Invasion Earth: The Aliens Are Here
1988 · Mr. Davar
Rented Lips
1988 · Milo
Commando Squad
1987 · Quintano
Medium Rare
1987 · Doctor
Chopping Mall
1986 · Cook
Spectreman versus Hedron
1984 · Various
Homework
1982 · Doctor
The Last American Virgin
1982 · Druggist
Body and Soul
1981 · Joe Gillardi
Smokey Bites the Dust
1981 · Abu Habib Bibubu
Wolfen
1981 · ESS Voice (voice)
Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype
1980 · Dr. Vince Hinkle
Joyride to Nowhere
1977 · Tank McCall, Producer, Writer, Director
Lady Frankenstein
1971 · Director, Producer
The Last Mercenary
1968 · Director
Hello Glen Ward, House Dick
1968 · Director
The Day the Hot Line Got Hot
1968
Island of the Doomed
1967 · Director, Screenplay, Story
The She Beast
1966 · Ladislav Groper
Our Man in Jamaica
1965 · Director
The Keeler Affair
1963 · Yevgeni Ivanovich
The Reluctant Saint
1962
The Red Sheik
1962 · Hassan
Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man
1962 · Italian Sergeant (uncredited)
Code of Silence
1960 · Writer, Director
The Little Shop of Horrors
1960 · Gravis Mushnick, Second Unit Director
High School Confidential!
1958 · Charlie O'Flair
The Brothers Karamazov
1958 · Trifon Borissovitch
Hell on Devil's Island
1957 · Felix Molyneaux
Rock All Night
1957 · Sir Bop
The Shadow on the Window
1957 · Polikoff (uncredited)
The Undead
1957 · Gravedigger Smolkin
Attack of the Crab Monsters
1957 · Jules Deveroux
The 27th Day
1957 · Russian Marshal
Flight to Hong Kong
1956 · Boris
Calling Homicide
1956 · Valensi (uncredited)
Outside the Law
1956 · Milo
The Fighting Chance
1955 · Al Moreno
Hold Back Tomorrow
1955 · First Guard
The Big Knife
1955 · Mustached Party Guest
Kismet
1955 · Beggar (uncredited)
Duel on the Mississippi
1955 · Sheriff
Spy Chasers
1955 · Nick
Soldier of Fortune
1955 · Fernand Rocha
Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy
1955 · Iben
The Racers
1955 · Fiori (uncredited)
The Silver Chalice
1954 · Marcos (uncredited)
Pushover
1954 · Detective (uncredited)
Massacre Canyon
1954 · Gonzales
Jesse James vs. the Daltons
1954
Wyoming Renegades
1954 · 'Whiskey' Pearson
Appointment in Honduras
1953 · Hidalgo (uncredited)
Gun Fury
1953
Séries (14)
Mr. Lucky
1959 · Hoodlum
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1958
The Texan
1958 · Matt Lane
The Walter Winchell File
1957
Maverick
1957 · Carlos
Have Gun, Will Travel
1957
Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers
1956
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955 · Police Inspector Kafir
Jungle Jim
1955
Cheyenne
1955
Private Secretary
1953
I Led Three Lives
1953
The Ford Television Theatre
1952 · Fat Man
The Lone Ranger
1949 · Sheriff Pender