Mel Welles

Personal Info

Known For Actor

Gender Male

Birthday 1924-02-17

Deathday 2005-08-19 (81 years old)

Place of Birth New York City, New York, USA

Also Known As Ira W. Meltcher

Mel Welles

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 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. Description above from the Wikipedia article Mel Welles, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

Actor

2018
Howard

as Gravis Mushnick (archive footage)

1987
Rented Lips

as Milo

1987
Commando Squad

as Quintano

1987
Medium Rare

as Doctor

1986
1982
Homework

as Doctor

1981
Body and Soul

as Joe Gillardi

1981
Smokey Bites the Dust

as Abu Habib Bibubu

1981
Wolfen

as ESS Voice (voice)

1980
Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype

as Dr. Vince Hinkle

1977
Joyride to Nowhere

as Tank McCall

1972
Cut-Throats Nine

as Ray (voice) (uncredited)

1966
The She Beast

as Ladislav Groper

1963
The Keeler Affair

as Yevgeni Ivanovich

1962
The Red Sheik

as Hassan

1962
Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man

as Italian Sergeant (uncredited)

1960
The Little Shop of Horrors

as Gravis Mushnick

1959
Mr. Lucky

as Hoodlum

1958
High School Confidential!

as Charlie O'Flair

1958
The Brothers Karamazov

as Trifon Borissovitch

1958
The Texan

as Matt Lane

1957
Hell on Devil's Island

as Felix Molyneaux

1957
Rock All Night

as Sir Bop

1957
The Shadow on the Window

as Polikoff (uncredited)

1957
The Undead

as Gravedigger Smolkin

1957
Attack of the Crab Monsters

as Jules Deveroux

1957
The 27th Day

as Russian Marshal

1957
Maverick

as Carlos

1956
1956
Calling Homicide

as Valensi (uncredited)

1956
1955
The Fighting Chance

as Al Moreno

1955
Hold Back Tomorrow

as First Guard

1955
The Big Knife

as Mustached Party Guest

1955
Spy Chasers

as Nick

1955
Soldier of Fortune

as Fernand Rocha

1955
The Racers

as Fiori (uncredited)

1955
Alfred Hitchcock Presents

as Police Inspector Kafir

1954
The Silver Chalice

as Marcos (uncredited)

1954
Pushover

as Detective (uncredited)

1954
Massacre Canyon

as Gonzales

1954
Wyoming Renegades

as 'Whiskey' Pearson

1953
Appointment in Honduras

as Hidalgo (uncredited)

1949
The Lone Ranger

as Sheriff Pender

Director

1977
Joyride to Nowhere

as Director

1971
Lady Frankenstein

as Director

1968
The Last Mercenary

as Director

1967
1965
Our Man in Jamaica

as Director

1960
The Little Shop of Horrors

as Second Unit Director

1960
Code of Silence

as Director

Writer

1977
1967
Island of the Doomed

as Screenplay

1960
Code of Silence

as Writer

Producer

1990
Secret Agent 00 Soul

as Production Manager

1977
Joyride to Nowhere

as Producer

1971
Lady Frankenstein

as Producer