MovieChat Forums > Little Shop of Horrors (1986) Discussion > Question re the original "Meek Shall Inh...

Question re the original "Meek Shall Inherit"-scene

posted 9 years ago by yniehr
2 replies | jump to latest

I am currently in preparations for my bachelor thesis which will deal with "Little Shop of Horrors" and I´ve got a question for those that have seen the longer "Meek Shall Inherit"-scene (on yt or wherever):

When Seymour gets to the part "But then there´s Audrey etc." there is a very specific setup with Audrey clad in a billowing long scarf on a pedestal and Seymour wearing a black turtleneck in front of a pink background. This whole thing strikes me as so specific, it seems like some sort of reference. However, I can´t figure it out. Does it reference some certain movie or scene? Or more generally a mood or atmoshpere? Maybe colorful 1950s advertising?

I´d apprectiate any kind of constructive input ;)

"Magic. Got it."

[–] martymcsly2k1 9 years ago

It's an homage to The Broadway Melody Ballet from 1952's Singin' in the Rain
https://youtu.be/p2ytvJxTjTU

This writeup might be helpful
http://www.filmsite.org/sing3.html

The young dancer is not allowed to follow his dream girl, although he is ushered through a stage door to the Columbia Burlesque stage, where he soon rises to fame, becoming a star of Palace Vaudeville and eventually entering The Ziegfeld Follies. Outfitted in a tuxedo at a fancy gala celebration while surrounded by flappers, he sees the beautiful girl again. As an imagined, idealized dream vision in a scarf dance, she wears a long [25 feet or longer] white, fluttering and billowing silk scarf. He lyrically dances with her 'pas de deux' in a romantic setting of pinks and grays, but when he returns to reality, she rejects him and he becomes forlorn. He walks off to the huge Broadway set that opened the number, where he sees another young hoofer arriving in town - like himself years earlier. His spirits are revived, and he joyfully leads the massive chorus in a large-scale finale to "Broadway Melody."

[–] yniehr 9 years ago

Thank you so much!

YAHTZEE!!!