Jonathan Haze

Jonathan Haze (born Jack Schachter, April 1, 1929) is an American actor, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his work in Roger Corman films, especially the 1960 black comedy cult classic, The Little Shop of Horrors, in which he played florist's assistant Seymour Krelboyne.

Jonathan Haze
Haze, as seen in The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)
Born
Jack Schachter

(1929-04-01) April 1, 1929
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
OccupationActor
Years active1954–2010
Known forSeymour Krelboyne in The Little Shop of Horrors
Spouse(s)Roberta Keith
(?–1981; divorced)
Parent(s)Mr. and Mrs. Harry Schachter

Early years

Haze is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Schachter of the Squirrel Hill neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[1]

Early career

Haze was working at a gas station in California when he was discovered by Wyott Ordung. Ordung was directing the movie Monster from the Ocean Floor (1954), which was being produced by Corman, and offered a small part to Haze.[2] Corman was impressed by Haze, and cast him in many of his films over the next ten years, including Apache Woman (1955), Day the World Ended (1955), Gunslinger (1956), The Oklahoma Woman (1956), It Conquered the World (1956), Swamp Women (1956), Naked Paradise (1957), Not of This Earth (1957), Rock All Night (1957), The Viking Women and the Sea Serpent (1957), Carnival Rock (1957), The Little Shop of Horrors (1960), and The Terror (1963). He also appeared in non-Corman films, such as Bayou (1957), Stakeout on Dope Street (1958), Ghost of the China Sea (1958) and Forbidden Island (1959).

Later work

In 1959, Haze guest starred in the episode "Terror Town" of NBC's western television series Cimarron City, starring George Montgomery. Dan Duryea who portrayed the mastermind of a criminal enterprise in silver who is the half-brother of Haze's character.[3]

Haze later branched into other aspects of film making. He wrote the 1962 science fiction/comedy film Invasion of the Star Creatures. He also worked in production for such films as Premature Burial (1962), The Terror (1963), Medium Cool (1969), Another Nice Mess (1972), and Corman's own The Born Losers (1967).[4]

Writing

In 1957, Haze sold his first screenplay to Arrarat Productions. The Monster of Nicholson Mesa was a parody of horror films.[5]

References
  1. Cohen, Harold V. (November 4, 1955). "The Drama Desk". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh. p. 26. Retrieved November 17, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Jonathan Haze Brief Biography". Archived from the original on September 18, 2011. Retrieved 2010-09-16.
  3. "Cimarron City: "Terror Town", October 18, 1958". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
  4. "Jonathan Haze on Flixter". Retrieved 2010-09-16.
  5. "First Screenplay Sold". Oakland Tribune. California, Oakland. September 7, 1957. p. 5. Retrieved November 18, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.

Further reading
  • Humphreys, Justin (2006). "Jonathan Haze". Names You Never Remember, With Faces You Never Forget : Interviews with the Movies' Character Actors (softcover) (First ed.). Albany, GA: BearManor Media. pp. 112–132. ISBN 978-1-62933-094-5.
  • Scary Monsters Magazine, June, 2010 no.75. "An Interview With Jonathan Haze", massive 29 page interview with Jonathan Haze by writers/interviewers, Paul Parla and Lawrence Fultz Jr.
  • Scary Monsters Magazine, January, 2007 no. 61. "Not Of This Earth Interview Jonathan Haze" by writers/interviewers, Lawrence Fultz Jr. and Dennis Druktenis.
  • Psychotronic Magazine, 1998. Vol.1, no.27 "Jonathan Haze" article/interview by Justin Humphreys.
  • Filmfax, Vol.1 no.5. "Jonathan Haze" article/interview by Sharon Williams.


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