Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1982) (TV)

Directors:

Terry Hughes
Harold Prince

Writers:

Christopher Bond (play)
Hugh Wheeler (musical) ...

Release Date:

12 September 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Musical | Drama | Thriller | Horror

Plot:

Benjamin Barker alias Sweeney Todd, returns to London after being deported to find out what happened...

Plot Keywords:

Revenge | Barber | Murder | Trapdoor | Imprisonment

Awards:

Won 3 Primetime Emmys. Another 4 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Angela Lansbury	...	Nellie Lovett
George Hearn	...	Sweeney Todd
Cris Groenendaal	...	Anthony Hope
Sara Woods	...	Beggar Woman
Edmund Lyndeck	...	Judge Turpin
Calvin Remsberg	...	The Beadle
Betsy Joslyn	...	Johanna
Sal Mistretta	...	Pirelli
Spain Logue	...	Birdseller
Walter Charles	...	Passerby
Michael Kalinyen	...	Jonas Fogg
Roy Gioconda	...	Company
Skip Harris	...	Company
Duane Morris	...	Company
Patricia Parker	...	Company

Also Known As:

Sweeney Todd (Australia)

Runtime:

140 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Canada:14A | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | UK:12

Filming Locations:

Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles County Music Center - 135 N. Grand Avenue, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

RKO Pictures

Trivia:

Though Angela Lansbury won the 1979 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Mrs. Lovett on Broadway, this production is the national tour, filmed while in Los Angeles.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: The Beggar Woman's mouth does not quite move in time with her final verses in "Johanna" (Act II).

Quotes:

[first lines]
Man: [singing] Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd. His skin was pale and his eye was odd. He shaved the faces of gentlemen who never thereafter were heard of again. He trod a path that few have trod, Did Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Death to Smoochy (2002)

Incredible, INCREDIBLE show

Even if you're not a "theatre person," I highly recommend that you see this. Based off of a play of the same name by Christopher Bond (which, in turn, had been based off of an old London legend), Sondheim did a wonderful job bringing it to the musical theatre stage. The score is just amazing-- by far Sondheim's best, and probably one of the best scores written for a musical ever. The show was cast extremely well, my only complaint being of Betsy Joscelyn's portrayal of Johanna. It;s good, mind you, and she's a very versatile actress, but she just doesn't sing "Greenfinch and Linnet Bird" too well. But other than that, it's all phenomenal-- Angela Lansbury *made* the role of Mrs. Lovette, and she just does it so well. George Hearn was a good replacement for Len Cariou in the title role, and Ken Jennings gives a great performance as Tobias. The ending will give you chills. Top marks for a wonderful show.