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

Barber Sweeney Todd returns to London to uncover the past, along the way meeting pie shop owner Mrs. Nellie Lovett, and begins to start his life of crime.

Directors:

Terry Hughes, Harold Prince

Writers:

Hugh Wheeler (book), Christopher Bond (based upon the play by)

Stars:

Angela Lansbury, George Hearn, Cris Groenendaal

Won 3 Primetime Emmys. Another 4 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

It's 1846. Sweeney Todd (George Hearn) and Anthony Hope (Cris Groenendaal), greeted only by a crazed beggar woman (Sara Woods), sail into London, where Todd implies he has been before, but not in quite some time. Todd heads to his old stomping grounds of Fleet Street, where he runs across the pie shop belonging to Mrs. Nellie Lovett (Dame Angela Lansbury), who professes to make the worst meat pies in London due to the high cost of meat. The upstairs of her building has sat empty since no one wants to rent a space that is considered haunted by its long ago tenant, barber Benjamin Barker, who was falsely accused and ultimately sentenced by the sadistic Judge Turpin (Edmund Lyndeck) and who was shipped away to prison in Botany Bay, Australia, leaving his wife Lucy and infant daughter Johanna alone in the world. Todd comes to an agreement with Mrs. Lovett to rent the upstairs of her building so that he can open his own barber shop. A series of incidents, including one with rival barber ...

---

Plot Keywords:

character name as title | sweeney todd character | eight word title | barber | revenge | 

---

Genres:

Drama | Horror | Musical | Thriller

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Original Broadway Cast members in this taping include Dame Angela Lansbury (Mrs. Nellie Lovett) , Ken Jennings (Toby), Edmund Lyndeck (Judge Turpin), and Betsy Joslyn (Johanna) and Cris Groenendaal (Anthony) who played Members of the Company and understudied for Sarah Rice and Victor Garber as Johanna and Anthony, respectively.

---

Goofs

As the company gathers in front of the oven in "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd", the camera catches Sweeney moving into position for his entrance.

---

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.

---

Connections

Referenced in ReGenesis: Prions (2004)

---

Soundtracks

Wigmaker Sequence
(uncredited)
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Performed by Cris Groenendaal and George Hearn

User Reviews

Musical Theatre doesn't get better than this !

Dark and bleak sets, thrilling music that cuts through your spin like aknife (or razor) a perfect cast lead by Broadway greats Hearn and Lansbury. This is exciting theatre flawlessly transferred to the small screen. Sondheim is the most talented songwriter of our age and Todd is his Masterpiece, from the Brechtian opening ballad to the darkly humorous Act I finale- "A Little Priest" where Lovett and Todd fantasize about the victims that will wind up in their meat pies , this play never ceases to thrill,excite and satisfy. Betsy Joslyn also excels as Johanna, even she, as the plays ingenue seems slightly mad.Edmund Lyndeck turns in a bravado performance as the corrupt Judge who lusts after Joslyn and is the subject of Todd's vendetta. Lansbury and Hearn command the show as only two great actor/stars can do. Other musical highlights include Todd's "johanna" Lovett's "worst pies in London" and the Act II opening 'GOD THATS GOOD", And that is a title to describe this production !

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 September 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sweeney Todd

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Pictures, The Nederlander Organization

Technical Specs

Runtime:

140 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1