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:

Crew or equipment visible: At the end, during the curtain call, a camera man can be seen in the rafters, stage left.

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 "Whose Line Is It Anyway?: Show No. 105 (#1.5)" (1998)

Macabre Theatre at its' best

I have owned a copy fo this for ages now, on video, but will definitely be buying the DVD release.

Angela Lansbury and George Hearne are the unmistakable people to perform these legendary roles.

This is suberb theatre at its peak, what a cast, the entire crew, the staging and the lighting are fantastic, as well as the ensemble who provide the extras in this macabe piece of theater.

The new work with Patti LuPone and George Hearn is nothing in comparison, except for the lush surround sound provided by todays technology.

A must see for any die hard Stephen Sondheim fanatics like me.