moonfleet

I heard there was a "Sweeney Todd" done before the Burton's, is it a good one ??....did Stephen Sondheim compose lyrics and music of this one too ??

Moon.

"Very difficult !" "Craazy!"

dpgmel

Moon, I think it must be the British 1930's film starring the great Tod Slaughter ( he is in my avatar ), not a musical ! a good old fashioned British melodrama. Mr. Slaughter had for many years played Sweeney Todd on stage.

If you would like any more information please let me know

penfold

There was a fine Silent version starring a pre-Will Hay Moore Marriott - I don't know if it survives complete, but what I've seen is very effective.

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

narabdela

There was a tv film based on Sondheim's Broadway musical. Generally reckoned to be much better than the recent effort.

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

Available on DVD: Amazon.co.uk: Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of...

moonfleet

Thanks everyone !!

"Very difficult !" "Craazy!"

faginsgirl

Sweeney Todd with Johnny Depp is now one of my favorite films (which doesnt often happen with modern films), I love the film and the music which I find quite humorous.

There is a television production with Ray Winston which I wasn`t really impressed with. The acting was quite good but I didn`t really get into it that much.

xx

We`re changin` lodggggggggings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

dremble wedge

There's also a 1998 version directed by John Schlesinger with Ben Kingsley and Joanna Lumley.

CaptainWaggett

The Sondheim version is an adaptation of a play by Christopher Bond that was done at Stratford East back in the early 1970s. The main new element is the revenge on the Judge and Beadle - in early versions, Todd is just crazy.

I thought the Depp version was brilliant - the earlier musical version is more or less a straightforward filming of the Broadway production. Very good in its own but not terribly cinematic. My favourite stage version is the John Doyle 'actor-musician' one with no orchestra, but the cast playing their own instruments (though the actor who plays Todd is usually excused from this).

moonfleet

In the Burton's version, who is the actor playing the judge ??...never seen him before and he is very good...is it the actors real voice when singing ??

Moon.

"Very difficult !" "Craazy!"

Gazza

That would be our lovely Alan Rickman - and yes, it's his own voices.

moonfleet

Thanks Gazza.

"Very difficult !" "Craazy!"

mal

That's a taping of the Broadway show live on stage rather than a tv movie. If you want a record of the show it's perfect.

If we're talking non-Sondheim, non-musical versions of the story let's not forget the recent BBC opne with Ray Winstone.

Mal

moonfleet

Just seen it few days ago, it's a TV film I think, and a great one ..
I was first surprised that the story is completely diferent than the Burton's version, and discovering Ray Winston, Essie Davis, and ....cherry on the cake, David Warner in .... ( Hope it was a lot of make up that made his face in the film !!)

Moon.

"Very difficult !" "Craazy!"

robotoid97

Yes indeed, in my opinion the earlier TV version is far superior to the recent Burton film , I saw it when it was originally broadcast live and Angela Lansbury and George Hearn were both wonderful.

didi-5

There's also another version of the musical available on DVD, with George Hearn and Patti Lu Pone. It was a concert version recorded in 2001, and is pretty good. And yes, still Sondheim.