Where did the story of Sweeney Todd come from

The character of Sweeney Todd originated in The String of Pearls, a penny dreadful by an unknown author, first published in England in 1846–47. The basic plot will be familiar to fans of the musical and movie: a barber and a baker collude to murder people and bake their remains into pies.

What is the story behind Sweeney Todd?

Sweeney Todd is a fictional character who first appeared as the villain of the Victorian penny dreadful serial The String of Pearls (1846–47). … They depict him as former prisoner Benjamin Barker, who becomes obsessed with murdering Turpin, the judge who unjustly convicted him and destroyed his family.

What play is Sweeney Todd based on?

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (often referred to simply as Sweeney Todd) is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Hugh Wheeler. It is based on the 1973 play Sweeney Todd by Christopher Bond. Sweeney Todd opened on Broadway in 1979 and in the West End in 1980.

Was there an actual Sweeney Todd?

It has been generally accepted that Todd never actually existed and that, like Bram Stoker’s Count Dracula, he is an amalgam of different sources, a composite of obscure horror tales, known murderers, folklore and the very human fear of cannibalism.

Is Sweeney Todd based on the Barber of Seville?

More videos on YouTube Singing Barbers: Although Stephen Sondheim was inspired by the Victorian penny dreadful serial The String of Pearls, Sweeney Todd owes a tip of the hat (or razor) to The Barber of Seville.

Who is Sweeney Todd's first victim?

In Haining’s account, Todd’s first reported victim was a “young gentleman from the country” who fell into conversation with the barber on a street corner.

What does Judge Turpin do to Lucy?

She is the faithful and loving wife of Benjamin Barker and mother of Johanna Barker, whose life is destroyed by the evil Judge Turpin, who exiles her husband in order to have her all to himself. Soon afterward, Turpin rapes her, so she then poisons herself with arsenic.

How old was Johnny Depp during Sweeney Todd?

Burton said the extreme melodrama of the scene was difficult to watch. “That’s when I knew (Depp) was a great actor, because that was terrible,” the 49-year-old director said. “That was so bad.”

Is Fleet Street Real?

Fleet Street is a major street mostly in the City of London. … The street became known for printing and publishing at the start of the 16th century, and it became the dominant trade so that by the 20th century most British national newspapers operated from here.

What was Benjamin Barker accused of?

A man accused of criminal sexual conduct while he was a custodian working for Holt Public Schools has been arrested. The Ingham County Sheriff’s Department told News 10 that Benjamin Barker was located out of state and is in custody as of Friday morning.

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How old is Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd?

Mrs. Lovett: 40s, Cockney accent, energetic, talkative, has a crush on Sweeney.

Does Johnny Depp sing?

Singing. Depp has performed on the soundtrack for several films, usually as a guitarist, but has on ocassion been a vocalist as well. In Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, he and Keira Knightley drunkenly sing the drinking song “A Pirate’s Life for Me”, which is reprised over the series.

Where was Sweeney Todd filmed?

Filming Begins on Tim Burton Sweeney Todd in London; Cast Confirmed. The Sweeney Todd film, in which Tim Burton will direct Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, has begun filming in London, according to an official announcement. The DreamWorks Studios/Warner Bros.

What is The Barber of Seville based on?

“The Barber of Seville,” also known as “The Useless Precaution” is a comic opera crafted by Gioachino Rossini in two acts. Cesare Sterbini wrote the libretto in Italian. The opera was inspired by “Le Barbier de Séville,” a French comedy by Pierre Beaumarchais.

Who composed the opera The Barber of Seville and William Tell?

Rossini wrote his first opera when he was 18 years old. His most famous opera is The Barber of Seville. And after composing the opera William Tell in 1829, when he was 37, Rossini stopped writing operas. After that, Rossini didn’t compose again for years.

What happened to the barber's wife in Sweeney Todd?

Lucy Barker was Benjamin Barker’s wife and while he was arrested, she was raped by Judge Turpin, which drove her to attempt suicide by poisoning. Mrs. … Lucy was murdered by mistake by her husband Sweeney Todd “Benjamin Barker” in which he shows extreme remorse and in rage Sweeney Todd kills Mrs.

What happened to Mrs. Lovett's husband?

Mrs. Lovett’s former husband who died of gout or obesity. … Lovett mentions him twice in the film: she tells Sweeney he used to sit in the chair all day, until his legs gave out because of gout.

Did Judge Turpin want to marry Johanna?

Turpin then takes Barker’s daughter, Johanna, and raises her as his ward. He keeps her locked away from the world and spies on her through a peep-hole in her wall. Turpin eventually falls in love with the beautiful Johanna and offers her his hand in marriage. She refuses, to which he seems baffled.

How old is Sweeney Todd supposed to be?

Sweeney Todd (46) and Anthony Hope (19) arrive at London docks from Australia.

What was Sweeney Todd falsely accused of?

In February 1770, aged only 14 years, Sweeney Todd was sentenced to a five-year term in Newgate Prison, wrongly accused of stealing a pocket watch. While in prison he met up with an old barber named Elmer Plummer, who was serving ten years for fraud.

Did Sweeney Todd marry Mrs Lovett?

Lovett is the business partner and accomplice of barber/serial killer Sweeney Todd; in some versions, she is also his lover. She makes and sells meat pies made from Todd’s victims.

How long was Sweeney Todd in jail?

Benjamin Barker served 15 years of a Life Sentence in a prison in Australia, which is what he called “a living hell”. After he escapes Incarceration, he returns home to London on a ship, with a new friend, Anthony. Anthony only knows Benjamin by his new name, Sweeney Todd.

What is Mrs Lovett's first name?

Lovett is a fictional character appearing in many adaptations of the story Sweeney Todd. Her first name is most commonly referred to as Nellie, although she has also been referred to as Amelia, Margery, Maggie, Sarah, Shirley, Wilhelmina and Claudetta.

Did Johnny Depp wear a wig for Sweeney Todd?

Helena Bonham Carter received the same makeup treatment as Depp, plus false eyelashes handmade from human hair by Owen himself. Though Owen normally loves to wig his actors, he didn’t with Bonham Carter. … Cleaning all the blood off Depp. “There was an awful lot of it about,” says Owen.

How old was Johnny Depp in crybaby?

Depp, who was just 26 when the film hit theaters, was at the time best known for A Nightmare on Elm Street and 21 Jump Street, and Edward Scissorhands wouldn’t hit theaters for nine months.

How old was Johnny Depp when he did Edward Scissorhands?

I was embarrassingly dramatic at the time, but you have to remember I was only 19 years old.”

Why did Judge Turpin take Johanna?

He is the main antagonist, who imprisons Benjamin Barker on a false charge, rapes Barker’s wife, and takes Barker’s daughter Johanna as his ward; he also has sexual designs on Johanna, and has her institutionalized so that her true love Anthony Hope cannot take her from him.

Why did he change his name to Sweeney Todd?

Barker was falsely imprisoned for 15 years by a man who coveted his wife. When Barker escaped and returns to London, he takes the name of Todd, as he needs a new name to hide while his dirty work is done. Obviously this is a retcon, retroactively working from the characters name being required.

What happened in the room above the pie shop in Sweeney Todd?

When Todd asks about the room above the shop, Mrs. … When it becomes clear that the mysterious Sweeney Todd is, in fact, Benjamin Barker, Mrs. Lovett reveals the sad fate of his family: Lucy was raped by Judge Turpin and then poisoned herself, and the parentless Johanna became Turpin’s ward.

Was Mrs. Lovett written for Angela Lansbury?

Lovett in the musical which, features music and lyrics by Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. … TCM reports that Sondheim “auditioned” songs for Lansbury, who had told him, “Your show is not called Nellie Lovett, it’s called Sweeney Todd. And I’m the second banana.” “I just ran with it,” Lansbury told TCM.