Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts

[discussimdb]

Fan of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street or just want to share your movie knowledge? This topic is dedicated to all trivia and questions related to Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

[manuel]

To prepare for the role of Adolfo Pirelli, Sacha Baron Cohen hired his personal barber as a consultant on shaving techniques, and took up to sixteen hours to learn how to handle a razor.

[janice]

In the stage play, Toby's full name is Tobias.

[bessie]

The film's conductor, Paul Gemignani, was musical director and conductor for the original Broadway production of Sweeney Todd in 1979.

[lonnie]

Several songs from the Broadway musical were excised from the film: "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" (and its many reprises), "Ah, Miss," "Johanna" (Judge Turpin's version), "Kiss Me," "Parlour Songs," "City on Fire," and "Epilogue." All ensemble/choral singing was also eliminated, most notably from "God, That's Good," in which the title of the song is now never even sung. Many other songs remaining in the film have been shortened. The only songs to remain intact are "Epiphany," "Pretty Women," "Johanna" (Anthony's solo), "The Worst Pies in London," "Wait" and "My Friends." "Johanna" (featuring Sweeney, Anthony, and the Beggar Woman) is originally a quartet featuring all three in addition to Johanna's vocals. The song "My Friends" is not sung in its entirety either, with one line being added and the last line was edited, from "At last, my right arm is complete again" to "At last, my arm is complete again."

[jessie]

English playwright Christopher Bond wrote a 1973 play titled "Sweeney Todd", which was the first to give Todd a motive, other than pure greed. Bond made Todd a wrongfully imprisoned barber, who returned to London after fifteen years in Australia, to find that the judge responsible for his imprisonment raped his young wife, and caused her suicide. Bond's play was adapted in 1979 by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler into the Broadway musical, on which the film is based.

[janice]

In the stage musical, when Anthony comes to get Johanna from the insane asylum, Anthony is unable to kill the Warden, so she takes the gun from Anthony, and kills the Warden herself. In the movie, this was changed to Johanna taking a more passive role in her escape, and Anthony allowing the other inmates to kill the Warden.

[francisco]

The pies, or rather some of them, were actually edible. Some were made of fiber, others were made of rubber. In fact, the pies in the beginning of the film were also edible and, according to Edward Sanders (Toby), even though they looked "gross," they tasted "okay."

[willard]

Len Cariou won the 1979 Tony Award (New York City) for Actor in a Musical for "Sweeney Todd", for portraying the title role.

[cassandra]

The address on Mrs. Lovett's shop, Number 186, is a reference to the London legend of Sweeney Todd, which placed his barber shop at this very address.

[javier]

Pirelli is left handed, as suggested by his constant use of the hand during his contest against Sweeney Todd.

[jim]

The character of Sweeney Todd first appeared in the 1846 story "The String of Pearls."

[carla]

Sweeney's appearance in the film bears a striking resemblance to that of Dave Vanian, singer of the gothic rock band The Damned. Vanian sported a similar hairstyle and attire for much of the eighties and nineties.

[christina]

Composer Stephen Sondheim, notoriously protective of his stage works, long resisted offers to film this story. When Tim Burton expressed interest, however, Sondheim relented when pleased with Burton's vision for the project, and on the condition that the composer would maintain casting approval. Burton would only agree to direct with Johnny Depp in the lead, and though Sondheim feared Depp's vocals would be too "rock oriented," the composer approved the actor after a vocal audition. To approve the casting of Helena Bonham Carter, and to combat any rumor of nepotism (as Carter and Burton were romantically involved), the actress sent Sondheim no less than twelve audition tapes of her singing. Very impressed with her vocals, Sondheim immediately approved the actress. Also, in his recent book about his career as a songwriter, "Finishing the Hat," Sondheim states this is the only adaptation of one of his works for the screen for which he approves.

[lena]

When filming began, there was to be an inclusion of the spirits of Sweeney Todd's victims (including Anthony Head and Sir Christopher Lee), who would sing "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd," its reprises, and the epilogue. These songs were recorded, but eventually cut, since Tim Burton felt that the songs were too theatrical for the film. Lee's appearance was completely cut from the film, but Head still has an uncredited one-line cameo (after the competition, Head's character asks Todd if he has a business of his own).

[caroline]

Final depicted body count: twelve.

[linda]

This is the sixth collaboration between Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. They previously made Edward Scissorhands (1990), Ed Wood (1994), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), and Corpse Bride (2005) together.

[eli]

Toni Collette, Kate Winslet, Bernadette Peters, and Nicole Kidman were all rumored to be in line for the role of Mrs. Lovett.

[bryan]

As of March 2010, Helena Bonham Carter still had not seen the film, because she does not like watching her own performances, although she had said she "will get round to watching it."

[norma]

Helena Bonham Carter rehearsed her songs while practicing baking techniques, in order to perfect the quick, syncopated rhythm of the music.