Ah, dear reader. Welcome to The Ghostly Grotto. Pull up a tombstone and have a seat, won't you? When one looks at horror entertainment history, there are many things which leave this world but just so happen to return in some other fashion. Horror radio shows have slightly returned as podcasts (though on a much smaller scale), "B" grade shock pictures have made a comeback thanks to the ease of accessibility of modern technology, and dark rides and haunted houses of amusement parks have yielded to new, more elaborate Halloween walk-thrus and attractions. But there are a few mediums which have truly seemed to disappear, not quite entirely, but have certainly fallen out of widespread common knowledge. Today, I speak on the subject of: TV Horror Hosts. Television called them "horror hosts", "masters of scare-imonies", "ghoul-lunatics," "haunted hosts (or hostesses)", but almost all ideas of the horror host were the same. Back in the 1950s (the olden days before Netflix or Amazon Prime), there were very few ways for people to watch old monster or ghost films. Unless your local theater decided to play a matinee of Dracula or Frankenstein, you were out of luck as far as being able to watch these films. It was not until the popularity of the Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine in the late-50's that one was able to "buy" these films, and I use the term loosely, as all that you could buy was a heavily edited copy of the films advertised. "Wow, mom! A whole 200 feet!" Bearing in mind that 200 feet equaled about 12 minutes of film, this was not the best way for a true film enthusiast to enjoy their favorite horror movies. However, there was one way, that all started back in 1954, led by a little girl named Maila. Maila Nurmi, or Vampira as she was known starting in 1954, created an amazing sensation on air by doing something that practically no one had ever done before- host old 1930s, 40s, and some 50s horror and suspense films. Vampira thrived on audience's love for the macabre, and also did well largely because her show was pretty much the only way a person could ever see one of those films again. The incredible thing about Vampira's show that all the world took stock in, was the fact that people cared more about her portions of the show than about the movies themselves. I mean, who would want to sit through The Mask Of Dijon? The Flying Serpent? Or even The Rogues' Tavern? Vampira herself did something that many later horror hosts would do: she had the AUDACITY to mock these films for what they were, and people loved her for that. That, and possibly for her decidedly hourglass figure, but that's neither here nor there... Many, many, and I mean MANY channels put such horror hosts on the air as Vampira (see images above), and the monster craze of the 1950s was born into a new light. Now, I'd never be able to share all of the horror hosts from the 1950s and 60s who, in my opinion from archival footage, audio, and some video were the best, but I do want to talk about one of the best out there: Zacherley! John Zacherle started off on the TV airwaves as Roland on WCAU-TV in Philadelphia on October 7th, 1957, and was so popular that he was later moved to New York's WABC-TV in 1958. Changing his host name to Zacherley (he claimed that his own name was weird enough to use on TV!), he took the TV airwaves by storm, right when the "monster kid craze" was at its peak in the late 50s and early 60s. Zacherley differed from several horror hosts in that he went on to record his own albums, a combination of sound effects mixed with pop songs that he either wrote or changed to make more macabre. For other smaller towns which didn't have Zacherley or the many revivals of Vampira, there were other hosts. There was Awful Movies with Deadly Earnest, Shock Theat(re/er) in various incarnations across the country, and many, many others. Here's a final parting bit of fun for all of you who want to learn more about horror hosts: a very interesting (though inaccurate) news story which covers horror hosts and violent television from the 1950s called "The Horror 'Kick'": And click the link to a playlist full of 1950s and 60s horror host footage, documentaries, and much more! Now, good night, and... pleasant dreams? Hmm hmm hmm...
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Basil Davenport edited this fine collection of ghost stories from various authors and sources from the 20th and 19th century. Included are many classic tales that have been adapted and retold in various ways over the years. Here are some of the stories included: - The Wendigo by Algernon Blackwood - August Heat by William Fryer Harvey - Count Magnus by M. R. James - "Where Angels Fear..." by Manly Wade Wellman - The House Of The Nightmare by Edward Lucas White - The Screaming Skull by F. Marion Crawford - The Monkey's Paw by E. W. Jacobs and countless others. I would suggest that, if you are interested in these stories as I am, go to www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?246173, to see the full listing of stories. This website, ISFDB, is a wonderful resource for collections of short stories of horror, fiction, and sci-fi. This book is very rare and out of print, but it can occasionally be found on ThriftBooks: www.thriftbooks.com/w/ghostly-tales-to-be-told/13471235/#isbn=B000MZWMK4 |
The next book to share is actually a series of books, but they are worth bringing up because of how timeless they are: the Alfred Hitchcock hardcover mystery and ghost story books.
My brother used to collect these frequently, and I think he has most of the ones seen above. Witches' Brew, Hangman's Dozen, Stories For Late At Night, Let It All Bleed Out, Monster Museum, Ghostly Gallery, and Haunted Houseful. Though most of the stories were self-contained shorts, a few took chapters or sections from longer works, such as The Treasure In The Cave from "Tom Sawyer". These books were very well done for the time, and the hardcover editions were illustrated by Fred Banbery, Stephen Marchesi, Harold Isen, and Earl E. Mayan. The illustrations were beautiful. In fact, the best parts of some of the books were the endpapers that were done by the wonderfully macabre illustrators of the collections.
Here are some of the internal illustrations from Ghostly Gallery and Haunted Houseful, done by the wonderful Fred Banbery:
Some of the classic tales selected for the books are as follows:
Ghostly Gallery
-Miss Emmeline Takes Off by Walter Brooks
-Valley Of The Beasts by Algernon Blackwood
-The Haunted Trailer by Robert Arthur
-The Upper Berth by F. Marion Crawford
-The Wonderful Day by Robert Arthur
-The Truth About Pyecraft by H. G. Wells
and others.
Haunted Houseful
-Let's Haunt A House by Manly Wade Wellman
-The Wastwych Secret by Constance Savery
-Jimmy Takes Vanishing Lessons by Walter R. Brooks
-The Mystery of Rabbit Run by Jack Bechdolt
-The Forgotten Island by Elizabeth Coastworth
-The Water Ghost of Harrowby Hall by John Kendrick Bangs
and others.
Monster Museum
-The Day of the Dragon by Guy Endore
-The King of the Cats by Stephen Vincent Benet
-Slime by Joseph Payne Brennan
-The Man Who Sold Rope To The Gnoles by Idris Seabright
-Henry Martindale, Great Dane by Miriam Allen deFord
-The Microscopic Giants by Paul Ernst
and others.
Spellbinders In Suspense
-The Chinese Puzzle Box by Agatha Christie
-The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell
-The Birds by Daphne du Maurier
-Puzzle For Poppy by Patrick Quentin
-Eyewitness by Robert Arthur
-Man From The South by Roald Dahl
Witch's Brew
-The Wishing Well by E. F. Benson
-That Hell-Bound Train by Robert Bloch
-As Gay As Cheese by Joan Aiken
-Madame Mim by T.H. White
-Blood Money by Timothy O'Keefe
-His Coat So Gay by Sterling E. Lanier
and others.
Countless other books from the 40s and beyond collected these ghost stories for all ages. Some, such as the Alfred Hitchcock books, were geared for children. Other were not, and were intended to be read with the lights out. For example, another collection by Basil Davenport titled Tales To Be Told In The Dark, is a living, breathing example of just such an outlook.
The book is roughly the same format as Ghostly Tales To Be Told; both edited by Davenport, both have roughly the same number of stories, and both are extremely hard to find cheaply. Tales To Be Told In The Dark only differs in that it digs a little deeper into the bottom of the ghost story barrel, pulling out such shorties as "By One, By Two, and By Three", "Mujina", "On Telling Stories", "The Beast With Five Fingers," and "Two Anecdotes". Of course, the obligatory "Open Window" by Saki makes an appearance, as does one of my very favorite horror short stories of all time: "Thus I Refute Beelzy" by John Collier.
Davenport edited a few other collections, but none will surpass these two as the classic rarities for which he is now revered.
Davenport edited a few other collections, but none will surpass these two as the classic rarities for which he is now revered.
One of the greatest artists of the 20th century, in my honest opinion, was that master of the macabre, Edward Gorey, who wrote such classic works of eeriness as The Gashlycrumb Tinies, The Listing Attic, The Unstrung Harp, and provided illustrations for John Bellairs' House With A Clock In Its Walls, was a great fan of the genre of horror stories, and illustrated many covers for collections of them in his lifetime:
Mr. Gorey also collected his own book of them, first published in 1959:
Well, that's all I have for this time's installment of The Ghostly Grotto. I will be back again with more Old Time Radio Show links, horror films, and an upcoming post about Classic TV Horror Hosts hopefully by the end of the week! So stay tuned, but, until then... Good night. And, watch your step as you leave please, the blood on the rocks leaving the grotto can be so slippery... Pleasant dreams? Hmm hmm hmm...
Ah, hello friends. Welcome back to The Ghostly Grotto. Sit down, won't you?
Today's post will be a musical analysis of Stephen Sondheim's musical thriller "Sweeney Todd", in honor of the 40th anniversary (and partially inspired by my kind and loving brother, who recently gifted me the cast album on vinyl), so please forgive the fancy talk. Also, I would like to beg forgiveness to you all for having not kept up on my weekly blog posts lately, I've been very busy. I will be posting at least once a week from now on now that my schedule has cleared up somewhat. Thank you for your understanding.
And now, onto the post...
Stephen Sondheim’s 1979 musical theatre triumph Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street celebrated its 40th anniversary this year, and its anniversary is truly something worth celebrating. Not only has it become one of the most often performed and revived shows of all time, it is a musical theatre masterpiece which ranks alongside such classic staples as West Side Story, My Fair Lady and even such modern classics as Wicked and Hamilton. However, Sweeney Todd as something that none of the others do that makes it unique: blood.
Today's post will be a musical analysis of Stephen Sondheim's musical thriller "Sweeney Todd", in honor of the 40th anniversary (and partially inspired by my kind and loving brother, who recently gifted me the cast album on vinyl), so please forgive the fancy talk. Also, I would like to beg forgiveness to you all for having not kept up on my weekly blog posts lately, I've been very busy. I will be posting at least once a week from now on now that my schedule has cleared up somewhat. Thank you for your understanding.
And now, onto the post...
Stephen Sondheim’s 1979 musical theatre triumph Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street celebrated its 40th anniversary this year, and its anniversary is truly something worth celebrating. Not only has it become one of the most often performed and revived shows of all time, it is a musical theatre masterpiece which ranks alongside such classic staples as West Side Story, My Fair Lady and even such modern classics as Wicked and Hamilton. However, Sweeney Todd as something that none of the others do that makes it unique: blood.
(Photo from NYPL Digital Collections, Martha Swope Theatre Collection)
The whole story began in London, 1846. Newspapers were becoming cheaper and easier to mass produce, and many new forms of paper entertainment were reaching people all across the country of England. One of the most popular (and shocking) of these newspapers was the “Penny Dreadful,” a cheap, popular newspaper which would publish serials with a new chapter each week. Every edition cost a penny, hence the name. Some of the more famous stories were of Gothic thrillers and murder mysteries, such as “Varney The Vampire” (1845-47), “The Mysteries of London”(1844), and some reprints of old classic gothic tales. However, one of the most significant entries concerned a vengeful barber and a kind, sweet old lady who made meat pies out of the flesh of the people he murdered. This, of course, was the tale of Sweeney Todd, first published from 1846 to 1847 in “The String of Pearls: a romance”. While the story had little in common with the musical more than the central and title characters, it shared some similarities; Todd disposed of his victims largely the same way as he did in the show, with a trapdoor and a straight razor. However, the ending of the tale was different- Sweeney Todd poisons Mrs. Lovett, then is tried and hung for serving human flesh to the customers. In the original tale, the two lovers Johanna and Mark, marry and live happily ever after and Johanna has no relation to Sweeney at all. The beggarwoman also does not appear in this version.
Various stage productions were done over the years following the penny dreadful’s popularity and eerie themes. First in 1865 as a full dramatic play, then in 1962 as a four-act melodrama. The history of this production is widely unknown, however, it is said that new lyrics and music were written for the show, indicating that perhaps it was the first musical version of the play. No recordings of papers exist, however, to back this claim. In 1959, it was performed as a ballet by Malcolm Arnold and choreographed by John Cranko. The tale also lent itself to two silent film adaptations, one which is now lost, in 1926 and 1928, and the first sound version of the film was made in 1936. “Bloodthirsty Butchers!”, a 1970 horror drama, was received very poorly for its bad storytelling and tasteless gore.
Various stage productions were done over the years following the penny dreadful’s popularity and eerie themes. First in 1865 as a full dramatic play, then in 1962 as a four-act melodrama. The history of this production is widely unknown, however, it is said that new lyrics and music were written for the show, indicating that perhaps it was the first musical version of the play. No recordings of papers exist, however, to back this claim. In 1959, it was performed as a ballet by Malcolm Arnold and choreographed by John Cranko. The tale also lent itself to two silent film adaptations, one which is now lost, in 1926 and 1928, and the first sound version of the film was made in 1936. “Bloodthirsty Butchers!”, a 1970 horror drama, was received very poorly for its bad storytelling and tasteless gore.
But the true inspiration for Sondheim’s masterpiece came in 1973, when Christopher Bond, a British playwright, adapted the vengeful tale with a few new twists. Most of the characters were kept, and a few added as well. In this version, Benjamin Barker is falsely convicted and sent to a penal colony in Australia for crimes he possibly did or did not commit. When he returns, he has changed his name to Sweeney Todd, and sees Mrs. Lovett about his wife, Lucy (a new character). An evil man, Judge Turpin (also a new character) has raped Lucy while Todd has been away. Todd vows revenge on Turpin, then decides to kill as many people as he can, and with the meat of his victims, Mrs. Lovett, resourceful as always, makes meat pies. The ending was also changed, as Todd kills the beggarwoman (who Mrs. Lovett knew was his wife) by accident, then kills Lovett in turn. He allows his assistant, Tobias Ragg, to slit his throat as well.
The 1973 play did fairly well in its initial run, and it caught the eye of the by-now-famous lyricist and songwriter Stephen Sondheim, who had written such famous musicals as West Side Story, Gypsy, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, and A Little Night Music. Sondheim had first had the notion for a musical adaptation when he was Bond’s play in 1973. ““It had a weight to it . . . because [Bond] wrote certain characters in blank verse,” Sondheim noted, “He was able to take all these disparate elements that had been in existence rather dully for a hundred and some-odd years and make them into a first-rate play.” With permission to use Bond’s script, Sondheim began writing the lyrics and within a few years, had the basis for a musical down. When he performed the music for director Harold Prince’s wife, she immediately realized that the show wasn’t about the violence and killing; it was all a metaphor for the human condition and what people went through in their lives.
The 1973 play did fairly well in its initial run, and it caught the eye of the by-now-famous lyricist and songwriter Stephen Sondheim, who had written such famous musicals as West Side Story, Gypsy, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, and A Little Night Music. Sondheim had first had the notion for a musical adaptation when he was Bond’s play in 1973. ““It had a weight to it . . . because [Bond] wrote certain characters in blank verse,” Sondheim noted, “He was able to take all these disparate elements that had been in existence rather dully for a hundred and some-odd years and make them into a first-rate play.” With permission to use Bond’s script, Sondheim began writing the lyrics and within a few years, had the basis for a musical down. When he performed the music for director Harold Prince’s wife, she immediately realized that the show wasn’t about the violence and killing; it was all a metaphor for the human condition and what people went through in their lives.
(Lansbury, left, Sondheim, center, and Cariou, right)
Sondheim spent some odd years perfecting the show, until in 1978 the show began its casting and production. The brilliant Angela Lansbury was called in to play the mad pie woman, Nellie Lovett, who was initially hesitant about the role. Lansbury believed that the role was not significant enough for her to do, but Sondheim wrote her some extra songs and great comedic bits. The titular role of Sweeney Todd was offered to the Canadian actor and singer Mr. Len Cariou, who recalled it being “terrific. It’s something that I’m really, really proud of. I think it was a genius piece of writing, and I was a lucky guy to be there, to have him write it for me. It’s something that I treasure very much.” The characters of Todd and Lovett were basically created entirely by Cariou and Lansbury, and the characters they created were completely original from the 1973 play’s. The character of Mrs. Lovett was a flitty cuckoo who provided the otherwise dark show with a bit of comedy relief. The show had its backer’s audition performance (which constitutes of the composer and musical director singing all the finished songs from the show while playing piano) The show’s audition sequence went on in 1978 and 79, and the rest of the roles were fulfilled. The judge was played by Edmund Lyndeck, the old beggar woman was played by Merle Louise, Victor Garber played Anthony Hope, Ken Jennings played Tobias Ragg and Sarah Rice played Johanna.
One of the most interesting aspects of the set of the original show was its lack of different set dressings. The main stage was left bare except for a painted backdrop of a sepia-tinted London, while the only additional set pieces were Lovett’s bake-house (with Todd’s parlor on top), Pirelli’s Cart, a door frame, a curtain in which the asylum was seen through, a bake-oven and a sofa which Anthony and Johanna sit on. The main feat of the show’s set was its decorative trim, which was made of an old iron foundry from the 19th century which was re-assembled into a monstrous metal thing which took over the whole stage. The set, as described by Jack Kroll, was "part cathedral, part factory, part prison, that dwarfed and degraded the swarming denizens of the lower orders."
One of the most interesting aspects of the set of the original show was its lack of different set dressings. The main stage was left bare except for a painted backdrop of a sepia-tinted London, while the only additional set pieces were Lovett’s bake-house (with Todd’s parlor on top), Pirelli’s Cart, a door frame, a curtain in which the asylum was seen through, a bake-oven and a sofa which Anthony and Johanna sit on. The main feat of the show’s set was its decorative trim, which was made of an old iron foundry from the 19th century which was re-assembled into a monstrous metal thing which took over the whole stage. The set, as described by Jack Kroll, was "part cathedral, part factory, part prison, that dwarfed and degraded the swarming denizens of the lower orders."
Above is audio of Angela Lansbury performing "The Worst Pies In London", at the first preview in 1979. Many mistakes are made in the first 30 or so seconds, but it does serve as a good reason why musicals have preview periods.
The first preview was in February, then following 18 other previews, the show opened on March 1st, 1979. Immediately, the show was a huge hit. It ran for 557 performances, then went on tour. The show was a huge hit with the critics, and won nine Tony awards for 1979, only losing Best Lighting Design which it was nominated for. A two vinyl record soundtrack was produced in 1979, and sold thousands of copies. It has been revived both on and off-Broadway countless dozens of times. The New York Times had a rave review for it on the day following the opening, in which he praised the actors and the production. “Mr. Sondheim's lyrics can be endlessly inventive,” the review said about Sondheim’s lyrics. “There is a hugely amusing recitation of the attributes given by the different professions —priest, lawyer, and so on — to the pies they contribute to. At other times the lyrics have a black, piercing poetry to them”
The score is completely immersive, delightful, and wondrously macabre. One of Sondheim’s most dense works, the play is 80% music, be that underscoring or actual vocal numbers, and the original Broadway play clocked in at just under 150 minutes. The show features duets, trios, and and a quartet, as well as some of the most difficult patter-songs of all time. “A Little Priest,” the whimsically demonic first-act finaletto, is one of, if not the best, numbers from the production, as Todd and Lovett bounce around to a waltz singing out puns about cannibalism. It’s the bizarre subject matter that makes the show so intriguing, though. Even from the first notes of the overture, played on an old creaky organ, you can tell that the show isn’t going to be another normal run-of-the-mill Broadway play. “The Ballad Of Sweeney Todd” uses a terrifying 2/4 like musical idea to deliver the exposition of the show to come. Each musical idea swells across 4 measures only to show an eerie cop-out as the trumpet hits a quiet sting that sets the whole melody back down. The song catches you off-guard in many sections as the music goes from loud to soft and vise-versa quite often. The whole entirety of Sweeney’s theme, the “lift your razor high, Sweeney” section is part of ‘Dies Irae’. As Sondheim himself noted in the 1980 South Bank production’s documentary, the whole of the “Greek chorus” isn’t saying any terrifying on the stage, but it’s the gradual building and extreme dryness of the lyrics that expresses the terror of the situation. The whole subtleness of the show’s dissonance is part of its glory and genius.
By far the most complex but wonderful songs from the show are “Worst Pies In London,” “Epiphany” and “A Little Priest.” The pie song was written as a gag number for Lansbury, as it describes the “Worst Pies In London,” which belong to, as Lovett explains to Sweeney, her own pie shop. The clever wordplay dots the song with Lovett’s chatterbox personality driving through from one set of lyrics to the next. Much of the song’s lyrics came from the play dialogue, including the whole of the “Sit ya down, I haven’t seen a customer for weeks, undoubtedly these are the most tasteless pies in London”. Sondheim notes that the song was written to be performed actively, making it a “Physical number, by giving her things to do… with little punctuated moments,” such as the “No you don’t!” moments in the song. “It’s got to grab the audience’s attention,” Sondheim explains. “I want the contrast to be sudden and sharp, just the way the contrast between the two characters is sudden and sharp. Todd, the brooding, totally self-involved obsessive man, and Mrs. Lovett, the cheerful, totally amoral, practical, chatty lady.” On the other end of the emotional spectrum is Sweeney Todd’s “Epiphany”. After he attempts to slit the throat of the judge, Anthony bursts into Todd’s parlor, causing the judge to see through Todd’s false promises and he storms out of the parlor. Todd, after yelling at Anthony to get out, swears revenge on not only the judge but the whole world. This song is one of the most intense numbers in musical theatre, as it changes keys multiple times and utilizes various themes of Sweeney Todd’s throughout. He at first is afraid that he will never get his revenge on the judge, then enraged by this fact. Todd sobs and laments over his lost wife, Lucy, and how he’ll never get to hold his daughter again. The song covers all ranges of human emotions, from the sorrow Todd feels for his wife, to the anger he feels towards the judge, towards the insane and mad glee he feels as he finally realizes that the only way for him to feel complete is to kill everyone in London. Sondheim describes the number as one man’s trip into insanity, from which he will never come out of. It begins with a musical reprise of Todd’s lines in the opening number “No place Like London,” in which he says “There’s a hole in the world like a great black pit and it’s filled with people who are filled with s***, and the vermin of the world inhabit it”. However, this time, Todd resolves the point by saying “But not for long,” showing his intentions to kill the people of London. “No, not one man/ No, nor ten men/ Nor a hundred/ Can assuage me/ I will have you!” he cries as he points to the audience and laughs in insane glee. At the song’s climax, he again cries out to his lost wife in anguish, but then he realizes that “the works waits,” and now he’s “alive at last,” and “full of joy.” | Various photos and posters from the 1979 cast |
In direct contrast to this song is “A Little Priest,” the comedic first act finale in which Lovett consoles Todd directly after “Epiphany” by hatching a plan to serve up the dead bodies of the people Todd disposes of into meat pies. Sondheim wanted this section to be in stark contrast of Todd’s previous number to highlight once again the major differences in their two characters. Lovett, ever the resourceful and “totally amoral and practical” one, and Todd, the sulky and dark one. The whole number is approached with almost a vaudevillian take, as Todd and Lovett exchange terrible jokes related to the fictional pies they are selling. It’s much like “The Company Way” from “How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying,” except while in “Company Way” the two characters make jokes about the company, Todd and Lovett make jokes about cannibalism. One of Sondheim’s favorite lyrics from the song is when Todd cries out “It’s man devouring man [in the world] , my dear/ and who are we to deny it in here?”. Sondheim wanted this number to highlight the total immorality of both the characters and society, such as the call back to “Worst Pies In London” when Mrs. Lovett repeats her “With the price of meat what it is, when you get it, if you get it” line. An extremely complex number, the key changes every few phrases from multiple flats to sharps and then back again, this song is one of the hardest numbers to do from the show with its ¾ time and overlapping patter lines by Lovett and Todd.
Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s 1979 masterpiece musical “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” is a musical gem. Not only does it provide the audience with enough laughs, tears, and screams to get them through the night, it is also a very well-crafted and complex piece of musical literature that showcases Sondheim’s knack for writing good music and lyrics.
Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s 1979 masterpiece musical “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” is a musical gem. Not only does it provide the audience with enough laughs, tears, and screams to get them through the night, it is also a very well-crafted and complex piece of musical literature that showcases Sondheim’s knack for writing good music and lyrics.
Caricature by Al Hirschfeld of the 1979 cast
If you are intending on seeing Sweeney Todd (and I strongly suggest you do!), the best version to watch is the 1982 live taping released on home video by Warner Home Video. Don't bother with the 2007 film version with Johnny Depp and Henela Bonham Carter, I personally found it dull and lackluster, with poor singing and excessive gore to overcompensate for a loss of some of the other, more subtle pleasures found in the Lansbury and George Hearn live version. Mrs. Lovett is toned down to a dull, half-asleep woman with almost no traces of the original, vibrant and flitty character except a SINGLE SMILE in the "By The Sea" number. Seriously, it's boring.
The Angela Lansbury/ George Hearn version can be bought HERE:
www.amazon.com/Sweeney-Todd-Barber-Broadway-Version/dp/B0013Z7RUC/ref=sr_1_3?crid=NEI2TRWP6280&keywords=sweeney+todd&qid=1557192337&s=gateway&sprefix=sweeney+todd%2Caps%2C211&sr=8-3
The Angela Lansbury/ George Hearn version can be bought HERE:
www.amazon.com/Sweeney-Todd-Barber-Broadway-Version/dp/B0013Z7RUC/ref=sr_1_3?crid=NEI2TRWP6280&keywords=sweeney+todd&qid=1557192337&s=gateway&sprefix=sweeney+todd%2Caps%2C211&sr=8-3
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A Halloween fanatic, scary story vinyl collector, and ghost story teller extraordinaire. All self-proclaimed titles, however.
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