Sweeney Todd 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). The tale became a staple of Victorian melodrama and London urban legend, and has been retold many times since, most notably in the Tony award–winning by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler. Claims that Sweeney Todd was a historical person are strongly disputed by scholars, although possible legendary prototypes exist. In the original version of the tale, Todd is a barber who dispatches his victims by pulling a lever as they sit in his barber chair.
The Tale of Sweeney Todd Ireland. Prior to broadcast, the film had its world premiere at the Hamptons International Film Festival in October 1997. In his review in "New York", John Leonard said, "Much as I’d have imagined that yet another version of "The Tale of Sweeney Todd" would be at best inadvisable, Kingsley... is a class-war wonder to behold... Even more of a surprise than Kingsley’s performance is that director John Schlesinger, so very serious in movies like "Midnight Cowboy" and "Marathon Man", would have so much fun with this blackest of humors." Daryl Miller of the "Los Angeles Times" stated, "It is made