Sweeney Todd- True story or not?

[RIP]

I was just curious as if the legend of Sweeney Todd character was based on a true story of a serial barber? I thought that I heard somewhere that it was based on a real killer who was a barber and killed his victims but I don't know if that's true or not.

Does anyone know?

[Darkness]

"You may find some of the answers you're seeking in this thread, RIP." :)

http://www.allthingszombie.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14026&highlight=sweeney+todd

"I believe it was a consolidation of some true stories, and some urban legends." :think:

"Excellent Story/Musical/Movie, though." :)

[RIP]

"You may find some of the answers you're seeking in this thread, RIP." :)

http://www.allthingszombie.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14026&highlight=sweeney+todd

"I believe it was a consolidation of some true stories, and some urban legends." :think:

"Excellent Story/Musical/Movie, though." :)

^Oops.....my bad. I was getting some breakfast before work this morning and messing around on my laptop and didn't think about using the search function. Sorry! I appreciate the link thread.:drinking:

What made me think of this was that I saw a film that is called Legend of Sweeny Todd last night which is a movie and not the musical and starred Ben Kingsley as Sweeney Todd.

[Darkness]

"I've seen that one. It is an interesting take, to say the least."

[RIP]

"I've seen that one. It is an interesting take, to say the least."

I recall as a kid either in the late 70's or early 80's that there was a musical called Sweeney Todd on the Showtime Channel. I think Angela Lansbury was in it but I could be wrong.

[Darkness]

"By the way, that other thread is about the Movie with Depp, we just happened to touch on the history a bit in the process. I like having one on the history itself. It is indeed a twisted one, shrouded in a lot of mystery."

[Subgenius]

The History Channel did a special on serial killers. They went over the Jack The Ripper events and visited the locations as best that they could given how much the area has changed. Then, they went to the location where Sweeney Todd killed and stored his victims. They seemed to approach the entire story as a true story. They showed the trapdoor chair, the chute, and the point where the bodies dropped down. They mentioned how Todd would have to go down and kill some of the victims that the fall did not kill. They also showed where he stored the bodies. I cannot recall the name of the documentary. I think that it's called The Legend of Sweeney Todd.

[RIP]

After work today, I will look up Sweeney Todd on the net and see if I can find any links to it based on being a true character.