A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

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The funniest thing that happened on the way to turning this hit Broadway musical into a Hollywood movie was that composer Stephen Sondheim (Sweeney Todd, 2007), now denoted a legend, was considered such a poor marquee attraction that the producers cut half the songs of the original production, turning the result into more of a comedy with intermittent songs rather than a full-blown musical in the Rodgers and Hammerstein tradition.

Sondheim had an unusual theatrical development, starting out purely as a writer of lyrics – for West Side Story (filmed 1961) and Gypsy (filmed in 1964). He took on the dual roles of composer and lyricist for this one, which made its Broadway debut in 1962 and ran for three years…

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The Magnificent 60s is a richly curated deep dive into one of cinema’s most transformative decades, guided by film historian Brian Hannan. The site blends sharp weekly reviews with detailed production histories, box‑office insights, and behind‑the‑scenes stories that illuminate how the 1960s reshaped filmmaking. Its archive is vast and meticulously organised, covering everything from spy thrillers and westerns to biopics, musicals, and contemporary films that echo the era’s sensibilities.