Tower of London (1962)

The twisted Richard III is haunted by the ghosts of those he has murdered in his attempt to become the King of England.

Director:

Roger Corman

Writers:

Leo Gordon (story) (as Leo V. Gordon), F. Amos Powell (story) (as Amos Powell)

Stars:

Vincent Price, Michael Pate, Joan Freeman

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Vincent Price	...	Richard of Gloucester
Michael Pate	...	Sir Ratcliffe
Joan Freeman	...	Lady Margaret
Robert Brown	...	Sir Justin
Bruce Gordon	...	Earl of Buckingham
Joan Camden	...	Anne
Richard Hale	...	Tyrus
Sandra Knight	...	Mistress Shore
Charles Macaulay	...	George, Duke of Clarence
Justice Watson	...	Edward IV
Sarah Selby	...	Queen
Donald Losby	...	Prince Richard
Sara Taft	...	Richard's mother
Eugene Mazzola	...	Edward V (as Eugene Martin)

Storyline

On the death of his brother King Edward IV, Richard of Gloucester conspires to get the throne for himself. The late King had two young sons, his heir, Edward V and the younger Prince Richard, but they are not of age and so names his other brother, Clarence as Lord Protector of the Realm. Gloucester soon kills his younger brother but is haunted by his ghost and what he has done. As he continues to kill those around him, Gloucester is haunted by those he has betrayed hearing voices and slowly descending into madness. He spreads rumors that the late King's two sons are illegitimate and therefore not eligible to ascend to the throne. He assassinates the young princes and is crowned King Richard III. The ghosts from his past have the final say however.

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Plot Keywords:

ghost | king richard iii | 15th century | gothic horror | london england | 

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Taglines:

Mother England meets Father Terror!

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Genres:

Drama | History | Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Vincent Price played one decade later in Theater Of Blood in which there also was a scene of a man drowned in a barrel of wine.

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Goofs

Just after Richard throws the ax through the stained glass window, you can see the shadow of the camera crane on the floor, rising higher and higher and pulling back.

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Quotes

Opening Narrator: The Tower of London - a monument to the corruption of the soul, wherein the shadowed past a man gained the throne of England despite the insane ambition that drove him to evil and murder. He escaped the headsman's block but he could never escape the ghosts of his conscience. It is the night of April ninth in the year fourteen eighty three, the night that Edward IV, King of England, will die. Rumours that the King is on his deathbed have filled London and the people await the booming of the ...

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Connections

Referenced in Special Collector's Edition: La colina de las botas (2011)

User Reviews

Worth looking out for, but not one of Corman's best efforts

I was looking forward to Tower of London as I am a big fan of Vincent Price and a lot of his and Corman's collaborations. After seeing it, I don't think it is one of their best, and the 1939 film while not perfect is a better film, but it is a decent film and should be better known than it is. Granted it is nowhere near perfect, the ending is abrupt, some of the supernatural scenes are more silly than they are haunting and most of the supporting cast are very hammy. The history is also questionable, though I wasn't expecting a history lesson when watching Tower of London and I don't count it as as big a flaw as the ones above. However, the sets, costumes and photography are quite good, the score has a haunting quality to it and the dialogue is intelligent. The story has some uneven moments, but the murders are very disturbing and there is a good atmosphere about it. The killings of the princes and Richard's decision to kill Buckingham are the best scenes of the film. Corman's direction is generally solid and Robert Brown and Joan Freeman are good in their roles and handle them with professionalism. But Vincent Price is the best actor in the film, his Richard of Gloucester is superb, the only one of the cast to make me feel that way. While slightly on the camp side, and I do think he has given better performances before and since, he is also menacing and troubled. All in all, not one of Corman's best but worth the viewing for Price's performances and the murder scenes. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 October 1962 (USA)

Also Known As:

Tower of London

Filming Locations:

Producers Studios - 5330 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$200,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Edward Small Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

79 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1