Tower of London

Gene Corman, (1927-2020), was a film producer and the younger brother of the legendary director Roger Corman. Following the success of his 1961 movie “The Cat Burglar” Gene was approached by producer Edward Small at United Artists and invited to produce features for the studio. The two began work on a historical horror film based on Shakespeare’s “Richard III,” (but also taking inspiration from “Macbeth”). The project was a semi-remake of Universal’s 1939 feature “Tower of London” directed by Rowland V. Lee. Gene Corman hired his brother to direct the new version, and his frequent-collaborator Vincent Price signed on as the star. (Price had played the “Duke of Clarence” in the 1939 version alongside Basil Rathbone and Boris Karloff.)

Days before filming began Edward Small informed the Corman brothers that the picture would be filmed in Black and White to save money. Small also significantly cut their plans for the climactic scenes of the Battle of Bosworth, choosing instead to lift stock footage from the 1939 version. The Cormans considered leaving the project, but decided to see it through to completion.

This week’s movie was “Tower of London” from United Artists in 1962, directed by Roger Corman from a script by Leo Gordon, F. Amos Powell, and James B. Gordon. When King Edward IV dies his brother “Richard III,” (Vincent Price), uses torture, conspiracy, and murder to take the throne for himself. But the new king begins a rapid descent into madness as all his victims return in ghostly form to reveal that his reign is doomed to a horrible and unavoidable disaster!

The budgetary limitations imposed by Edward Small result in a constricted motion picture that seems almost like a filmed stage play. Vincent Price offers a wonderful performance as Richard III, and this is the main attraction of the project. The talented supporting cast includes Michael Pate, Joan Freeman, and Sandra Knight. This isn’t a bad film, but it is far less interesting than the movies that Roger Corman was making at AIP during this same period. The failure to film in Color is probably what doomed this picture at the box office.

Richard III, (1452-1485), was the last king of the Plantagenet Dynasty. His defeat at the Battle of Bosworth Field by Henry VII, (1457-1509), established the Tudor Dynasty. Under these new kings the historical reputation of Richard III suffered badly, transforming him into a disfigured madman. It is this version of the king that informed William Shakespeare and all subsequent portrayals. In reality Richard III was probably a far more ordinary monarch physically than the monster of infamy in accepted legend, but a bloodthirsty murderer all the same.