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6.3/10
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The twisted Richard III is haunted by the ghosts of those he has murdered in his attempt to become the King of England.The twisted Richard III is haunted by the ghosts of those he has murdered in his attempt to become the King of England.The twisted Richard III is haunted by the ghosts of those he has murdered in his attempt to become the King of England.
Eugene Mazzola
- Edward V
- (as Eugene Martin)
Morris Ankrum
- The Archbishop
- (uncredited)
Paul Frees
- Opening Narrator
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
Gene Roth
- The Tailor
- (uncredited)
Jack Tornek
- Member of Court
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe Battle of Bosworth is made up of stock footage from the original Universal version of Tower of London (1939).
- GoofsIn this film, Richard of Gloucester, also known as Richard III (played by Vincent Price), kills Mistress Shore (played by 23-year-old Sandra Knight) on the torture Rack. This changes history. In real life, Mistress Shore (1445 -1527) lived to be 82 years old. And if she would have died at age 23, she would never have lived to become the mistress of King Edward IV of England, and the mistress of other noblemen, including Edward's stepson, Thomas Grey (1st Marquess of Dorset), and William Hastings (1st Baron Hastings).
- Quotes
Richard's mother: I brought this curse upon this house when my womb concieved you... Better I should have died in my labor... and never unleashed your evil... upon this Earth.
Richard of Gloucester: You talk of evil... You, who gave me deformity in form of a twisted spine and a withered, arm. Who possesses the greater evil my mother? You who made me this way, or I who have to bare it!
- Crazy creditsNo credit is given to Robert N. Lee, who wrote the 1939 original, nor William Shakespeare, from whose "Richard III" this was freely adapted.
- ConnectionsEdited from Tower of London (1939)
Featured review
The madness of King Richard!
The team of Roger Corman and Vincent Price is undoubtedly most famous for the adaptations of Edgar Allen Poe's works, but it would be unwise to ignore this interpretation of William Shakespeare's play 'Richard III' as it's one of the duo's finest hours! This same story was brought to the screen 23 years earlier with the 1939 film of the same name (also featuring Vincent Price), but Corman's version, although obviously made on a limited budget is still a great version of the tale. The plot features prominent themes of envy, greed and insanity, and the story of one of England's most famous rulers is interesting for its own merits, and Corman's portrayal of it makes it interesting for fans of classic horror also. The plot begins with the death of the current king of England, Richard's brother. The throne is intended to go to the brother's son, but King Richard has other ideas as he begins to murder all those that stand in his path to the most coveted seat in the country. However, what he doesn't count on is his conscience getting in the way; and before long, he is being haunted by the ghosts of his victims.
Every film in the Corman's Poe Anthology is filmed in colour, but here Corman shoots on black and white film, and it does the story no end of favours as the atmosphere always feel thick and foreboding, and gorgeous shots of smoke filled locations help to increase the tension. The fact that the film stars the great Vincent Price is most definitely its strongest element. Price is best at playing villains and people suffering from mental torment, and here he gets to do both in the meaty role of King Richard III. Price's acting style certainly suits Shakespearian roles as he's never afraid to go over the top, and I'm sure Corman was always happy to capitalise on this fact as Price is allowed to let rip completely during many instances of the film. Price also manages to look sinister while he's being hammy, and just small things such as the little hat that Price wears give him an understated villainy that suits the role like a glove. The supernatural elements of the film are well utilised, and Corman is happy to capitalise on the horror aspects of the play at all times. The ending is a little abrupt, but overall, this film is a definite 'hit' and one that shouldn't be missed by Price, Corman and even Shakespeare fans!
Every film in the Corman's Poe Anthology is filmed in colour, but here Corman shoots on black and white film, and it does the story no end of favours as the atmosphere always feel thick and foreboding, and gorgeous shots of smoke filled locations help to increase the tension. The fact that the film stars the great Vincent Price is most definitely its strongest element. Price is best at playing villains and people suffering from mental torment, and here he gets to do both in the meaty role of King Richard III. Price's acting style certainly suits Shakespearian roles as he's never afraid to go over the top, and I'm sure Corman was always happy to capitalise on this fact as Price is allowed to let rip completely during many instances of the film. Price also manages to look sinister while he's being hammy, and just small things such as the little hat that Price wears give him an understated villainy that suits the role like a glove. The supernatural elements of the film are well utilised, and Corman is happy to capitalise on the horror aspects of the play at all times. The ending is a little abrupt, but overall, this film is a definite 'hit' and one that shouldn't be missed by Price, Corman and even Shakespeare fans!
helpful•143
- The_Void
- Jul 23, 2006
- How long is Tower of London?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Ghost of London Tower
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $200,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 19 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.66 : 1
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