The picture begins with a foreword : ¨No age is without its ruthless men -who , in their search for power , leave dark stains upon the pages of history . During the Middle Ages -to seize the tower of London was to seize the throne of England . In 1471 this has been done by Edward IV (Ian Hunter)- who has violently deposed the feeble Henry IV (Miles Mander) and holds him prisoner . Within the deep shadows of the Tower walls lives the population of a small city , some in prison cells and torture chambers , some in palaces and spacious lodgings , but none in peace . A web of intrigue veils the lives of all who know only too well that today's friends might be tomorrow's enemies¨ . As this excellent film tells the story of power-hungry Richard III Crookback (an incisive Basil Rathbone who features an acclaimed acting) , 6th in throne succession , subsequent and eventually crowned king , the English monarch who brutally executed the people who attempted to get in way to the throne . Richard eliminates those ahead of him in succession to the throne, then occupied by his brother King Edward IV of England. Richard , Duke of Gloucester , is a dominant , unstoppable , mean lord , gross black spider of a figure that devours or possesses everything on its path . After the death of Edward he becomes Richard III, King of England, and he needs only defeat the exiled Henry Tudor to retain power . Deformed and ruthless English king Richard battles Prince of Wales' army , as the opposing forces converge in Gloucester-shire and the Prince prays for victory at the Priory of Hereford . This melodrama is based on historical events , during Two Roses War , ¨Red Rose (York)¨ ruled by Edward IV and Richard III followers and ¨White Rose (Lancaster)¨ Henry VII followers who vanquish them . There finally takes place battle of Bosworth , in which Richard III is defeated and takes over the kingdom , a new ruler named Henry VII Tudor.Dazzling , hypnotic entertainment that was deemed extremely graphic for its time and some of the torture scenes had to be cut before it was released . More interested as historical drama than as a terror film , the picture profits from a magnificent cast who gives over-the-top interpretations . Well produced and atmospheric picture , being stunningly directed by Rowland V .Lee , which gives Boris Karloff one of his best characters as the shaven-headed executioner who looks like a forerunner of ulterior roles . Gorgeously polished visuals are perfect foil for the slimy , evil goings-on . The battle scenes were an ordeal to film. Principally shot on August 19, 1939 at a ranch in Tarzana, the fog machine proved ineffective in the face of high winds. The 100-degree heat caused the 300 extras to suffer and rain machines caused the soldier's cardboard helmets and shields to disintegrate. Additional battle scenes were shot on August 22 and on September 4, 1939, but the California heat continued to play havoc with the cast, crew and equipment . Production wrapped on 4 September 1939, 10 days and nearly $80,000 over budget . Tremendous black and white cinematography by George Robinson and stunning dramatic impact in one of the most successful Universal films ever made . Good musical score , though studio heads were alarmed that the score contained nothing but period music and ordered a new score be written ; time considerations ultimately prevented this, with Frank Skinner cobbling together pieces from his score from The son of Frankenstein , only pieces of the original score survived the final cut. Other films dealing with this historic personage are the followings : ¨Tower of London¨(1962) by Roger Corman with Vincent Price as Richard III , Michael Pate , Sandra Knight ; it results to be a sophisticated remake and Price plays a role taken over in the 1939 rendition who coincidentally appeared as the doomed Duke of Clarence ; the classic ¨Richard III¨ (1955) starred and directed by Laurence Olivier with Ralph Richardson , John Gielgud , Cedric Hardwicke , this is the landmark version of the Shakespearean play . And modern take ¨Richard III (1995) by Richard Loncraine with Ian Mckellen , Jim Broadbent , Robert Downey Jr and Nigel Hawthorne , being set in an imagined 1930s London of swanky Art Deco .

Tower of London (1939) Directed and Produced by Roland V. Lee. Starring Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff Barbara O'Neil, Ian Hunter, Vincent Price, Nan Grey, Leo G. Carroll, John Sutton, Miles Mander, and Donnie Dunagan (for some reason I can't stop laughing at those two names being together).The opening music in Tower of London would tell you that it's a horror film. The truth of the matter is, that Tower of London isn't much of a horror film, as it a historical piece. Despite the presence of Boris Karloff, Vincent Price and yes Basil Rathbone (he did some Horror films), this is attempting to be more straight than scary. The film is more or less a retelling of Richard iii (Rathbone) attempts to conquer the throne in England during the 15th century, by any means necessary. Richard is joined by his loyal executioner Mord (Karloff). It is a story of betrayal, power, and descent into madness. It is an interesting retelling, but does have some differences.Released the same year as Son of Frankenstein (both films feature the same two leads, Rathbone and Karloff). Tower of London was probably more or less an attempt to give Basil Rathbone a leading role, that wasn't Sherlock Holmes (this film even begins with Starring Basil Rathbone and then listing the rest of the cast members as with).This film features some fencing. With Rathbone being a naturally trained fencer, Roland V. Lee and the other people behind the film felt that they could probably get away with having fencing in the film (seeing as it was a common thing in that era). And the fights are pretty impressive, probably the best parts of the film, being extremely entertaining, as Richard likes to fence with other people.There is a particularly good scene where after King Henry death is announced, Richard goes to his room and there he set of a dolls lined up, these dolls all have something in common, they are people that he wants dead. With King Henry and two others descent for the throne having already been knocked out, he throws the dolls into the fire, and places the remaining heirs to the throne on top, plotting which one to kill next. The scene is particularly good, because it shows how far Richard will go just to ascend to the throne. The music that plays in the background is particularly good, giving the scene an eerie feeling.Three of the six actors in this film (Rathbone, Karloff and Price) would all reunite with the film, The Comedy of Terrors. A scene in that film mirrors this film, by having Price kill off Rathbone (after Rathbone wouldn't stop coming back to life).The scenery is terrific. It actually looks like we're in London in the 1400's.The acting is pretty good with Rathbone as usual perfect in the role of the sinister Richard the iii, with Karloff just as equally good in the role of his henchman Mord, who is sinister and freaky. Vincent Price is good in a small role, which was one of his earliest films. Here he plays the Duke of Clarence who meets gets challenged to a drinking contest by his brother Richard the iii (you heard me right), that ends with one survivor. Although Price is commonly associated with low-brow horror films, one must not forget that Price started as a serious dramatic supporting actor (including appearances in films such as Laura, and Dragonwyck, and then became started making horror films in the 50's. Another good performance in the film is Ian Hunter as King Edward IV. Here he is depicted as being stronger than what he was in say the Shakespeare play, Richard the iii.The film was remade in 1962 by Roger Corman (although maybe in name only). Ironically enough this time it starred Vincent Price in the role of Richard.All and all the Tower of London is fairly entertaining. I wouldn't call it the most accurate retelling of a historical event, but I wouldn't call it the worst. The acting makes up for most of its fault and for the most part, I suggest it worth a look. Of course I don't like the fact that people label this as a horror film, as there's nothing really scary about it.

The exterior scenes of London are convincing and the claustrophobic, incestuous halls of the tower seem an ideal setting for a drama about greed, betrayal and murder. The horror aspect is somewhat over played by Universal's marketing. It seems unlikely that any audience, even those in the 30's, would not have been more thrilled than horrified by the medieval power struggles depicted in the film.The scenery and lighting enhance a dark and ominous tone that reinforces the typical atmosphere of a horror genre film. So too does the presence of Boris Karloff, playing a sadistic club-footed executioner named Mord. This Igor-like caricature is hardly scary, and even adds a humorous element when viewed by modern audiences. Basil Rathbone plays the truly ruthless Duke of Gloucester, as both villain and protagonist. The plot revolves around his desire to usurp his brother's throne, killing those who stand in his way. Vincent Price also makes an appearance, a weak portrayal of the Duke's alcoholic half-brother, Clarence, who is dispatched by being drowned in wine. Oh the irony! Rathbone's intense stare and slimy charm as the Duke make for a compelling depiction, although somewhat overacted. His intensity is complimented by the comic relief provided by Ian Hunter as Edward IV. The film has been compared to Shakespeare's Richard III, but to compare this disposable pseudo-history to the work of the Bard is both unfair and pointless. This film is certainly historical and also theatrical, but it is not a history lesson nor is it truly Shakespearean. The film is as raunchy and violent as was allowed in the 30's, which by today's standards means hardly at all. The performances carry the somewhat tedious plot along, combined with the intrigue provided by its historical significance and the striking cinematography.The demonification of historical figures as depicted in The Tower of London may not correspond with the facts, but can be very entertaining. If a certain auteur has not applied fantasy to history, there would be no Count Dracula as we know him. This film is ideal for anyone with an interest in the War of the Roses, the mysteries of the Tower of London or the camp and theatrical horror of the black and white era. Those seeking an alternative depiction of Shakespeare's Richard III should keep looking.

When that martyr to morality, that paragon of piety Sir Thomas More had his head chopped off by the order of his master, Henry VIII, it's unlikely in those last moments that he asked forgiveness for the sliming of Richard III's reputation, which he accomplished while ambitiously working to curry favor with the Tudors. Richard was the last of the Yorkist line, a capable and honest king, as ruthless in politics as everyone else was at that time, and most likely, if he had not taken action, to lose his own head to the machinations of the Woodvilles, the family of Queen Elizabeth, widow of Edward IV, Richard's brother, and mother to the two young princes who were the immediate heirs to the throne when Edward died. We know that Richard took control of the princes, that they were lodged with great comfort in the Tower, that he had them proclaimed illegitimate based on a prior morganatic marriage Edward had undertaken, and that there is no record of them having been seen during the last months of Richard's reign. We also know that Henry Tudor, a minor and ambitious offspring from the royal line, returned to England, raised an army and defeated Richard when the forces of Lord Stanley betrayed Richard and attacked his flank in the middle of the battle at Bosworth Field. Tudor took the crown, Richard's body disappeared after being abused, and the Tudor propaganda machine took over. Thanks primarily to Thomas More and, later, William Shakespeare, Richard was turned into a crook-backed, club-footed, amoral monster who slew innocent children, beheaded stalwart lovers of England, wooed widows over the caskets of their husbands and, to put it gently, was an unreliable friend. When Richard was killed in battle, the Tudors saw to it that Richard's reputation as a fair and capable king died with him. And that brings us to Tower of London. Here we have a cauldron of a movie bubbling merrily away that spatters as much rancid stew on Richard almost as vividly as Shakespeare and More did. Basil Rathbone plays Richard with enthusiastic malice. As a henchman, he has Boris Karloff as Mord, a big, club-footed, bald-headed, muscular torturer, eager to use the executioner's axe or the torturer's rack and whip. "You're more than a duke," Mord tells Richard, "more than a king. You're a god to me!" Mord eagerly and admiringly acts on Richard's plans, from thrusting a dagger into the back of the mad old Henry VI to tipping Clarence, Richard's troublesome brother, into a huge vat of malmsey, then sitting on the lid while waiting for the sound of the bubbles to stop. Just as with Shakespeare's Richard, Hollywood's Rathbonian version is great fun, at least as long as Richard has center stage. Things slow down when we spend time seeing how angelic the two royal tykes are. There also is a romantic and conventional subplot between a lady- in-waiting and a young man dedicated to helping Henry Tudor bring down Richard. This is Basil Rathbone's movie, however, and he makes the most of it with icy diction and some good lines. He hands his own dagger to Mord, then sends him to where Henry VI is praying. "A fitting occasion for a blade in the shape of a cross," Richard says. "It will insure the thrust and bless the wound." Karloff gives wonderful, dreadful support. At one point we watch him step heavily on a young royal messenger with his club foot. The boy doesn't survive. Of course, we should know the outcome by now. And who did kill the two young princes? Some say Richard would have been foolish to do so so soon into his reign. Better to wait if he were going to do the deed. The most likely candidate may be the Duke of Buckingham, amoral, unreliable and impetuous, who was eager to have Richard in his debt. My money is on Henry VII. If when Henry won the crown and then found the two princes in the Tower, both with a much better claim to the throne than Henry's, their future would quickly have become their past...as it did. Those who appreciate the gleeful assassination of a person's character will enjoy Lawrence Olivier's Richard III and Ian McKellan's Richard III. Those who might appreciate reading a different point of view should look up Paul Murray Kendall's marvelous biography, Richard III.