Roger Corman took a break between such cinematic masterpieces as LITTLE SHOP and THE RAVEN to invade Shakespearean territory in TOWER OF London. I usually enjoy the Price/Corman schlock films, but this one was SO badly misconceived that I found myself fast-forwarding through scene after scene. Did Shakespeare have murders? Corman has more!! Did Shakespeare have ghosts? Corman has a dozen!! (Many poorly double-exposed and some not sized correctly for the scenes.) And of course, we have to have a Poe-inspired torture chamber with a damsel on the rack. Are you getting the picture? Then there's Vincent Price, looking silly in a Prince Valiant wig, mugging away through scene after scene showing his full range of horror-film facial expressions. His trademark mincing-lisping delivery, which works well in many contexts, doesn't lend King Richard much gravitas. There's no tragedy here, just grand guignol.
So if you want to see a classic historical tale reduced to the lowest common denominator, be sure to catch Corman's TOWER.
So if you want to see a classic historical tale reduced to the lowest common denominator, be sure to catch Corman's TOWER.