The Vincent Price Movie Review

Released in 1939
Directed by Rowland V. Lee
Written by Robert N. Lee
Based on Shakespeare’s Richard III

“Marry your enemies and behead your friends”

Tower of London was Vincent Price’s third movie right after he did Elizabeth and Essex. It is based somewhat on Shakespeare’s Richard III play, which I read for the first time before viewing this movie. Starring alongside Vincent Price are Basil Rathbone as Richard and Boris Karloff as Mord, his menacing executioner henchman. The plot, like the original play, is somewhat convoluted and involves many side characters. If you haven’t been exposed to British historical legends or aren’t familiar with the play, you will probably find yourself a little confused as to what is going on in the movie. Some dramatic license is taken as well. A brief background:

The events take place during the last part of the War of the Roses between the houses of York and Lancaster. On the York side are the brothers Edward, Clarence, and Richard. On the Lancaster side is Henry VI and his son, the Prince of Wales, and Henry Tutor who is in exile in France. Richard III is the younger brother of King Edward IV, who claimed the throne from the mentally incompetent King Henry VI. Richard III wants the throne for himself, but there are many people ahead of him in the line to be king. The first is King Edward IV, his brother. Then next in line are Edward IV’s two sons. After that is the Duke of Clarence, Richard’s older brother. Another strong claim on the throne comes from the Prince of Wales, Henry VI’s son.
To ascend to the throne Richard III must do away with all of these people; British history lesson concluded.

Well, let’s get back to the movie. Putting Karloff, Rathbone, and Price all together in a film is a good idea. I think the only other movie with all three of them was The Comedy of Terrors. Rathbone and Karloff both know how to play creepy and sinister, and they do so with good effect in this movie. Rathbone portrays Richard with an icy confidence. This is highlighted thoughout the movie but in particular when Richard is murderously musing over his little throne room dolls, plotting the death of each person with a sneer. (For some reason his appearance kept reminding me of Spock, from Star Trek. Rathbone would have made a good Vulcan.) The role of Mord seems to be created just for Karloff. It’s a brutish, lurching, frankenstein looking character who delights in the torture and murder of others. Vincent Price plays the Duke of Clarence, who in this movie is portrayed as effete and cowardly. His favorite activities include whining and drinking malmsy wine. One of my favorite parts in the film is when Richard and Clarence agree to have a drinking contest to determine the ownership of some disputed territory between them. Awesome.

The supporting cast is somewhat forgettable. John Sutton is okay as Wyatt. (he was in half a dozen movies with Vincent Price) Ian Hunter as Edward IV is not bad.

It’s an old movie, but it’s worth seeing.

There was another Tower of London movie made in 1962 starring Vincent Price as Richard.

Released in 1962
Directed by Roger Corman
Written by Richard Matheson, inspired by the Edgar Allan Poe short stories

“Bring on the wine! Bring on the wine!”

Tales of Terror is another one of Roger Corman’s Edgar Allan Poe adaptation films from the sixties. It consists of three separate story segments: Morella, The Black Cat, and Facts In the Case Of M. Valdemar - with segues narrated by Vincent Price, who plays a different character in each story. Peter Lorre and Basil Rathbone star in the second and third segments, respectively. While the first segment is weak, the film improves in the second and third segments due to the comedic stylings of Lorre and the creepy performance of Rathbone.

The first story, Morella, is loosely inspired by the short story of the same name. Despite getting off to a spooky start similar in style to the Pit and the Pendulum and the House of Usher, this segment sputters out in the end. Even Price’s engaging performance fails to bandage the mismatched plot, which left me scratching my head. Thankfully the first segment is only twenty minutes long and we can move on to the next one, which is much more enjoyable.

The second story is more light-hearted than the first. It’s an amalgamation of Poe’s The Black Cat and The Cask of Amontillado. Peter Lorre plays Montresor, a professional alcoholic who is constantly hassling his wife for drinking money while frequently abusing his poor cat. One evening in a stroke of inebriated luck, he finds himself at a wine tasting convention where he brashly challenges Fortunato (Price), the most respected connoisseur. The tasting competition that ensues is worth a chuckle or two as Price and Lorre try to outdo each other. (it’s reported that they got drunk in real life while filming this scene) The segment takes a darker turn after this when Montresor begins to question his wife’s fidelity and plots revenge, Poe style, and multiple people end up being buried alive. (the cat survives, at least)

This brings us to the third and final segment: Facts In the Case Of M. Valdemar. Vincent Price plays Valdemar, a man afflicted by a terminal disease who employs a creepy hypnotist(Rathbone) to relieve him of the uncomfortable physical symptoms. The hypnotist requires only one thing in compensation: permission to use his hypnotic skills on Valdemar the instant before his death. The motives of Rathbone’s character are unknown, but Valdemar’s regular doctor suspects the hypnotist may have designs on Valdemar’s beautiful wife. The chilling climax comes when Valdemar dies(kind of) and the true motives of the hypnotist are revealed.

Overall I’d say this film is so-so. While the first segment is weak, the second and third help to even it out. The performances of all the main actors are entertaining, but the supporting cast is somewhat forgettable. If you are interested in the Edgar Allan Poe adaptations, try watching another one of these: Pit and the Pendulum, House of Usher, Masque of the Red Death