Tower of London (1939)
Tower of London (1939)
Plot.
Where to Watch.
This Movie Is About.
Cast & Crew.
Basil Rathbone
Richard - Duke of Gloucester
Boris Karloff
Mord
Barbara O'Neil
Queen Elyzabeth
Ian Hunter
King Edward IV
Vincent Price
Duke of Clarence
Nan Grey
Lady Alice Barton
Ernest Cossart
Tom Clink
John Sutton
John Wyatt
Leo G. Carroll
Lord Hastings
Miles Mander
King Henry VI
Lionel Belmore
Beacon - a Chamberlain
Rose Hobart
Anne Neville
Ronald Sinclair
Boy King Edward
John Herbert-Bond
Young Prince Richard
Ralph Forbes
Henry Tudor
Frances Robinson
Duchess Isobel
G.P. Huntley
Wales
John Rodion
Lord DeVere
Walter Tetley
Chimney Sweep
Donnie Dunagan
Baby Prince
Stanley Blystone
First Gate Guard Greeting Tom Clink (uncredited)
Joan Carroll
Lady Mowbray (uncredited)
Caroline Frances Cooke
Woman (uncredited)
Jean Fenwick
Lady in Waiting (uncredited)
Holmes Herbert
Councilman (uncredited)
P.J. Kelly
Beggar (uncredited)
Murdock MacQuarrie
Councilman (uncredited)
Merrill McCormick
Beggar (uncredited)
C. Montague Shaw
Majordomo (uncredited)
Ann E. Todd
Princess (uncredited)
Ernie Adams
Thirsty Prisoner (uncredited)
Richard Alexander
2nd Gate Guard Greeting Tom Clink (uncredited)
Harry A. Bailey
Councilman (uncredited)
Reginald Barlow
Sherriff (uncredited)
Ted Billings
Beggar (uncredited)
Ed Brady
Beggar (uncredited)
Louise Brien
Lady in Waiting
Howard Brooks
Cardinal
Georgia Caine
Dowager
Harry Cording
Lead Murderer of the Children
Nigel De Brulier
Archbishop at St. John's Chapel (uncredited)
Fred Farrell
Beggar (uncredited)
Martin Faust
Dighton (uncredited)
Al Ferguson
Cleric (uncredited)
John George
Spy (uncredited)
Robert Greig
Friar Cautioning John Wyatt (uncredited) / Friar Cautioning John Wyatt
Frank Hagney
Soldier (uncredited)
Sibyl Harris
Woman
Ivo Henderson
Haberdeer
Colin Kenny
Soldier
George Lloyd
Moat Guard
Michael Mark
Henry VI's Servant
James Pier Mason
Beggar
Charles Miller
Councilman
Arthur Mulliner
Councilman
Claude Payton
Councilman
Charles Peck
Page Boy
Russ Powell
Sexton
Francis Powers
Priest
Evelyn Selbie
Beggar Woman
Venetia Severn
Princess
Yvonne Severn
Princess
Edgar Sherrod
Priest
Ivan F. Simpson
Anne's Protector
Jack C. Smith
Forrest
Schuyler Standish
Page
Arthur Stenning
Soldier
Donald Stuart
Torturer Bunch
Denis Tankard
Beggar
Cyril Thornton
Prisoner
David Thursby
Beggar
Claire Whitney
Civilian Woman
Rowland V. Lee
Director / Producer
Guy York Jr.
Soldier
Robert N. Lee
Screenplay
Frank Skinner
Original Music Composer / Orchestrator
George Robinson
Director of Photography
Russell A. Gausman
Set Decoration
Otto Lederer
Makeup Artist
Jack Otterson
Art Direction
Edward Curtiss
Editor
Vera West
Costume Design
Jack Pierce
Makeup Artist
Ford Beebe
Second Unit
Sam Kaufman
Makeup Artist
Bernard B. Brown
Sound Supervisor
William Hedgcock
Sound
Jack Cosgrove
Visual Effects
Media.
Details.
Release DateNovember 17, 1939
StatusReleased
Running Time1h 32m
Content RatingNR
Genres
Last updated:
Wiki.
Tower of London is a 1939 black-and-white historical film directed and produced by Rowland V. Lee. It stars Basil Rathbone as the future King Richard III of England, and Boris Karloff as his fictitious club-footed executioner Mord. The film is based on the traditional depiction of Richard rising to become King of England in 1483 by eliminating everyone ahead of him. Each time Richard accomplishes a murder, he removes one figurine from a dollhouse resembling a throneroom. Once he has completed his task, he now needs to defeat the exiled Henry Tudor to retain the throne.
Tower of London was developed years before production began when Rowland V. Lee travelled to the United Kingdom to do research for a historical film and came up with the idea of developing a film about Richard III of England. Pressure was put on Lee to direct the film on time and on budget as his last two pictures had gone over budget and were not completed on schedule. Lee had problems when filming two battle scenes in the film which involved 400 extras when all their costumes were damaged by the studio rain machine. Production went over-budget and led to Lee making a deal with Universal to complete all scenes with the higher costing cast members early to finish the film.