When they said, "Not suitable for general exhibition", they weren't kidding.
Tower of London is a historically-themed 1939 Universal Horror film directed by Rowland V. Lee, starring Basil Rathbone as Richard III and Boris Karloff as his loyal executioner.
In the 15th century, Richard (Rathbone) has aims to claim the throne of England. To fulfill his ambition to become king, he conspires with his deranged executioner Mord (Karloff). To do so, he uses intrigues to eliminate the competition one by one. However, if he wants to retain the throne, he will have to contend with the exiled Henry Tudor, who also aims to seize the throne.
In the middle of this, young lovers Alice Barton and John Wyatt are separated by court intrigue and struggle to survive until they can find a way back to one another.
It got a remake in 1962, directed by Roger Corman and starring Vincent Price (who has a supporting role in the 1939 film as the Duke of Clarence) as Richard. In the later Theatre of Blood, Price stars as a Shakespeare-obsessed Theme Serial Killer, and again dons the role of Richard for one scene, putting his victim in the role of Clarence.
Tower of London conspires with the following tropes:
- Absurdly High-Stakes Game: Richard and George hold a Drinking Contest for possession of all of the Warwick estates.
- Bald of Evil: Mord, The Dragon to Duke Richard, is a hulking brute with a clubfoot who is completely bald.
- Bittersweet Ending: Many people lost their lives because of Richard's conspiracy to seize the throne, but Henry Tudor successfully took back the kingdom and Alice and Wyatt got to be married.
- Bizarre Beverage Use: Richard drowns his brother George, Duke of Clarence in a vat of Malmsey following their Drinking Contest, thereby keeping to the Exact Words of his promise that Malmsey would be the only weapon he would use against him.
- A Child Shall Lead Them: Prince Edward becomes king after his father passed away. It doesn't last long.
- Chimney Entry: Lady Alice gains access to the Tower by posing as a chimney sweep's boy and having the sweep lower her down a chimney.
- Creepy Dollhouse: Complete with miniatures resembling Richard's competitors for the throne.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: Richard has his brother George drowned in a vat of Malmsey.
- Dead Hat Shot: When Mord stabs the infirm Henry VI at his prayers, his death is marked by his paper crown falling to the floor.
- Drinking Contest: Duke George of Clarence challenges Richard to one, the choice of wine being Malmsey. This would end fatally because of Richard.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: John Wyatt and Lady Alice, after having to deal with separation more than once, political conspiracies, and taking dangerous risks to help kickstart a war to bring Richard down, finally are reunited and able to marry.
- Evil Cripple: Duke Richard is a hunchback, and his dragon and Torture Technician Mord has a clubfoot.
- Evil Uncle: Duke Richard
- Exact Words: After George accepts Richard's challenge to a Drinking Contest, Richard promises George that Malmsey will be the only weapon used. At the end of the contest, Richard and Mord drown George in a vat of Malmsey.
- The Exile: Wyatt was exiled to France for refusing an arranged marriage by King Edward's orders, primarily because Elyzabeth threatens to leave her husband if anything worse happens to him.
- The Executioner: Mord's occupation, and he takes great pleasure in doing the job.
- The Fate of the Princes in the Tower: Richard did it.
- Gorgeous Period Dress: The members of royalty certainly dress well, given their positions in the kingdom.
- Go Through Me: Prince Richard attempts this at Mord while pleading for his brother to live. It doesn't work.
- Handy Cuffs: John Wyatt uses the shackles still locked to his wrists to knock out a guard as he escapes the Tower.
- Janitor Impersonation Infiltration: Alice managed to sneak into the Tower disguised as a chimney cleaner, providing Wyatt a file to free himself.
- Klingon Promotion: Richard, Duke of Gloucester orders the assassinations of over a dozen people who stand between him and the throne, including his own brother Clarence, drowned in the proverbial barrel of wine ("a waste of good Malmsey"), and his nephews, the "Princes in the Tower".
- Last Disrespects: Coupled with Speak Ill of the Dead and Spiteful Spit. As Richard's body is dragged along after he's killed, every soldier spits at him and curses him for being a child murderer.
- Off with His Head!: Lord DeVere is executed this way at the beginning of the film.
- Princess in Rags: Anne Neville, who was found disguised as a servant.
- Properly Paranoid: Queen Elyzabeth never shook off her fear for the safety and lives of her sons, suspecting Richard's machinations on them. She would tragically be proven right.
- Red Right Hand: Mord is established to have a club foot.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Queen Elyzabeth comes off as this, especially concerning Alice and Wyatt.
- Shoot the Messenger: Alice attempts to have the queen's message passed to the captain of the Trident. Mord made sure it doesn't get far.
- Spiteful Spit: Before his execution, Lord DeVere insults Mord by—instead of the traditional fee to the executioner to ensure a good job—handing him a groat and telling him to do his worst. Mord spits on the coin and throws it away.
- A Taste of the Lash: Wyatt was subjected to this by Richard to force information on the treasure's whereabouts out of him. He doesn't budge.
- Timeskip: Happens a couple of times over the course of the film to signal a different point in time.
- Torture Technician: Mord, The Dragon to Duke Richard, is the executioner at the Tower of London and also Richard's personal torturer, although he fails to break John Wyatt.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Clarence's favorite wine is Malmsey. Richard drowns him in a vat of it.
- The Usurper: Richard, using any means to get rid of other successors and claim the throne of England for himself.
- Would Hurt a Child: Princes Edward and Richard are killed at their uncle's orders.
