The Dark Tower (1943 film)

The Dark Tower
Directed by	John Harlow
Produced by	Max Milder
Written by	Reginald Purdell Brock Williams
Based on	the play by George S. Kaufman and Alexander Woollcott
Starring	Ben Lyon Herbert Lom Anne Crawford David Farrar
Music by	Jack Beaver
Cinematography	Otto Heller
Edited by	Terence Fisher
Production company	Warner BrothersFirst National
Distributed by	Warner Brothers
Release dates	18 October 1943 (1943-10-18)
Running time	93 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

The Dark Tower is a 1943 British thriller film starring Ben Lyon, Anne Crawford, David Farrar and Herbert Lom. The film marked Herbert Lom's first major film role.

Plot

Stephen Torg (Lom) seeks work at a struggling traveling circus. While there, a lion escapes; Torg is able to control it with his skill at hypnotism. Phil Danton (Lyon), the head of the circus, is so impressed, he hires the newcomer. Then someone comes up with an idea. Torg hypnotizes Mary (Crawford) so that she can perform a dangerous aerial stunt without props. Her partner and boyfriend, Tom Danton (Farrar) is suspicious, but is overruled by the others.

With Torg's help, the circus becomes very successful, and Torg is able to force Phil into making him a partner. Meanwhile, Torg falls in love with Mary, though she makes it clear to him that her heart belongs to Tom. As time goes on, Torg begins to exert control over Mary. Before one performance, he tells her under hypnosis that she will be so tired that she will be unable to hold onto Tom during their trapeze act. As a result, Tom falls and is injured so badly, he has to stay in the hospital. The others suspect what is going on, but have no proof and are powerless to do anything.

When Tom recovers enough to return to the circus, he finds that Torg has Mary performing an even more dangerous stunt. While watching it, he unthinkingly cries out her name, breaking her trance and almost causing her fall from the high wire. While Torg is being lowered to the ground, Phil cuts the rope and Torg falls to his death. However, in a twist, the doctor reveals that Torg was shot in the head in mid-air, a feat that could only have been done by the circus's sharpshooter, Dora (Josephine Wilson).

Cast

• Phil Danton - Ben Lyon
• Mary - Anne Crawford
• Tom Danton - David Farrar
• Stephen Torg - Herbert Lom
• Colonel Willie Wainwright - Frederick Burtwell
• Jimmy Powers - William Hartnell (as 'Bill Hartnell')
• Dora Shogun - Josephine Wilson
• Eve - Elsie Wagstaff
• Dr. Wilson - J.H. Roberts
• Doctor - Aubrey Mallalieu
• Skaters - Cecil Ayres Trio
  Victor Wood

Critical reception

Aveleyman called the film an "enjoyable little B-film with noir overtones, with some excellent performances. Lyon may be top-billed, but this is Lom's film all the way. Too bad much of the rest is strictly routine."

External links

• The Dark Tower at IMDb
• The Dark Tower at TCM
• The Dark Tower is available for free download at the Internet Archive