This film was reportedly a favourite of Vincent Price's, as he had always wanted the chance to act in Shakespeare, but had found himself typecast because of his work in horror films. Before or after each death in the film Lionheart recites passages of Shakespeare, giving Price a chance to deliver such speeches as Hamlet's third soliloquy ("To be, or not to be, that is the question..."); Mark Antony's eulogy for Caesar from "Julius Caesar" ("Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears..."); "Now is the winter of our discontent..." from the beginning of "Richard III"; and the raving of King Lear after the death of his faithful daughter.