Esther and the King

Esther and the King
Theatrical poster
Directed by	Raoul Walsh Mario Bava (Italian version)
Produced by	Raoul Walsh
Screenplay by	Raoul Walsh Michael Elkins Ennio De Concini
Starring	Joan Collins Richard Egan
Music by	Angelo Francesco Lavagnino Roberto Nicolosi
Cinematography	Mario Bava
Edited by	Jerry Webb
Production company	Galatea Film Titanus
Distributed by	20th Century Fox
Release dates	December 14,1960 (U.S.) February 17, 1961 (Italy)
Running time	109 mins.
Country	Italy United States
Language	English

Ester e il re (English Translation: Esther and the King) is a 1960 Italian / American international co-production religious epic film directed (with Mario Bava, the film's director of photography, who was credited as a co-director on Italian prints of the film ^[1]), written, and produced by Raoul Walsh. It was made in Cinemascope and DeLuxe Color, and produced at 20th Century Fox/ Raoul Walsh Productions, and was released by 20th Century Fox. Joan Collins stars as Esther in this melodramatic, routine Biblical story. Based on the Old Testament, this epic recreates the Book of Esther, the tale that is the basis for the Jewish celebration of Purim.

Plot

The film is set in Persia in the 5th century BC. After the King’s wife is murdered, Esther (a Jewish woman) comes to the attention of the recently widowed King Ahasuerus. The king has been trying to stifle and defeat the campaign of hatred against the Jews by his evil minister Haman (Sergio Fantoni). Before the King can pair off with Esther and defeat the villainous Haman, there are several intervening adventures and an additional, attractive woman who competes for attention.^[2]

Cast

Joan Collins as Esther
Richard Egan as King Ahasuerus
Denis O'Dea as Mordecai
Sergio Fantoni as Haman
Renato Baldini as Kildrates
Gabriele Tinti as Samuel
Rosalba Neri as Keresh
Daniela Rocca as Queen Vashti
Folco Lulli as Tobiah
Rik Battaglia as Simon

Movie Poster

Reception

Rosalba Neri's performance has been evaluated as "memorable".^[3]

Biography

Hughes, Howard (2011). Cinema Italiano - The Complete Guide From Classics To Cult. London - New York: I.B.Tauris. ISBN 978-1-84885-608-0.

References

↑ Mario Bava: All the Colors of the Dark by Tim Lucas, Published by Video Watchdog
↑ Plot Synopsis by Eleanor Mannikka from allmovie.com website
↑ Hughes, p.69

External links

Esther and the King at the Internet Movie Database
Esther and the King is available for free download at the Internet Archive
Esther and the King at AllMovie
Esther and the King at the TCM Movie Database
Esther and the King at the American Film Institute Catalog
Esther and the King at Rotten Tomatoes

Films directed by Raoul Walsh

The Life of General Villa (1914)
Regeneration (1915)
Peer Gynt (1915)
Carmen (1915)
The Serpent (1916)
The Silent Lie (1917)
Betrayed (1917)
The Conqueror (1917)
The Pride of New York (1917)
The Prussian Cur (1918)
Evangeline (1919)
Kindred of the Dust (1922)
Lost and Found on a South Sea Island (1923)
The Thief of Bagdad (1924)
East of Suez (1925)
The Spaniard (1925)
The Wanderer (1925)
The Lucky Lady (1926)
The Lady of the Harem (1926)
What Price Glory? (1926)
The Monkey Talks (1927)
Sadie Thompson (1928)
The Red Dance (1928)
Me, Gangster (1928)
The Cock-Eyed World (1929)
Hot for Paris (1929)
The Big Trail (1930)
The Man Who Came Back (1931)
Women of All Nations (1931)
The Yellow Ticket (1931)
Wild Girl (1932)
Me and My Gal (1932)
Sailor's Luck (1933)
Hello, Sister! (1933)
The Bowery (1933)
Going Hollywood (1933)
Under Pressure (1935)
Baby Face Harrington (1935)
Every Night at Eight (1935)
Klondike Annie (1936)
Big Brown Eyes (1936)
Spendthrift (1936)
Artists and Models (1937)
Hitting a New High (1937)
O.H.M.S. (1937)
Jump for Glory (1937)
College Swing (1938)
St. Louis Blues (1939)
The Roaring Twenties (1939)
Dark Command (1940)
They Drive by Night (1940)
High Sierra (1941)
The Strawberry Blonde (1941)
Manpower (1941)
They Died with Their Boots On (1941)
Desperate Journey (1942)
Gentleman Jim (1942)
Background to Danger (1943)
Northern Pursuit (1943)
Uncertain Glory (1944)
Objective, Burma! (1945)
Salty O'Rourke (1945)
The Horn Blows at Midnight (1945)
The Man I Love (1947)
Pursued (1947)
Cheyenne (1947)
Silver River (1948)
Fighter Squadron (1948)
One Sunday Afternoon (1948)
Colorado Territory (1949)
White Heat (1949)
Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951)
Along the Great Divide (1951)
Distant Drums (1951)
Glory Alley (1952)
The World in His Arms (1952)
Blackbeard the Pirate (1952)
The Lawless Breed (1953)
Sea Devils (1953)
A Lion Is in the Streets (1953)
Gun Fury (1953)
Saskatchewan (1954)
Battle Cry (1955)
The Tall Men (1955)
The Revolt of Mamie Stover (1956)
The King and Four Queens (1956)
Band of Angels (1957)
The Naked and the Dead (1958)
The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw (1958)
A Private's Affair (1959)
Esther and the King (1960)
Marines, Let's Go (1961)
A Distant Trumpet (1964)

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