Esther and the King (1960)

Directors:

Raoul Walsh, Mario Bava

Writers:

Raoul Walsh (screenplay), Michael Elkins (screenplay),

Stars:

Joan Collins, Richard Egan, Denis O'Dea

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Joan Collins	...	Esther
Richard Egan	...	King Ahasuerus
Denis O'Dea	...	Mordecai
Sergio Fantoni	...	Haman
Rik Battaglia	...	Simon (as Rick Battaglia)
Renato Baldini	...	Klydrathes
Gabriele Tinti	...	Samual
Rosalba Neri	...	Keresh
Robert Buchanan	...	Hegai
Daniela Rocca	...	Queen Vashti
Folco Lulli	...	Tobiah

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

eunuch | sword fight | hero | jewish tradition | biblical epic | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

Italy USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 December 1960 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ester E o Rei

Filming Locations:

Titanus Appia Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Galatea Film, Titanus, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

King Ahasuerus: Now I will stem the ambitions of that young Macedonian upstart. Whar's his name?
Haman: Alexander.
King Ahasuerus: That's it.

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Connections

Version of Esther (1999)

User Reviews

The king and E.

They say it's more Mario Bava's work than Raoul Walsh's whose métier was not really the biblical epic .The cinematography ,often dark,recalls some of the Italian director's horror movies,particularly Haman's henchman's murders.And I think that Joan Collins was better at playing a Villainess as she did in Hawks' "land of the pharaohs" .

The part of Simon-played by Ric(k) Battaglia ,a specialist of the cheap Italian sword and sandal ,who played such figures as Orlando(Roland) or Vercingetorix- was made from start to finish by the screenwriters ,to create a dilemma for the heroine.The Bible,anyway,is given a rough ride :nothing is told ,for example ,about the fact that Mordecai -not Esther's uncle ,but actually her cousin,which does not make a big difference anyway- did not want to make a deep bow to Haman.

Richard Egan ,on the other hand, is a good king ,he has style ,and he is as convincing a monarch as he is the good doctor,Pollyanna's friend ,the same year.