Esther and the King
Encyclopedia
Esther and the King is a 1960 U.S.A. / Italian
film direction, written, and produced by Raoul Walsh
. It is a religious epic
. It was 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 tale that is the basis for Purim
.
in the 4th 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.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
film direction, written, and produced by Raoul Walsh
Raoul Walsh
Raoul Walsh was an American film director, actor, founding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the brother of silent screen actor George Walsh...
. It is a religious epic
Epic film
An epic is a genre of film that emphasizes human drama on a grand scale. Epics are more ambitious in scope than other film genres, and their ambitious nature helps to differentiate them from similar genres such as the period piece or adventure film...
. It was produced at 20th Century Fox/ Raoul Walsh Productions, and was released by 20th Century Fox. Joan Collins
Joan Collins
Joan Henrietta Collins, OBE , is an English actress, author, and columnist. Born in Paddington and raised in Maida Vale, Collins grew up during the Second World War. At the age of nine, she made her stage debut in A Doll's House and after attending school, she was classically trained as an actress...
stars as Esther
Esther
Esther , born Hadassah, is the eponymous heroine of the Biblical Book of Esther.According to the Bible, she was a Jewish queen of the Persian king Ahasuerus...
in this melodramatic, routine Biblical story. Based on the Old Testament, this epic recreates the tale that is the basis for Purim
Purim
Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people in the ancient Persian Empire from destruction in the wake of a plot by Haman, a story recorded in the Biblical Book of Esther .Purim is celebrated annually according to the Hebrew calendar on the 14th...
.
Plot
The film is set in PersiaAchaemenid Empire
The Achaemenid Empire , sometimes known as First Persian Empire and/or Persian Empire, was founded in the 6th century BCE by Cyrus the Great who overthrew the Median confederation...
in the 4th century BC. After the King’s wife is murdered, Esther (a Jewish woman) comes to the attention of the recently widowed King Ahasuerus
Ahasuerus
Ahasuerus is a name used several times in the Hebrew Bible, as well as related legends and Apocrypha. This name is applied in the Hebrew Scriptures to three rulers...
. The king has been trying to stifle and defeat the campaign of hatred against the Jews by his evil minister Haman
Haman
Haman can be a surname which is a corruption of the German Hamann. It is also a biblical surname as described below. It also refers to:*Haman , appears in the Book of Esther and is the main antagonist in the Jewish holiday of Purim....
(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.
Cast
- Joan CollinsJoan CollinsJoan Henrietta Collins, OBE , is an English actress, author, and columnist. Born in Paddington and raised in Maida Vale, Collins grew up during the Second World War. At the age of nine, she made her stage debut in A Doll's House and after attending school, she was classically trained as an actress...
- Esther - Richard EganRichard Egan (actor)Richard Egan was an American actor. In some films he is credited as Richard Eagan.-Career:Born in San Francisco, California, Egan served in the United States Army as a judo instructor during World War II...
- King Ahasuerus - Denis O'DeaDenis O'DeaDenis O'Dea was an Irish stage and film actor.O'Dea was a leading member of Dublin's Abbey Theatre, where his work led to a number of notable film roles, including two mid-1930s John Ford films, The Informer and The Plough and the Stars , and the part of the police inspector in pursuit of IRA man...
- Mardoch - Sergio FantoniSergio FantoniSergio Fantoni, is an Italian actor.He was born in Rome, the son of actor Cesare Fantoni . In films from the late 1940s, he has worked mainly in his own country but made several appearances in American films in the 1960s, most notably opposite Frank Sinatra in the war film Von Ryan's Express,...
- Haman - Renato Baldini - Kildrates
- Gabriele Tinti - Samuel
- Rosalba NeriRosalba NeriRosalba Neri , sometimes credited as Sara Bey or Sara Bay, is a retired Italian actress.-Biography:When she was very young, she won a beauty pageant and attended il Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia...
– Keresh - Daniela RoccaDaniela RoccaDaniela Rocca was an Italian model and actress.Rocca was born and raised in Acireale, a poor neighborhood in Catania. She became Miss Catania in 1953, and was discovered by talent scouts after competing in a Miss Italy competition...
- Queen Vashti - Folco LulliFolco LulliFolco Lulli was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 104 films between 1946 and 1970. He was the brother of actor Piero Lulli.-Selected filmography:* Flesh Will Surrender * Tragic Hunt...
- Tobiah - Rick Bataglia – Simon