The Story of Esther Costello

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The Story of Esther Costello
TheStoryofEstherCostello.jpg
Original theatrical poster
Directed by David Miller
Written by Charles Kaufman
Based on
The Story of Esther Costello
1952 novel
by  Nicholas Monsarrat
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Robert Krasker
Edited by Ralph Kemplen
Music by Lambert Williamson
Production
company
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date
  • 6 November 1957 (1957-11-06)
Running time
127 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Box office$1,075,000 (US rentals) [1]

The Story of Esther Costello is a 1957 British drama film directed by David Miller and starring Joan Crawford, Rossano Brazzi and Heather Sears. [2] It was produced by Miller and Jack Clayton. The screenplay by Charles Kaufman was based on the 1952 novel by Nicholas Monsarrat. It was distributed by Columbia Pictures. The film is a story of large-scale fundraising.

Contents

Plot

With her marriage to womaniser Carlo Landi in ashes, wealthy and childless Margaret Landi finds an emotional outlet in educating a 15-year-old deaf, mute, and blind Irish girl named Esther Costello. Esther's disabilities are the result of a childhood trauma and are psychosomatic rather than physical. As Costello makes progress with Braille and sign language, she is seen as an example of triumph over adversity. Carlo gets wind of Margaret's new life and re-enters the scene. He views Esther as a source of cheap financial gain and arranges a series of exploitative tours for her under mercenary manager, Frank Wenzel. One day when Margaret is absent from the Landi apartment, Carlo rapes the now 16-year-old Esther. The shock restores the girl's sight and hearing. When Margaret learns of her husband's business duplicities and the rape, she consigns Esther to the care of a priest and a young reporter who loves her. Margaret and Carlo drive off, but Margaret has a gun and we are led to believe she kills Carlo and herself.

Cast

Production notes

The film is based on a book by Nicholas Monsarrat that nearly had Helen Keller's co-workers suing for libel due to perceived parallels between Helen's story and Esther's. [3] In particular, the book seemed to slur the character of Anne Sullivan's husband, writer-publicist John Macy, who was close to Keller's age. A relationship between Macy and Keller has long been a subject of speculation. [4] Esther's reporter friend was reminiscent of Keller's highly publicised attempt to elope with reporter-secretary Peter Fagan. [5]

Heather Sears was under contract to the Woolf brothers. [6]

A key support role went to Ron Randell, who had been in the Woolf brothers' I am a Camera. [7]

Reception

Box office

The film was the 11th most popular film at the British box office in 1957. [8] [9]

According to Kinematograph Weekly the film was "in the money" at the British box office in 1957 [10] and was a "tremendous money spinner". [11]

Critical

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "The fascinations of mass hypnosis, at the huge Esther Costello rallies in America, are suavely indulged by David Miller's luxuriating direction. Indeed, this scene – very reminiscent of the Communist rally in Trial – hits the only true note to be found in this florid Crawford vehicle." [12]

The New York Times noted, "Miss Crawford, Mr. Brazzi, and Mr. Patterson and all the minor players are professional throughout."

William K. Zinsser in the New York Herald Tribune wrote, "It wouldn't be a Joan Crawford picture without plenty of anguish...And her fans will have their usual good time...this plot enables Miss Crawford to run a full-course dinner of dramatic moods, from loneliness to mother love, from pride in the girl to passion with her husband, and finally to smouldering rage...Somehow she pulls it off. This may not be your kind of movie but it is many women's kind of movie and our Joan is queen of the art form." [13]

DVD

The Story of Esther Costello was released on DVD by Turner Classics (under licence from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment) on 25 November 2014, as part of the "Joan Crawford in the 1950s" collection.

See also

References

Citations
  1. ↑ "Top Grosses of 1957". Variety. 8 January 1958. p. 30.
  2. ↑ "The Story of Esther Costello". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  3. ↑ Lash 1997, pp. 732–38.
  4. ↑ Lash 1997, pp. 868–69.
  5. ↑ Lash 1997, pp. 441–44, 448–50.
  6. ↑ Vagg, Stephen (17 January 2026). "Forgotten British Film Moguls: John and James Woolf". Filmink. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  7. ↑ Vagg, Stephen (10 August 2019). "Unsung Aussie Actors – Ron Randell: A Top Twenty". Filmink.
  8. ↑ Anderson, Lindsay; Dent, David (8 January 1958). "Time for New Ideas". The Times. London, England. p. 9.
  9. ↑ Thumim, Janet. "The Popular Cash and Culture in the Postwar British Cinema Industry". Screen. Vol. 32, no. 3. p. 259.
  10. ↑ Billings, Josh (12 December 1957). "Others in the Money". Kinematograph Weekly. p. 7.
  11. ↑ Billings, Josh (12 December 1957). "Hardly Vintage but a Great Year for British Films". Kinematograph Weekly. p. 6.
  12. ↑ "The Story of Esther Costello" . The Monthly Film Bulletin . 24 (276): 99. 1 January 1957. ProQuest   1305817789.
  13. ↑ Quirk, Lawrence J. (1968). The Films of Joan Crawford . The Citadel Press. ISBN   978-0-8065-0008-9. OCLC   440791.
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