Esther and the King 1960 / Biography / Epic Drama / History / Religious

Esther and the King (Italian: Ester e il re) is a 1960 American-Italian religious epic film produced and directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Joan Collins as Esther, Richard Egan as Ahasuerus, and Denis O'Dea as Mordecai. Walsh and Michael Elkins wrote the screenplay, which was based on the Book of Esther of the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament. It recounts the origin of the Jewish celebration of Purim. An international co-production released by 20th Century Fox, Esther and the King was filmed in Italy in the CinemaScope format and the DeLuxe color process. Mario Bava, the film's cinematographer, was credited as a co-director on Italian prints of the film. 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. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esther_and_the_King