Main Cast: Joan Crawford, Rossano Brazzi, Heather Sears, Lee Patterson, Ron Randell
Release Year: 1957
Country: UK
Run Time: 103 minutes
Plot
Story of Esther Costello is the cinematic equivalent of eating a whole box of potato chips; you may hate yourself, but you'll relish every bite in the meantime. Joan Crawford plays a well-meaning woman who throws herself whole-hog into every charitable cause that comes down the pike. She is married to Rossano Brazzi, who is as greedy as Crawford is generous. Crawford rescues blind deaf-mute Heather Sears from her squalid surroundings, leading to her creation of a charity campaign on behalf of handicapped children, with Sears as "poster child." Brazzi, in league with crooked promoter Ron Randell, seizes upon this as a means to line his own pocket--and one night, he decides to assert his manhood with the helpless Sears. The shock of this assault causes the girl to instantly regain her sight and hearing! Crawford reacts to her husband's outrage by driving her car into a tree, snuffing out Brazzi's life as well as her own. Sears--or Esther Costello, for she is indeed the title character--finds happiness with an honest young reporter (Lee Patterson). Set in America and released by an American company (Columbia), Story of Esther Costello was nonetheless filmed in its entirety in England. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
No one will ever accuse The Story of Esther Costello of being an immortal drama, but it's the kind of semi-serious melodrama that's a ball to watch on a rainy afternoon. Costello has been compared (rather unfavorably) with The Miracle Worker, and though they both deal with severely handicapped young women, Costello exists not so much to tell a story of human drama as to give Hollywood a new peg on which to hang a glossy story about two rich people and the personal turmoil they endure because of each other. In other words, forget about depth and settle in for a deliciously shallow love-and-hate story, with some heaping helping of betrayal ladled on top. Not that Charles F. Kaufman's screenplay is totally exploitative: the picture definitely is concerned about the difficulties of the handicapped, and some of the individual scenes make considerable impact. But the story wanders in and out of credibility, crossing far over the line toward the end when the title character's ravishment miraculously brings about a cure. Costello is lucky to have Joan Crawford on hand, bringing her inimitable star quality to bear beautifully and holding the film together with the force of her personality; it's not Oscar caliber acting, but it's exactly what is called for and works wonderfully well. Rossano Brazzi also adds screen chemistry to the proceedings, and in the title role, young Heather Seara is quite impressive. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Fay Compton - Mother Superior; Denis O'Dea - Father Devlin; John Loder - Paul Marchant; Sidney James - Ryan; Bessie Love - Matron in Art Gallery; Robert Ayres - Mr. Wilson; Maureen Delaney - Jennie Costello; Harry Hutchinson - Irish Publican; Tony Quinn - Irish Pub Customer; Janina Faye - Esther as a Child; Estelle Brody - Tammy; June Clyde - Mrs. Forbes; Sally Smith - Susan North; Diana Day - Christine Brown; Megs Jenkins - Nurse Evans; Victor Rietti - Signor Gatti; Andrew Cruickshank - Dr. Stein; Sheila Manahan - Mary Costello
Credit
Tony Masters - Art Director, George Provis - Art Director, Jean Louis - Costume Designer, David Miller - Director, Ralph Kemplen - Editor, Georges Auric - Composer (Music Score), Lambert Williamson - Musical Direction/Supervision, Robert Krasker - Cinematographer, Jack Clayton - Producer, David Miller - Producer, Charles S. Kaufman - Screenwriter, Nicholas Monsarrat - Book Author
With her marriage to womanizer Carlo Landi (Brazzi) in ashes, wealthy and childless Margaret Landi (Crawford) finds an emotional outlet in patronizing a 15-year-old deaf, dumb, and blind Irish girl named Esther Costello (Sears). Esther's disabilities are the result of a childhood trauma and are pyschosomatic 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 a mercenary manager (Ron Rendell). One day when Margaret is absent from the Landi apartment, Carlo seduces and 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 (Lee Patterson), then kills Carlo and herself. Cast includes Denis O'Dea as Father Devlin, Fay Compton as Mother Superior, John Loder as Paul Marchant, and Bessie Love as Matron in Art Gallery.
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.[1] 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 John and Keller has long been a subject of speculation.[2] Esther's reporter friend was reminiscent of Keller's highly-publicized attempt to elope with reporter-secretary Peter Fagan.[3]
Reception
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."[4]
