Joan Crawford in "The Story of Esther Costello" (1957), Columbia Pictures.
"The Story of Esther Costello", originally titled in some parts of the world as "The Golden Virgin", evokes thoughts of the soon-to-come Helen Keller story, "The Miracle Worker" but in a much broader style. Instead of focusing on the early years alone, this story sets its tone on a much wider length of time, beginning and ending with the drama of calamity. Esther Costello (Heather Sears) is a young girl rendered blind and deaf by an accidental explosion of an orphaned box of"Irish Rebellion" grenades found by schoolmates. The drama continues across the continent where Joan Crawford, Sears in tow, begins a heart wrenching journey through a cause worth fighting for.
A masterpiece of acting, Joan Crawford is at her best once again - and once again overlooked. (Mysteriously, the film was not a success but a reassment suggests that is perhaps one of the best motion pictures of the 1950's). As Margaret Landi, Crawford offers an outstanding performance of a wealthy woman challenged by her Irish priest friend to offer a better life to a waif in tatters. Begrudgingly, Landi accepts the challenge and begins a personal crusade to assess the medical, physical and educational possibilities available to the young girl in America. After being reunited with her estarnged husband, Landi is convinced by him that starting an Esther Costello Fund worldwide would be the best way to help the girl and others like her.
Miss Pepsi-Cola was clever in having signs, bottles and displays of the soft drink conveniently displayed throughout the movie in certain scenes. This, by the way, years before product placement!
Rossano Brazzi, as Carlo Landi, was several years into his canon of film work, but here delivers a simple, straightforward performance that details the multi-faceted side of Landi's ambitions. A wolf, Carlo is not really interested in his wife, just her money. And he might be interested in Esther Costello, also. Brazzi gives a convincing performance, here, better than in many of his other melodramas. Carlo re-emerges into his wife's circle when he reads the accounts of her success in tending to Esther's needs. It is he who suggests a charity. He clings to Crawford's character for the money, tastes and notoriety associated with a charitable cause but then he's drawn sexually to Esther and crosses the line of family values by raping the golden virgin, an act so tasteless that he ruins everything Margaret Landi has worked towards. The mental trauma that had blinded young Esther shatters her momentarily only to find her blindness and deafness are cured.
As a sidenote, I believe he delivered his lines phonetically, as he knew very little English until later on.
Heather Sears is the perfect choice for Esther Costello. An innocent face with a withdrawn personality, Sears makes Esther a most believable character. Her destitute early years are replaced later by an intense interest in learning. As Costello evolves into womanhood, through her education, the charity and her sexual assault, she becomes a subdued role model for the modern woman. Perhaps, another Joan Crawford. She is exquisite in her first film role, one that lead to a major appearance alongside Laurence Harvey in "Room At The Top".
Lee Paterson is a newsman enamored by Esther's charm and innocence, but who begins suspecting that The Esther Costello Fund may be a racket with ulterior financial motivations.
Denis O'Dea as Father Devlin offers the homey feel of a local parish priest; He knows everyone in the village and is comfortable in the company of a celebrity visiting her birthplace but unafraid to speak what he thinks to anyone. It is Devlin who urges Margaret Landi to help him remove Esther Costello from the squalor within which she resides.
This film is a dramatic cinematic gem that offers every emotion from beginning to end. The ending will jolt you off of your seat. An achievement by all! I have read, but cannot prove that Joan Crawford won the Best Actress award at The British Film Academy's version of Oscars that year.
This film is a dramatic cinematic gem that offers every emotion from beginning to end. The ending will jolt you off of your seat. An achievement by all! I have read, but cannot prove that Joan Crawford won the Best Actress award at The British Film Academy's version of Oscars that year.
The distinctive musical score is conducted by Georges Auric. The movie is beautifully photographed by Jack Clayton (Room At The Top), Directed by "Sudden Fear"'s director, David Miller and written by Charles Kaufman, based on best selling author Nicholas Montserrat's novel, "The Golden Virgin".
