ESTHER AND THE KING

ESTHER AND THE KING (1960). Director: Raoul Walsh.  

King Ahasuerus (Richard Egan of Wicked Woman) of Persia returns home from battle and rewards Simon (Rik Battaglia of Raw Wind in Eden), who saved his life, with a symbolic sword. Simon is engaged to Esther (Joan Collins of Land of the Pharaohs), the beautiful niece of adviser Mordecai (Denis O'Day). The faithless Queen Vashti (Daniela Rocca), the lover of the evil Prince Haman (Sergio Fantoni of Diabolically Yours), is kicked out on her keester while the search is on for a new queen. Wouldn't you know that Esther would be one of the women rounded up by barbaric soldiers, and that the king would find her most comely? Although still in love with Simon, Esther does feel great admiration for the king, and goes along with it when Mordecai tells her what good she can do for her people, the Jews, if she becomes the new queen. But Haman and his ally, the brutal Klydrathes (Renato Baldini), won't take this lying down.  

Richard Egan and Joan Collins

Loosely based on the biblical story (which itself is not really based on historical facts) Esther presents a compelling situation and tangled love story but the execution is only fair-to-middling. Essentially an Italian production filmed in Rome and with an all-Italian cast (aside from the two leads), it has that low-budget look despite some impressive crowd sequences and advancing armies. Although not the best casting in either case, Egan and Collins give good enough performances, although Sergio Fantoni steals the movie with his skillful and sinister turn as the ever-plotting Haman. Handsome Rik Battaglia as Esther's original lover also causes one to wonder which man our sweet Esther will ultimately wind up with. 

Caught between two loves: Collins with Rik Battaglia

Daniela Rocca sizzles a bit as the disloyal queen who tries to win over her husband's favor with a sexy court dance (supposedly done not by Rocca but a dancer), and Rosalba Neri also scores as another one of Haman's lovers, Keresh, who steals a golden cape given to Esther by the eunuch Hegai (Walter Williams) and winds up strangled in Esther's place. Mario Bava, later best-known as a horror filmmaker, did the cinematography, and there is an interesting score by Angelo Francesco Lavagnino and Roberto Nicolosi. 

Verdict: By no means a terrible movie, but you may wish a Ray Harryhausen monster would show up now and then. **1/2. 

NIGHTMARE CASTLE

NIGHTMARE CASTLE (aka Amanti d'oltremtomba/1965). Director: Mario Calano.

When Dr. Stephen Arrowsmith (Paul Muller) discovers that his wife, Muriel (Barbara Steele), is having an affair with hired man David (Rik Battaglia), he imprisons, tortures and murders both of them. Somehow Muriel is declared dead even without a body, and her twin, Jenny, winds up married to the doctor, after inheriting everything, and living back in creepy Hampton Castle. Arrowsmith is a certified nut job, but Jenny herself seems to be going crazy -- or is dead Muriel trying to take over her twin's mind? Dr. Derek Joyce (Marino Mase) tries to help her, but will their attraction to one another lead to another disaster...? There are ghosts, murder plots, horrified servants, fiery conflagrations, and more, not to mention lots of atmosphere. Unfortunately, despite all that the movie is still just mediocre. Steel's great voice has been dubbed, minimizing her impact, but the acting from all seems more than adequate.

Verdict: Zesty if disappointing Italian horror flick. **1/2.