The Story of Esther Costello *** (1957, Joan Crawford, Heather Sears, Rossano Brazzi, Ron Randell, Lee Patterson, Fay Compton, John Loder, Denis O’Dea, Sidney James) – Classic Movie Review 3252

Director David Miller’s awkward but very sincere, well-acted and watchable 1957 British drama stars Joan Crawford as rich society lady Margaret Landi, who finds herself coming to the aid of 18-year-old girl Esther Costello (Heather Sears, aged 22), deaf and blind since the accident which killed her mother.

Talked into helping, Margaret uses all her charms to make the young Esther happy, grows to love her as a daughter, and tries educate and possibly heal her, and sets up a charitable trust to help other little girls live a better life. 

There are loads of tears, the odd smile and a warm tone to help this tall story adapted by screen-writer Charles Kaufman from the novel by Nicolas Monserrat, the author of The Cruel Sea, to go down quite palatably.

Crawford and young Sears (in her star debut after a couple of small roles) are exceptional, even when the screenplay and handling wobble, uncertain both of pitch and volume.

It is set in Esther’s village in Ireland, but is filmed at the London Film Studios, Denham Studio, Denham, Buckinghamshire, England. Unexpectedly, the famously difficult Crawford got on very well with the upcoming English actress Sears. It also stars Rossano Brazzi, Ron Randell, Lee Patterson, Fay Compton, John Loder, Denis O’Dea, Sidney James and Bessie Love.

Also in the cast are Robert Ayres, Maureen Delaney, Estelle Brody, June Clyde, Sally Smith, Megs Jenkins, Andrew Cruickshank, Diane Day, Victor Rietti, Sheila Manahan, Tony Quinn, Janina Faye and Harry Hutchinson.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 3252

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