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After shifting gears to direct costume dramas with the likes of Marlon Brando (Desiree), Bette Davis (The Virgin Queen) and Ava Gardner (The Naked Maja), Koster made the bblical epic The Story of Ruth (1960), which takes the four brief chapters from the Tanakh and elaborates dramatically on them. This is no swords and sandals saga, but rather a reverent treatment of religious differences from a Jewish perspective—Koster reminds us clearly that Ruth was a Moabite who converted to the Israelite faith.

After a few more comedies (The Flower Drum Song, Mr. Hobbs Takes A Vacation), Koster's wrapped up his career with one last entry into the faith-filled character genre with The Singing Nun (1966). His difficulties with the star Debbie Reynolds led him to retire from filmmaking altogether. "I had had it," he said.

The end of Koster's career coincided with the demise of the studio system, and with the rise of television. He worked on only one pilot (with Pat Boone, incidentally), and then left the world of moving images for the rest of his life. He took up painting, rendering the portraits of many of the stars he had worked with throughout his career.

Koster died in California in 1988, still happily married to Peggy Moran. Their grandchildren are now forging careers in the entertainment industry.

© Eric David 2007, subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

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