The King And Four Queens

A relatively late offering from veteran studio director Raoul Walsh, The King and Four Queens is typical of the picturesquely bowdlerized Westerns that Hollywood was making at this time and as such it is entertaining enough with some tasteful cinematography by Lucien Ballard and a score by Alex North.

Clark Gable, who was also co-producer, plays gambler-drifter, Dan Kehoe, who learns of five women, the McDades, living by themselves at an isolated ranch and sitting on $100,000 dollars in stolen money. The film follows Kehoe’s exploits as he attempts to woo each of the women with his irresistible charms in order to abscond with the loot..

Written by Richard Alan Simmons and Margaret Fitts from the latter’s story it’s not as corny as it sounds with Eleanor Parker’s Sabina.and Jo Van Fleet (who was only 41 at the time) as the mother-in-law, Ma McDade, turning in good performances opposite a now aged but still charismatic Gable as the rooster in the hen-house. Given the scenario however it’s all a little too tame for its own good but that was the 1950s all over.

 

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