The King and Four Queens
The King and Four Queens
NR | 21 December 1956 (USA)
The King and Four Queens Trailers

Opportunistic con man Dan Kehoe ingratiates himself with the cantankerous mother of four outlaws and their beautiful widows in order to find their hidden gold.

Reviews
HeadlinesExotic Boring
Intcatinfo A Masterpiece!
Breakinger A Brilliant Conflict
StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.
gamay9 It was nice to see Gable and Parker in a film, together. Parker was beautiful and could act; Gable was Gable, perfect for the role.I was making Steak Diane for a lady friend, but took a few breaks and mentioned that 'they don't make them like that anymore.' She agreed.I have a list of alluring actresses and Eleanor Parker is in the top ten; but, when combining beauty with acting, she is #1.This was an entertaining film which I would recommend to any audience. The supporting cast was super and the Technicolor far ahead of its' time.I'm appreciative that TCM aired this film, which I had never before seen.
MartinHafer Clark Gable wanders into town and hears about a nasty old lady and her four daughter-in-laws who are supposedly hiding $100,000 in stolen gold but any many who goes near them is shot by this insane matriarch. So naturally, Clark with his suave and sexy ways infiltrates the ghost town in which they live in order to seduce the gold from them.The script for this film was bad...or at least very, very poor. So no matter how much the actors try, the basic plot idea is dull and not particularly believable. But to make matters worse, an aging Clark Gable who looks every bit a man in his mid-50s (or older) is cast as a stud who uses his seductive wiles on four unsuspecting and horny women. In other words, because he is Gable, the women are to chase after him as if he's Gable circa 1939 and it just isn't convincing. My advice is just see one of his other films--most of which are significantly better than this drivel that is only watchable due to Gable--despite the miscasting. A complete misfire--second only to PARNELL as Gable's worst film since becoming a star.
bkoganbing Clark Gable dreamed up some sweet con game to do four lovely widows and their mother-in-law out of some stolen loot that their late husbands an outlaw brother gang have robbed.One McDade brother is still alive, but we're not sure which one. And through force of personality their mother-in-law is keeping them in a ghost town hide out until he returns for what's his. If stolen loot can be considered his.Gable arrives in town and woos all the women who don't need much encouragement. No male companionship for seven years, got to be tough on a gal. The women are Eleanor Parker, Jean Willes, Sara Shane, and Barbara Nichols. The King and Four Queens though Clark Gable is billed above the title, this picture really belongs to Jo Van Fleet. 1956 was a good year for her, Jo also turned in an outstanding performance as Doc Holiday's gal pal Kate Fisher in Gunfight at the OK Corral. Her's is the dominant performance of the film. It has to be or the idea that these women wouldn't have just overpowered her and forced Van Fleet to tell where the loot is becomes ludicrous.Lots of sexual innuendo in this film, very much a precursor to the adult TV westerns that were to come soon. One of the more interesting of Clark Gable's post World War II films.
David Vanholsbeeck Stranger Gable hears of a treasure of gold, hidden somewhere in a ghost town and guarded by an old woman and four widows. "Man's man" Gable throws all of his charms in the battle to find out where to find the treasure. As you see, the storyline is very very thin here. Most of the film is about Gable trying to charm the women, using every single trick in the book. There are a few minor surprises near the end, but this is really nothing special. Nice to catch on a rainy afternoon. 6/10