The King and Four Queens
| The King and Four Queens | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Raoul Walsh |
| Produced by | David Hempstead |
| Screenplay by |
Margaret Fitts Richard Alan Simmons |
| Starring |
Clark Gable Eleanor Parker Barbara Nichols Jo Van Fleet |
| Music by | Alex North |
| Cinematography | Lucien Ballard |
| Edited by |
David Bretherton Louis R. Loeffler |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 86 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $2.25 million[1] |
The King and Four Queens is a 1956 American Western adventure comedy/mystery film starring Clark Gable and Eleanor Parker. Directed by Raoul Walsh, the film is based on a story written by Margaret Fitts, who also wrote the screenplay along with Richard Alan Simmons.[2]
Plot
The story involves a middle-aged cowboy adventurer (Clark Gable) who learns that a stolen fortune remains buried on a ranch that serves as home to four gorgeous young widows and their battle-axe mother-in-law; the drifter turns on the charm.
Cast
- Clark Gable as Dan Kehoe
- Eleanor Parker as Sabina McDade
- Jean Willes as Ruby McDade
- Barbara Nichols as Birdie McDade
- Sara Shane as Oralie McDade
- Jo Van Fleet as Ma McDade
- Roy Roberts as Sheriff Tom Larrabee
- Arthur Shields as Padre
- Jay C. Flippen as Bartender of Rosebud Saloon in Touchstone
Production notes
At Clark Gable's request, the film was shot on location in southern Utah because he was familiar with the area, having hunted there for years. Footage was shot near St. George, Utah in Snow Canyon State Park and at the Santa Clara River.[3] Additional footage was shot in Calabasas, California.
Book version
In 1956, Theodore Sturgeon novelized the original screen story by Margaret Fitts for Dell Books, which published it in December 1956 as a 25-cent paperback.[4]
See also
References
- ↑ "Top Grosses of 1957", Variety, 8 January 1958: 30
- ↑ Shoilveska Henderson, Sanya (2009). Alex North, Film Composer: A Biography with Musical Analyses of a Streetcar Named Desire, Spartacus, The Misfits, Under the Volcano, and Prizzi's Honor. McFarland. p. 221. ISBN 0-786-44333-2.
- ↑ D'Arc, James (2010). When Hollywood Came to Town: A History of Movie Making in Utah. Gibbs Smith. pp. 98, 289. ISBN 1-423-61984-6.
- ↑ Williams, Paul, ed. (2003). And Now the News . . .: Volume IX: The Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon. North Atlantic Books. p. 375. ISBN 1-556-43460-X.