The King and Four
Queens
is not just a typical action western. It contains an interesting but subtle
psycho-sexual component. The film begins with Dan Kehoe (Clark Gable) riding hard to elude a three-man posse, after which he
rides into the western town of Touchstone. He helps the undertaker load a
headstone, with the name McDade, into a wagon destined for neighboring Wagon
Mound. Then, in a local bar, he learns that Wagon Mound is deserted except for a
cantankerous old woman named Ma McDade (Jo
Van Fleet) and four young women who were all married to Ma’s four sons.
Two years earlier the
four McDade boys had committed a robbery and had escaped with a hundred
thousand dollars in gold, however three of them had died and been burned beyond
recognition in a Wagon Mound barn explosion and fire during a shootout with the
posse chasing them. One of the sons had escaped, leaving the gold which Ma had
buried on the property. However, since nobody knew which son had escaped, and
only Ma knew where the gold was buried, all four of the young wives were
waiting for his return, hoping the son was their husband and hoping to claim
their share of the gold.
Once
Kehoe hears about the gold, he is determined to find it. Ignoring warnings to
stay out of Wagon Mound, he rides in and is shot and wounded by Ma McDade.
While he is convalescing each of the four young wives attempts to seduce him in
her own, unique way. Eager, sluttish Birdie (Barbara Nichols), who was an actress and dance-hall girl, misses
the feeling of being in a man’s arms. Dangerous, possessive Ruby (Jean Willes), who is reminiscent of
actresses like Ava Gardner, Jane Russell and Rita Hayworth, throws herself at
Kehoe and is sure her fiery sexuality will make her irresistible to him. Shy,
virginal Oralie (Sara Shane) believes
her innocence will make her attractive to Kehoe. Cold, calculating, practical Sabina
(Eleanor Parker) knows that, like
herself, Kehoe is only interested in the gold, and that the best way out of
Wagon Mound is to partner with him to find and move it, since the gold is heavy
and needs a strong man to transport it. She uses her intellect and cunning,
rather than the promise of her sexuality, to entice Kehoe to partner with her.
The
three strongest characters are Kehoe (Gable), Ma McDade (Van Fleet) and Sabina
(Parker) but all six of them are believable. All five women know what is going
on, as Kehoe plays them one against the other, trying to discover where the
gold is hidden and determine which of the four young wives offers him the best
chance to steal the gold and get out of Wagon Mound with it.
The
film is an enjoyable viewing experience, although the strict censorship code of
the 1950s means that much is left to the viewer’s imagination. In addition, the
conclusion is poorly written, rushed and less than completely satisfying.
However, if you’re a fan of Clark Gable or Eleanor Parker, you might find it
interesting. The film’s title The King
and Four Queens, and the film poster depicting the four young wives as
playing card queens, was likely designed to use Gable’s 1950s film studio image
as the King of Hollywood, and also
the idea that the search for the gold was a gamble.
Labels:
action, Eleanor Parker, mystery, period, romance, thriller, western
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