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Echec au Roi (The King Checkmated) was adapted from The Queen's Husband, a play by Robert E. Sherwood. The story concentrates on the amiable but ineffectual king (Emile Chautard) of a mythical island who gets more than he bargained for when his wife, the Queen (Francoise Rosay) decides to visit the U.S. While he dutifully accompanies the Queen to the States, a revolution breaks out in his own land. Adding to his headaches is the fact that his daughter, Princess Anne (Pauline Garon), insists upon marrying a commoner. Acting without the Queen's approval for the first time in his life, the King settles his island's internal problems and gives his blessing to his daughter's fiancee. Echec au Roi was the first French-language film to be released by United Artists; its English-language counterpart, The Royal Bed, had previously been distributed by RKO Radio.