In 1900, Ann Mercedes (Eleanor Parker) travels to Cairo with her husband Philip (Carlos Thompson) and Mark Brandon (Robert Taylor).

The title of the film refers to the valley on the west bank of the Nile River in Egypt, where the tombs of the Ancient Egyptian kings are located.

It was bought by MGM who were attracted by a project similar to their highly successful adaptation of King Solomon's Mines (1950).

[4] MGM bought the rights to the archaeology text Gods, Graves and Scholars for "protection purposes", as it contained a chapter titled "Robbers in the Valley of the Kings", which might have been seen as having influenced the film's script.

The film was shot on location in Egypt over six weeks in Cairo, Luxor, Faiyum, Suez, the Western Desert and at the Pyramids of Giza.

The film shows the Abu Simbel temples as they had existed for 3000 years, before they were relocated due to the construction of the Aswan High Dam.