The King and I, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's 1951 Broadway musical hit, was based on Margaret Landon's book -Anna and the King of Siam. Since 20th-Century-Fox had made a film version of the Landon book in 1946, that studio had first dibs on the movie adaptation of The King and I. Deborah Kerr plays English widow Anna Leonowens, who comes to Siam in the 1860s to tutor the many wives and children of the country's progressive King (Yul Brynner, recreating his Broadway role-and winning an Oscar in the process). The culture clash between Anna and the King is but one aspect of their multilayered relationship. Through Anna, the King learns the refineries and responsibilities of "modern" western civilization; Anna meanwhile comes to realize how important it is for an Oriental ruler to maintain his pride and to uphold the customs of his people. After a successful evening entertaining foreign dignitaries, Anna and the King celebrate with an energetic dance, but this is cut short by a bitter quarrel over the cruel punishment of the King's new Burmese wife Tuptim (Rita Moreno), who has dared to fall in love with someone else. Despite the many rifts between them, Anna and the monarch come to respect and (to a degree) love one another. When the King dies, Anna agrees to stay on to offer help and advice to the new ruler of Siam, young Prince Chulalongkhorn (Patrick Adiarte). In general, The King and I tends to be somewhat stagey, with the notable exception of the matchless "Small House of Uncle Thomas" ballet, which utilizes the Cinemascope 55 format to best advantage (the process also does a nice job of "handling" Deborah Kerr's voluminous hoopskirts). Most of the Broadway version's best songs ("Getting to Know You", "Whistle a Happy Tune", "A Puzzlement", "Shall We Dance" etc.) are retained. None of the omissions are particularly regrettable, save for Anna's solo "Shall I Tell You What I Think of You?" This feisty attack on the King's chauvinism was specially written to suit the talents of Gertrude Lawrence, who played Anna in the original production; the song was cut from the film because it made Deborah Kerr seem "too ******" (Kerr's singing, incidentally, is dubbed for the most part by the ubiquitous Marni Nixon). When all is said and done, the principal attraction of The King and I is Yul Brynner, in the role that made him a star and with which he will forever be identified. Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Genre: Musical
- Category Romantic Drama, Musical Romance
- Theme: Colonialism, Opposites Attract, Nannies and Caregivers, Interracial/Cross-Cultural Romance
- Studio: 20th Century Fox
- Run Time: 02 hr 13 min
- Language: English, French, Spanish
- Subtitle Language: English, Spanish
- Picture Format: letterbox
- Format: DVD
- Release Date: November 7, 2006
- Lead Actor: Martin Benson, Rita Moreno, Yul Brynner, Deborah Kerr, Terry Saunders
- Supporting Actor: Josephine Smith, Thomas and Dennis Bonifla, William Yip, Weaver Levy, Jean Wong, Jadin Wong, Leonard Strong, Charles Irwin, Gernze de Lappe, Dusty Worrall, Robert Banas, Marion Jim, Yuriko, Geoffrey Toone, Alan Mowbray, Patrick Adiarte, Carlos Rivas, Rex Thompson, Eddie Luke, Marni Nixon
- Director: Walter Lang
awards
- Awards: Academy Awards (4), Golden Globe Awards (1)
- Winner: Academy Awards, Best Musical Score, 1956, Ken Darby, Alfred Newman
- Winner: Academy Awards, Best Sound, 1956, Carl Faulkner
- Winner: Academy Awards, Best Actor, 1956, Yul Brynner
- Winner: Golden Globe Awards, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Pictur, 1956, Deborah Kerr
- Winner: Academy Awards, Best Color Art Direction, 1956, Paul S. Fox, Walter Scott, Lyle Wheeler, John De Cuir
- Nominations: Academy Awards (4), Golden Globe Awards (1)
- Nominee: Academy Awards, Best Actress, 1956, Deborah Kerr
- Nominee: Academy Awards, Best Director, 1956, Walter Lang
- Nominee: Academy Awards, Best Color Cinematography, 1956, Leon Shamroy
- Nominee: Golden Globe Awards, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, 1956, Yul Brynner
- Nominee: Academy Awards, Best Picture, 1956, Charles Brackett
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