The King and I (1956 film)
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| The King and I | |
|---|---|
 original film poster |
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| Directed by | Walter Lang |
| Produced by | Charles Brackett Darryl F. Zanuck (uncredited) |
| Written by | Margaret Landon (novel "Anna and the King of Siam") Oscar Hammerstein II (play) Ernest Lehman |
| Starring | Deborah Kerr Yul Brynner Rita Moreno |
| Music by | Richard Rodgers |
| Cinematography | Leon Shamroy |
| Editing by | Robert Simpson |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date(s) | June 1956 |
| Running time | 133 mins |
| Language | English/ Thai |
| IMDb profile | |
- For other uses see The King and I
The King and I is a 1956 musical film made by 20th Century Fox, directed by Walter Lang and produced by Charles Brackett and Darryl F. Zanuck. The film is based on the Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II musical The King and I. The screenplay was by Ernest Lehman. The cinematography was by Leon Shamroy, the art direction by John DeCuir and Lyle R. Wheeler and the costume design by Irene Sharaff.
The film stars Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr with Rita Moreno, Patrick Adiarte, Alan Mowbray and Geoffrey Toone.
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[edit] Background and production
- The musical was written for Gertrude Lawrence and her appearance in the film was contractually guaranteed. However, she was diagnosed with cancer whilst playing the role on Broadway and died during the run. Dinah Shore, a singer as well as an actress, was considered for the role of Anna. Maureen O'Hara, who had a pleasant soprano voice, was originally cast, but Richard Rodgers did not agree to the casting. It was Yul Brynner who pressed for Deborah Kerr to play the role.
- Academy Award nominee Dorothy Dandridge was offered the role of Tuptim but declined because she did not want to play a slave.[citation needed] She later changed her mind but found out that Rita Moreno won the part instead.
- Marni Nixon provided Deborah Kerr's singing for the film. Nixon also dubbed Kerr's singing again for the film An Affair to Remember. Rita Moreno's singing was dubbed by Leona Gordon.
*The film was shot and promoted in the then-new 55mm CinemaScope 55, but was actually shown in the standard 35mm CinemaScope, with 4-channel stereo instead of the 6-channel stereo originally promised. CinemaScope 55 was never used or promoted again after this production.
- Several songs were deleted from the film, but three of these are heard on the soundtrack recording. Omitted from the film were "My Lord and Master" "I Have Dreamed," "Western People Funny," and "Shall I Tell You What I Think of You?", as well as reprises of several of the other songs. "I Have Dreamed" and "Western People Funny" survive in the film as orchestral underscoring. A DVD released in 2006 originally promised to restore the lost numbers, but instead included only the audio for "Shall I Tell You?" This would seem to indicate no footage exists of these numbers.
- An offscreen choral reprise of "Something Wonderful" was added to serve as the film's finale. (The play ends with musical underscoring, but no singing.)
- After the film was completed, several cast members were brought back to film extended scenes because Darryl Zanuck felt the previous cuts were incomplete. For example, Rita Moreno and Carlos Rivas were called back to film "We Kiss in a Shadow" and Yul Brynner was brought back to film "Is a Puzzlement."
- A special 50th Anniversary edition was released in 2006.
[edit] Plot
Mrs. Anna Leonowens, a widow from Wales (Kerr), arrives in Bangkok with her young son, Louis, to teach English to the children of the royal household of King Mongkut (Brynner). The King eventually honors his promise of a suitable house. He also very much wishes to absorb western knowledge, but is sometimes conflicted over how to reconcile western ways with his own. His efforts to do this, unadmitted even by himself, are further hindered by his minister, who wishes to keep Western influence out of the court.
Meanwhile, a new (literate) slave for the king named Tuptim -- a gift from the king of Burma -- befriends "Mrs. Anna" and borrows her copy of Uncle Tom's Cabin. She transforms it into the Siamese ballet Small House of Uncle Thomas, which is presented amidst the welcoming of emissaries from Great Britain, making it clear she is unhappy being a slave to the King. After the performance, when she tries to escape with her lover Lun Tha, she is apprehended. Anna urges the King not to beat the girl; he states he will do so anyway but finds himself unable to (presumably due to Anna's influence on him) and he hides himself away and declines in health.
Anna, thinking that she can no longer be of any use, is just about to leave Siam when she is told that the King is dying. She decides to stay in order to help his young son, Crown Prince Chulalongkorn -- her favorite pupil -- to rule his people.
[edit] Awards and nominations
[edit] Academy Awards
The film was nominated for nine Academy Awards and won five.
[edit] Wins
- Best Actor - Yul Brynner
- Best Art Direction - John DeCuir and Lyle R. Wheeler
- Best Costume Design, Color - Irene Sharaff
- Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture - Alfred Newman and Ken Darby
- Sound Recording - Carlton W. Faulkner
[edit] Nominations
- Best Actress - Deborah Kerr
- Best Cinematography, Color - Leon Shamroy
- Best Director - Walter Lang
- Best Picture - Charles Brackett
Brynner was one of seven actors to win the Tony and the Oscar for the same role.
[edit] Golden Globe Awards
[edit] Wins
[edit] Nominations
- Best Film Promoting International Understanding
- Best Motion Picture Actor - Comedy/Musical - Yul Brynner
[edit] Other
In 2006 this film ranked #11 on the American Film Institute's list of best musicals.
The King and I is also illegal along with anything relating to The King and I in Thailand.[citation needed]
[edit] Trivia
- Costumes for the film were made of original Thai silk supplied by Jim Thompson Company in Bangkok.
- Marlon Brando was originally offered the role of The King in the film version. He was not able to do it due to other movie commitments, so Yul Brynner was chosen to play the part.[citation needed]
