The King and I (1956)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Walter Lang

Writers:

Margaret Landon (book)
Oscar Hammerstein II (musical play)
(more)

Release Date:

29 June 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Family | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

More Than You've Ever Seen On The Screen!

Plot:

Musical about a widow who accepts a job as a live-in governess of the King of Siam's children.

Plot Keywords:

King | Teacher | Widow | Uncle Tom's Cabin | Dance

Awards:

Won 5 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Deborah Kerr	...	Anna Leonowens
Yul Brynner	...	King Mongkut of Siam
Rita Moreno	...	Tuptim
Martin Benson	...	Kralahome
Terry Saunders	...	Lady Thiang
Rex Thompson	...	Louis Leonowens
Carlos Rivas	...	Lun Tha
Patrick Adiarte	...	Prince Chulalongkorn
Alan Mowbray	...	Sir John Hay
Geoffrey Toone	...	Sir Edward Ramsay
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Banas	...	Keeper of the Dogs, in Play (uncredited)
Dennis Bonilla	...	Mongkut's Twin Son (uncredited)
Thomas Bonilla	...	Mongkut's Twin Son (uncredited)
Gemze De Lappe	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Reuben Fuentes	...	Lun Tha (singing voice) (uncredited)
Leona Gordon	...	Tuptim (singing voice) (uncredited)
Charles Irwin	...	Captain Orton (uncredited)
Michiko Iseri	...	Angel, in Play (uncredited)
Irene James	...	Siamese Girl (uncredited)
Marion Jim	...	Simon Legree - in Play (uncredited)
Fuji Levi	...	Whipping Guard (uncredited)
Weaver Levy	...	Whipping Guard (uncredited)
Jocelyn Lew	...	Princess Ying Yaawolak (uncredited)
Marco López	...	Extra (uncredited)
Eddie Luke	...	Messenger (uncredited)
Marni Nixon	...	Anna (singing voice) (uncredited)
Stephanie Pond-Smith	...	Youngest Princess (uncredited)
Josephine Smith	...	Guest at Palace (uncredited)
Leonard Strong	...	Interpreter (uncredited)
Dusty Worrall	...	Uncle Thomas, in Play (uncredited)
William Yip	...	High Priest (uncredited)
Yuriko	...	Eliza, in Play (uncredited)

Directed by
Walter Lang

Writing credits
Margaret Landon		(book "Anna and the King of Siam")
Oscar Hammerstein II		(musical play)
Ernest Lehman		(screenplay)

Produced by
Charles Brackett	....	producer
Darryl F. Zanuck	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Richard Rodgers

Cinematography by
Leon Shamroy		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Robert L. Simpson		(as Robert Simpson)

Art Direction by
John DeCuir		(as John De Cuir)
Lyle R. Wheeler

Set Decoration by
Paul S. Fox
Walter M. Scott

Costume Design by
Irene Sharaff

Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist
Helen Turpin	....	hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Eli Dunn	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Warren B. Delaplain	....	sound (as Warren Delaplain)
E. Clayton Ward	....	sound
Carlton W. Faulkner	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Ray Kellogg	....	special photographic effects
Doug Hubbard	....	special effects (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Lee Crawford	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Bob Rose	....	additional grip (uncredited)
Clyde Taylor	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Charles Le Maire	....	wardrobe director (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Leonard Doss	....	color consultant

Music Department
Robert Russell Bennett	....	orchestrator
Ken Darby	....	associate music supervisor
Gus Levene	....	orchestrator
Bernard Mayers	....	orchestrator
Alfred Newman	....	conductor
Alfred Newman	....	music supervisor
Edward B. Powell	....	orchestrator
Trude Rittman	....	music arranger: ballet arrangements
Robert Mayer	....	music editor (uncredited)

Other crew
Michiko Iseri	....	consultant: oriental dancing (as Michiko)
Jerome Robbins	....	choreographer
Darryl F. Zanuck	....	presenter

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1956) (USA) (theatrical) (as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1967) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere) (pan/scan)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Encore Entertainment (199?) (UK) (video) (laserdisc)
• Fox Video (1996) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Angel Records  soundtrack released by (1990's CD edition) (uncredited)
• Angel Records  soundtrack released by (2001 expanded soundtrack CD edition) (uncredited)
• Bausch & Lomb  CinemaScope lenses
• Capitol Records  soundtrack released by (1956 LP and first CD edition) (uncredited)
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation  registered trademark of CinemaScope

Also Known As:

Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King and I (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

133 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Thai

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm re-release)

Certification:

Iceland:L | New Zealand:G | USA:G (certificate #17864) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Canada:G | Chile:TE | Finland:K-8 | Norway:7 | Peru:PT | Thailand:(Banned) | UK:U

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The short scene in which Anna is taken through the streets of Bangkok to the King's palace by the royal entourage required 25 sets on a three-acre area on the Fox backlot, not counting the stables for the elephants used in the sequence.

Goofs:

Factual errors: There could have been no scarlet macaws (from South America) in a Siamese marketplace.

Quotes:

King: [chanting to Buddha before banquet preparations] Help also Mrs. Anna to keep awake for scientific sewing of dresses, even though she be only a woman and a Christian and therefore unworthy of your interest!
Anna: [greatly offended, rising] Your Majesty!
King: A promise is a promise! Head must not be higher than mine! A promise!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Hollywood Screen Tests: Take 1 (1999) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Getting To Know You

Best musical EVER

Though I don't remember the first time I saw the movie it was a movie I grew up on. I grew up on Rodgers and Hammerstein and have loved all (but State Fair) of their movies that I've seen. And I have to say that this movie is their very best and the very best musical ever made. Yul Brynner was great and was very deserving of the best actor Oscar. I love every thing about this movie and it tugs on my heartstrings every time I watch it. Even know I know how it will end a huge lump comes to my throat as my heart sings when he dances with her across the room just wishing that they can be together some how.If a movie can move you like that every time, than it's top notch and The King and I does it best.