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The King and I Overview:

The King and I (1956) was a Drama - Family Film directed by Walter Lang and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck and Charles Brackett.

The film was based on the musical of the same name written by Oscar Hammerstein II performed at the St. James Theatre, NY from Mar 29, 1951 - Mar 20, 1954.

Academy Awards 1956 --- Ceremony Number 29 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best ActorYul BrynnerWon
Best ActressDeborah KerrNominated
Best Art DirectionArt Direction: Lyle R. Wheeler, John DeCuir; Set Decoration: Walter M. Scott, Paul S. FoxWon
Best CinematographyLeon ShamroyNominated
Best Costume DesignIrene SharaffWon
Best DirectorWalter LangNominated
Best Music - ScoringAlfred Newman, Ken DarbyWon
Best PictureCharles Brackett, ProducerNominated
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The King and I BlogHub Articles:

Classic Movie Travels: Nova Scotia, Canada – The King and I, and Titanic

By Annmarie Gatti on Apr 15, 2017 From Classic Movie Hub Blog

Classic Movie Travel Sites in Halifax, Nova Scotia I had the pleasure of visiting Nova Scotia over the summer, and as any true-blue Classic Movie Fan would do, I just had to find some classic-movie-related sites to make my trip complete! That said, I’d like to share some photos and a youtube c... Read full article

Irene Sharaff’s Costumes for The King and I

By Virginie Pronovost on Oct 30, 2016 From The Wonderful World of Cinema

I had a lot of pleasure when I wrote about Cecil Beaton’s costumes for My Fair Lady for The 31 Days of Oscars Blogathons (the crafts). So, when Christina Wenher and Into the Writer Lea announced  their Characters in Costume Blogfest, I thought it was a most appealing idea. I obviously wante... Read full article

“TCM Big Screen Classics: The King and I” Movie Event Ticket Giveaway (August 5 – August 20)

By Annmarie Gatti on Aug 5, 2016 From Classic Movie Hub Blog

Win Tickets to see “The King and I” on the Big Screen! in Select Cinemas Nationwide August 28 & August 31! CMH is thrilled to announce the next of our monthly movie ticket giveaways this year, courtesy of Fathom Events! That said, this month, we’ll be giving away SIX PAIRS of tickets to se... Read full article

The King and I (1956)

By Beatrice on Apr 1, 2016 From Flickers in Time

The King and I Directed by Walter Lang Written by Ernest Lehman based on the musical play by Oscar Hammerstein III based on Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon 1956/USA Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation Repeat viewing/Amazon Instant When Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr begin to polka, ... Read full article

Rodgers and Hammerstein Collection on Blu-ray: The King and I (1956)

on May 20, 2014 From Journeys in Classic Film

Next to The Sound of Music, everyone knows the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The King and I.  Their celebrity status probably is the reason both have similar plotlines: A governess out of her depth travels to a new place to teach a powerful’s man children, of which there’s several.  ... Read full article

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The King and I Quotes:

Anna: Then how do you explain, your majesty, that many men remain faithful to only one wife?
King: They are sick
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!
King: ...Pairs of male elephants to be released into the forests of America. There it is hoped that they will grow in number and the people can tame them and use them as beasts of burden.
Anna: But your majesty, I don't think you mean pairs of MALE elephants.
King: When I sit, you sit. When I kneel, you kneel. Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera!
Louis: Mother, look! The Prime Minister is naked.
Anna: Oh don't be ridiculous, Louis. He can't be all naked. He's only
[looks through the telescope]
Anna: ... half naked.
See More Quotes from The King and I
The King and I Facts
The reality of the "Shall We Dance" sequence was that Deborah Kerr suffered continual bruising from the hoops in her skirt, and Yul Brynner - a chain smoker who had already lost a lung to his habit - had to take oxygen in between takes.
Dorothy Dandridge was the original choice for the role of Tuptim. It has been reported that Miss Dandridge, who had just made history as the first African American woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in Carmen Jones, was strongly advised to refuse the role because Tuptim was a slave. The role went to Rita Moreno, who was of Puerto Rican descent.
It was Yul Brynner who pushed for Deborah Kerr to be cast as Anna. He had seen some of her stage work, was highly impressed with her and was convinced that she was the one for the role.
Although this movie was filmed and promoted in the then-new 55 mm CinemaScope 55, it was actually shown in the standard 35 mm CinemaScope, with 4-channel stereo rather than the 6-channel stereo originally promised. CinemaScope 55 was discarded after being used on only two feature films (this and Carousel).
The subplot involving Tuptim, although heavily altered by Oscar Hammerstein II in the play to make it more of a definite romance between Tuptim and Lun Tha, was once thought to have a basis in reality, but it has turned out to be completely fictional, part of the embellishments that Anna Leonowens added to her autobiography during her years as governess and schoolteacher to the King's children.
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