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 bitchy" (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, All Movie Guide
Chapter Listing
Side #1 --
0.
Scene Selections
1.
Overture [3:53]
2.
Main Title [1:55]
3.
Siam 1862 [2:26]
4.
I Whistle a Happy Tune(Anna and Louis) [1:59]
5.
The Kralahome [2:49]
6.
The Trip Through Bangkok [1:21]
7.
The Royal Palace [2:18]
8.
Anna Meets The King [1:54]
9.
The Harem [3:03]
10.
The March of the Siamese Children(Orchestra) [4:42]
11.
Anna and the Royal Wives [2:27]
12.
Hello, Young Lovers(Anna) [3:31]
13.
East Meets West [2:05]
14.
A Puzzlement(The King) [3:41]
15.
The Classroom [1:45]
16.
Getting to Know You(Anna, Wives, Children) [11:18]
17.
Anna is Summoned [:43]
18.
Moses, Lincoln and Elephants [4:55]
19.
Garden Rendezvous [:48]
20.
We Kiss is a Shadow(Lun Tha and Tuptim) [1:34]
21.
News From Singapore [3:50]
22.
The King's Promise [1:33]
23.
Lady Thiang's Appeal [2:21]
24.
Something Wonderful(Lady Thiang) [1:42]
25.
Anna's Advice [3:14]
26.
The Temple [6:14]
27.
Intermission Music [2:41]
28.
The Banquet [4:05]
29.
Arrival of the Ambassador [2:26]
30.
Anna and Sir Edward Ramsay [2:22]
31.
The Grand Entrance [2:05]
32.
The Small House of Uncle Thomas(Tuptim and Chorus) [4:05]
![King and I [Widescreen] Cover Art](/amgcover/dvd/full/t0/21/t02108rmhbv.jpg)
