The King and I Movie Review 1956

Wonderful adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway play based on the novel "Anna and the King of Siam" by Margaret Landon. English governess Kerr is hired to teach the King of Siam's many children and bring them into the 20th century. She has more of a job than she realizes, for this is a king, a country, and a people who value tradition above all else. Features one of Rodgers and Hammerstein's best-loved scores. Brynner made this role his, playing it over 4,000 times on stage and screen before his death. Kerr's voice was dubbed when she sang; the voice you hear is Marni Nixon, who also dubbed the star's singing voices in "West Side Story" and "My Fair Lady."

Distribution

Home Vision Cinema, c/o Image Entertainment, 20525 Nordhoff St., Ste. 200, Chatsworth, CA 91311, URL: http://www.homevision.com

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 133 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Musical Drama, Plays to Film: Rodgers & Hammerstein, Adapted from a Musical, Royalty, War Between the Sexes, Top Grossing Films of 1956, Nannies & Governesses, Period Piece: 19th Century, Slavery, 4 Bones

Screenplay

Ernest Lehman

Cast

Deborah Kerr, Yul Brynner, Rita Moreno, Martin Benson, Terry Saunders, Rex Thompson, Alan Mowbray, Carlos Rivas, Patrick Adiate

Cinematography

Leon Shamroy

Director

Walter Lang

Music

Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein

Producer

Fox, Charles Brackett

Awards

Oscars 1956: Actor (Brynner), Art Dir./Set Dec., Color, Costume Des. (C), Sound, Scoring/Musical; Golden Globes 1957: Actress--Mus./Comedy (Kerr), Film--Mus./Comedy.