ROYALTY ON SCREEN: Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr in “The King and I”

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Classic Musical about an English governess and widow who accepts a job as a live-in governess of the King of Siam’s children.The plot comes from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, who became school teacher to the children of King Mongkut of Siam in the early 1860s. Leonowens’ story, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, was autobiographical. The musical opened on Broadway in 1951 and was the fifth Broadway musical created by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It ran for 1,246 performances, winning the Tony Award for Best Musical, among other awards. It spawned numerous revivals including this popular 1956 film version Starring Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner ( Who was to Cast as Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses in Cecile B. De Mille’s “The Ten Commandments” the same year.
“The King and I” the Original Trailer (1956):

Plot:

Mrs. Anna Leonowens and her son Louis arrive in Bangkok, where she has contracted to teach English to the children of the royal household. She threatens to leave when the house she had been promised is not available, but falls in love with the children. A new slave, a gift of a vassal king, translates “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” into a Siamese ballet, expressing her unhappiness at being with the King. She attempts to escape with her lover. Anna and the King fall in love, but her British upbringing inhibits her from joining his harem. She is just about to leave Siam when she hears of the King’s imminent death, and returns to help his son, her favorite pupil, rule his people.

******************************************** ******************************************** Miscellaneous Scenes ******************************************** *************************************************************************
Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr Sing “Shall We Dance”

“The King and I” – Etc., Etc., Etc. :
Yul Brynner Manages to include a private Joke in this scene by saying ” I think Moses should have been a Fool”. Brynner had just played the Role of the Pharaoh Ramses in another classic Epic “The Ten Commandments” the same year.

Deborah Kerr “Getting to Know You”:

Deborah Kerr “Hello Young Lovers”:

“This is a Man”:

“March of the Siamese Children”:

Yul Brynner Ponders on The Role of Kingship:

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