The King and I

The King and I (1956) starring Deborah Kerr, Yul Brynner, Rita Moreno, Martin Benson. Musical in which Kerr plays Anna Leonowens, a woman who in 1862 journeys from England to Siam (now Thailand) to be the schoolmistress to the king's (Brynner) hundred or so children. The conflict in the movie arises out of the fact that Anna and the king are both strong-willed individuals, and they clash from the start. The beauty of the film derives from the music and words by the talented duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. Songs include "Hello Young Lovers," "Getting to Know You" and "Something Wonderful." Brynner won a well-deserved Oscar for his portrayal of the king of Siam. Kerr's singing was dubbed by Marni Nixon. I found this to be an entertaining movie, although the subplot about the love of Tuptim and Lun Tha could have been trimmed considerably. Also, some of the songs were quite lame. (Subtitles in English are available for the hearing-impaired.) Grade: B+