The King and I

(1956)

133 minutes

Classics / Drama / Family / Musical

Directed by Walter Lang

Cast:

Deborah Kerr as Anna Leonowens 
Yul Brynner as King Mongkut of Siam 
Rita Moreno as Tuptim 
Martin Benson as Kralahome 
Terry Saunders as Lady Thiang 
Rex Thompson as Louis Leonowens 
Carlos Rivas as Lun Tha 
Patrick Adiarte as Prince Chulalongkorn 
Alan Mowbray as Sir John Hay 
Geoffrey Toone as Sir Edward Ramsay

Mrs. Anna Leonowens is a widow from Wales traveling to Bangkok, Siam (now Thailand) with her son, Louis to instruct English to the royal children of King Mongkut. She is taken into the palace and very skeptical Kralahome, for he seems threatening. She is informed that she will be staying in the palace, even though the King told her she would have her own house. When she finds this out, she sees the King to talk over the matter. The King is impressed with her and introduces her to his many wives and fifteen children. She decides she will stay to teach them English.

The King's wives are very nice with Anna, helping her situate herself in the new home. She finds a picture of her husband and starts thinking of her days with him and how much she misses him.

Anna informs her new students how her favorite thing is getting to know other people. They question her a lot and do not quite believe everything she is teaching them is correct. The King intermediates and reprimands the children for not believing her.

One evening the King talks with Anna about the Bible and how Moses claims the world was created in six days. They debate over the subject, but Anna clearly has one over the King. Their relationship starts to grow and she becomes very fond of the kids. Unfortunately, there is a death and Anna is there to help everyone at the end, despite any of her problems in the palace.