I doubt if there's anyone out there who hasn't seen at least a few seconds of the famous dance sequence from The King and I. Ironically, "Shall We Dance" is the only song in the musical that doesn't advance or really have anything to do with the story. Deborah Kerr's purplish-gold dress and Yul Brynner's shaved head are the two iconic images most people remember from the movie.In case you didn't know, it's the musical version of Anna and the King of Siam, which was based on the true story of Anna Leonowens. Deborah Kerr, with the help of Marni Nixon's excellent singing voice, takes the lead as the stubborn English governess in one of her most memorable roles. Yul Brynner, who also played the part on Broadway, won an Oscar for this movie, forever forcing actors who played the King in later years to shave their heads in homage to the original.The King and I is the type of movie that will reinforce your opinion of musicals, whatever it is. If you love musicals, you'll revel in the lavish costumes, production designs, and familiar Rodgers and Hammerstein songs. If you hate musicals, you'll roll your eyes during the less-than-stellar songs, mentally check out while trying to decipher Yul's accent, and fall asleep during the silly love story between Rita Moreno and Carlos Rivas. It's not my favorite musical-and I am a huge fan of the genre-but I do own a copy and enjoy watching it from time to time. Deborah is dressed in some beautiful gowns, and the dance sequence "The Small House of Uncle Thomas" is fantastic. Plus, a perpetually shirtless, attractive man in the lead is always a benefit, and "Shall We Dance" is such an iconic number, it's impossible not to get goosebumps every time you watch it.

It's 1862 Siam. Anna Leonowens (Deborah Kerr) and her son Louis arrive in Bangkok. She's a strong-willed English lady who lost her husband. She's been hired to teach English to the children of King Mongkut (Yul Brynner). Prince Chulalongkorn is the oldest of the students. Kralahome is the Prime Minister. Tuptim (Rita Moreno) is a gift to the King from Burma although she's in love with Lun Tha. Lady Thiang is the head wife. The King is looking to modernize. Kralahome warns him of encroaching English imperialism. England sends Ambassador John Hay and his aide Sir Edward Ramsay who turns out to be Anna's former love.The colorful set designs and costumes are amazingly beautiful. They are grand and really pops on the screen. There are some classic songs like 'Getting to Know You'. This is a big lavish production. Yul Brynner is utterly memorable although his singing is nothing to write home about. He would win the Oscar along with the music, costumes, and set designs.

I have recently watched this movie on my VHS tape for the first time I can remember, because my grandparents used to own the tape and they gave it to us. I have to say that, while this movie has a depressing ending, this movie has a really good soundtrack, and I love all the beautiful gowns Deborah Kerr wore in the film. Not to mention the phenomenal performance of Broadway star Yul Brynner, who played the King of Siam in the film as well as the show. He was great. This is just a fantastic musical flick and is superior to the animated King & I remake from the 1990s. I like the animated version of this R&H show as well, but I just think this one is the best. This would probably be my second favorite Rodgers and Hammerstein musical hit, my first being "The Sound of Music" of course.

Yes, the King of Siam might seem like a Barbarian to us descendent's from Europeans, but even behind an apparent Barbarian is a human being with real emotions, desires and ambitions. It's the King's ambition to take on the best that European society can offer, so he's reviewing the situation with the help of an English nanny and teacher for his many children from his many wives. The towering presence of Yul Brynnur took the King from featured billing in the original Broadway production to above the title, and a featured actor Tony to leading actor Oscar, one of the few times in history that an actor won the award for the stage production then another one for the film production.The original musical Mrs. Anna was England's Gertrude Lawrence, and she got top billing over the title and Mr. Brynnur, but after she passed away, his success in the role moved him to the star spot with Mrs. Anna often second billed and often under the title when presented with him. Yul played the King on stage so many times that only Carol Channing's Dolly Levi rivals with him, and even when he was much older and dying from cancer, he was still performing the role on stage. There was even a T.V. series based upon the stories with him repeating his role. No actor since then has been able to become as identified with this part, and when you see this film, you will understand. "It's not a puzzlement!" in this case.Even though Rex Harrison ("My Fair Lady") had already played the role on screen (oppposite Irene Dunne in "Anna and the King of Siam"), it is Brynnur who dominates the memory of the philosophical king who can't quite escape his roots. Through his imperiousness, his tenderness and his love for his children, the King is quite a man, and it is understandable as to why Anna would constantly forgive him. As Lady Chiang (Terry Saunders) explains, "He'll always need your love, so he will get your love." And that is what makes him wonderful to each and every one of his wives, his mistresses and his children. Just not to Tuptim (Rita Moreno), the Burmese slave girl given to the king as a present. As other characters in a more adult time would explain, "He may get my body, but not my heart".Rodgers and Hammerstein took a universal story and transfered it to the stage and later to the screen with the passion of a Florenz Ziegfeld and a Cecil B. De Mille. This is a lavish world of elephants, jade and bamboo, but unlike a 1999 animated feature version of the musical, none of the non human animals talk. Deborah Kerr may have needed to be dubbed by Marni Nixon as Mrs. Anna, but the singing voice and Kerr's speaking voice mix naturally which unfortunately wouldn't be the case for two other actresses Nixon dubbed-Natalie Wood in "West Side Story" and Audrey Hepburn in "My Fair Lady". This is perhaps why Kerr was the only one of those three nominated for an Oscar and the other two were overlooked.There's much carping on the casting of the Puerto Rican Rita Moreno as Tuptim, but she carries it off perfectly with grace and tenderness. Of course, Tuptim is as far from "West Side Story's" Anita as Rex Harrison's king would be from Henry Higgins in "My Fair Lady". Harrison would have talked/sung this part had he been cast, but Brynnur's singing is very real and quite moving. Terry Saunders as the head wife Lady Thiang is also very touching, and Carlos Rivas is loyal and tragic as the doomed Lun Tha. There's a touching friendship which develops between the king's son (Patrick Adiarte, later of "Flower Drum Song") and Anna's son (Rex Thompson) which gives the indication that all of the King's dreams which wouldn't come through now will because the tides are turning in the world of supposed Barbaric kings and influences of peace-loving people are finally working together to close the barriers between Europeans and those, as Hammerstein wrote in a song against prejudice, whose eyes were deemed to be ugly made.Ready for another revival on Broadway, "The King and I" is a musical drama which will never leave the repertoire of the live theater. Several small non-Broadway New York revivals were very popular, as were two revivals with Brynnur and a mid 1990's revival that was highly acclaimed. The glorious score, breathtaking choreography, opulent costumes and sets and a passionate story of a love between a man and a woman that transcends physical lust are highly timeless.