Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King and I (1956)/Anna and The King (1999)

From Google Images
In this film adaptation of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, widowed Welsh mother Anna Loenowens (Deborah Kerr) becomes a governess and English tutor to the wives and many children of the stubborn King Mongkut of Siam (Yul Brynner). Anna and the king have a clash of personalities as she works to teach the royal family about the English language, customs and etiquette, and rushes to prepare a party for a group of European diplomats who must change their opinions about the king.
Initial release29 June 1956 (USA)
Box office21.3 million USD
From Google Images
Anna (Jodie Foster) has been employed to educate the king's (Chow Yun-Fat) 58 children. She knows very little of King Mongkut, apart from the fact that his people revere him as a god. She brings with her an East vs. West prejudice against the king, considering him to be uncivilised. She soon realises that her views are more than matched by the rulers own preconceptions about the West and particularly this impertinent English woman.
Initial release6 December 1999 (Malaysia)
Between the two movies featured in this blog entry, Anna and The King is closer to the truth than The King and I.  I love The King and I because of the timeless music, just like The Greatest Showman, I treated it as fictionalised version of history.

Unfortunately, a lot of people, except for the songs, of course, thought the story to be true.  The King and I would forever be in my heart because of the music and the actors. As for the story, of course the people of Thailand would want the facts straightened.  It is like watching an historical account about my country made by foreigners without checking the facts, I really got so angry. Ergo, I understand why these two accounts were shunned in Thailand

Anna and The King still has a lot of misses in history, but the movie is great.  The actors gave awesome performances, and the music was haunting...it still is.

I watched Anna and The King twice in theatre.  The third time, in the comforts of my own home.

As a whole, I like Anna and The King better than the King and I, but I repeat, I would, as long as I live(and remember it), love the music of Rodgers and Hammerstein.  






A History of Casting

King and I 


— Cultural Evolution

and Community Action

Anna and the King: The Real Story of Anna Leonowens


‘The King and I’ with Nonie Buencamino and Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo–now much more than a battle of wits

The King and Lie



Cast of The King and I
Royal Children (ensemble)

Voice only

Three actors in the film had their singing voices dubbed by other people. The dubbed voices belonged to:

  • Marni Nixon as Anna (for which she was paid $10,000)
  • Leona Gordon as Tuptim
  • Rueben Fuentes as Lun Tha

Cast of Anna and The King

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