Amazon Prime Video original film The King and I was released June 29th, 1956.
#TheKingandI made $21.3M at the international box office.
rottentomatoes: 93%
metacritic: 72
imdb: 7.4
oscars: 5 wins
golden globes: 2 wins
Anna Leonowens
Anna Leonowens is sent to Bangkok, Thailand to teach the royal children English.
Best Actress – Comedy or Musical
1 win: 1957
“Louis! Oh, Louis! Yes, I know. Isn’t it exciting? Captain! I heard them lowering the anchor. Is anything wrong? Oh, I see. I hardly think so, dear. Kings don’t, as a rule. Who is the Kralahome? You must stop worrying about me, Captain Orton. Oh, it doesn’t matter, Captain. I shall have work to do. And the king has promised me a house of my own. I’ll have a place to bring up my boy, as his father would’ve wished.” — Anna Leonowens
“Oh, don’t be ridiculous, Louis. He can’t be naked. He’s only… half-naked. No, Louis. Father would not have liked us to be afraid– not ever. Ooh, yes. Sometimes. I whistle. Mm-hmm. That’s why I whistle. ♪ Whenever I feel afraid ♪ I hold my head erect ♪ And whistle my hoppy tune ♪ So no one will suspect I’m afraid ♪ While shivering in my shoes ♪ I strike a carless pose ♪ And whistle a happy tune ♪ And no one ever knows I’m afraid ♪ The result of this deception ♪ Is very strange to tell ♪ For when I fool the people I fear ♪ I fool myself as well ♪ I whistle a happy tune ♪ And every single time ♪ The happiness in the tune ♪ Convinces me that I’m not afraid ♪ Make believe you’re brave ♪ And the trick will take your far ♪ You may be as brave ♪ As you make believe you are ♪ You may be as brave ♪ As you make believe you are ♪” — Anna Leonowens
“Yes, it is a good idea, isn’t it? Good. ♪ The result of this deception ♪ Is very strange to tell ♪ For when I fool the people I fear ♪ I fool myself as well ♪ Oh. Yes. Hush, dear. Hush. I know no one in Bangkok at all. I am a widow. My husband was an officer of Her Majesty’s army in– tell your master his business with me… is in my capacity as schoolteacher to the royal children. He has no right to pry into my personal affairs. No. Well, he hasn’t, Captain Orton. Oh!” — Anna Leonowens
“Well, you might at least have told us you speak English, Your Excellency. Oh, just a minute. Not the palace. I am not living in the palace. The king say– uh, says. In his letter of agreement, he promised me £20 a month… and a house of my own outside the palace walls. Then you will have to remind him. Very well then. If you are afraid to tell him, I will. I should like to see him at once, while there is still time… for me to return to England, on this boat if necessary.” — Anna Leonowens
“Your Excellency, all I want is a few minutes’ audience with him. I have come here to work, and I intend to work, but I shall take nothing less than I have been promised. I will tell king this. Good-bye, Captain Orton, and thank you for everything.” — Anna Leonowens
“My spirit is just as bad, Your Excellency. I cannot wait. What, that girl is a present? Well, you mean I cannot see him? Louis, come with me. Your Majesty. Louis Leonowens. Yes, Your Majesty, but before I start my work here, there is one point about our agreement which I would– yes, I know, Your Majesty. Before I signed our agreement, I found out all I could about your Majesty’s ambitions for Siam.” — Anna Leonowens
“I am 150 years old, Your Majesty. In 1712, Your Majesty. Several, Your Majesty. Oh, a missionary taught you English. Uh– uh, speaking of teaching, Your Majesty, in our agreement– and very nicely too. Your Majesty, it is not in our letter of agreement that I teach your wives too. Well, I shall be perfectly happy to help you in any way I can, provided we can clear up this one little matter of the house. Well, my house, Your Majesty– the one you promised me adjoining the palace.” — Anna Leonowens
“Oh, yes, I’m sure we could see many things, such as iron bars, guards at the doors, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Well, it means… ‘and all the rest and so forth,’ Your Majesty. I’m very sorry, Your Majesty, but if there is to be no house, I shall have to get back to the boat before it sails. Come, Louis. Very well, Your Majesty, but there isn’t much time. For the time being, Your Majesty. More, Your Majesty? Oh.” — Anna Leonowens
“No! Oh, ladies, please! Please! No, don’t open that. No. Oh, my goodness. Oh, won’t you all go back to your rooms? Lady Thiang, will you please ask them to leave? I must have some privacy. Good heavens! What are they trying to do to me? Well, I most certainly am not! I’m sorry, Lady Thiang. He is asleep. Please, do tell me, why do you keep calling me sir? But do you all think that women are more lowly than men? Well, I certainly do not.” — Anna Leonowens
“Perhaps it’s time somebody did tell him a thing or two. Yes, of course, my dear, but they’re not unpacked yet. Well, after all, she had no choice in the matter. Perhaps she is homesick. Oh, poor child. Uh-huh. It isn’t easy to stop loving a man, if he’s the man you want, even if you know you’ll never see him again. I know. I was very much in love with my husband.” — Anna Leonowens
“Please ask them to put that down. That was my husband, Tom. Mm-hmm. Oh, dear. Yes, he was very pretty in face. ♪ When I think of Tom ♪ I think about a night ♪ When the earth smelled of summer ♪ And the sky was streaked with white ♪ And the soft mist of England ♪ Was sleeping on a hill ♪ I remember this ♪ And I always will ♪ There are new lovers now ♪ On the same silent hill ♪ Looking on the same ♪ Blue sea ♪ And I know Tom and I ♪ Are a part of them all ♪ And they’re all a part of Tom ♪ And me ♪ Hello, young lovers ♪ Whoever you are ♪ I hope your troubles are few ♪ All my good wishes ♪ Go with you tonight ♪ I’ve been in love like you ♪ Be brave, young lovers ♪ And follow your star ♪ Be brace and faithful and true ♪ Cling very close ♪ To each other tonight ♪ I’ve been in love like you ♪ I know how it feels ♪ To have wings on your heels ♪ And to fly down a street in a trance ♪ You fly down a street ♪ On the chance that you’ll meet ♪ And you’ll meet ♪ Not really by chance ♪ Don’t cry, young lovers ♪ Whatever you do ♪ Don’t cry because I’m alone ♪ All of my memories ♪ Are happy tonight ♪ I’ve had a love of my own ♪ I’ve had a love of my own ♪ Like yours ♪ I’ve had a love ♪ Of my ♪ Own ♪” — Anna Leonowens
King Mongkut
Best Actor in a Leading Role
1 win: 1957
Best Actor – Comedy or Musical
1 nomination: 1957
“Who, who, who? You are schoolteacher? You are part of general plan I have… for bringing to Siam what is good in Western culture. Already I have bring printing press here for printing. How you know? Ha. How old shall you be? You do not look like scientific person for teaching of school. How old shall you be?”
“In what year were you ‘borned? How many years shall you have been married? How many grandchildren shall you have by now? How many, how many, how many? Ha! You do not answer so fast. I make better question than she make answer. Ha! You are not afraid of king. Not to be afraid is good thing in scientific mind. I think maybe… you make very good schoolteaching. Come!”
“A few of my wives. They have beauty, but not gift for knowledge. I have no time for teaching, being busy with foreign affairs and other situations. Ah, may I present Lady Thiang, head wife. You may help Madam Leonowens with her schoolteaching, and she, in her turn, shall teach you the better English. She is very grateful to me for my kindness. Lady Thiang, have children prepare for presentation to, uh, schoolteacher.”
“Ah, Lady Son Klin, Lady Talap, Lady Piam, and this girl is present to me from, uh, Burma prince. She just arrived. I think I have fine idea. In addition to children, you will also teach those of my wives… as have sense enough for learning. Siam to be very modern, scientific country, everybody speaking the English. Also I will allow you to help me in my foreign correspondence. House? House? What house? It is a pleasure that you shall live in palace! You teach in palace, and you shall live in palace!”
“What is this ‘et cetera?’ Ah! Now you will meet my children. You will stand here and meet royal children! The royal princes and princesses. Ah! Well, well, well? Schoolteacher has graciously changed her mind and shall live in royal palace. These are the children you shall teach. Someday shall allow you to meet my others. Children of wives not in favor with king– uh, 67, I think. Hmm.”
“You wait! You are pleased to recite proverb you learned yesterday from schoolteacher… and writing down 12 times in your copybook. ‘East, west, home, best’ means house! Every day, month after week, something about house! Are my children to be taught nothing more? How can it be that everyone knows one thing, if many people believe another thing? The world is ball with stick through it. I believe.”
“Good! Someday you, too, will be king, and you, too, will know everything. When you are king. When you are king. But I do not know. In my head are many facts, but I am not sure. What to tell a growing son? How to bring truth and justice to my people? ♪ When I was a boy ♪ World was better spot ♪ What was so was so ♪ Now I am a man ♪ World have change a lot ♪ Some things nearly so ♪ Others nearly not ♪ There are times I almost think I am not sure ♪ Of what I absolutely know ♪ Very often find confusion in conclusion ♪ I concluded long ago ♪ In my head are many facts that as a student ♪ I have studied to procure ♪ In my head are many facts of which ♪ I wish I was more certain ♪ I was sure ♪”
“Is a puzzlement. ♪ Shall I join with other nations in alliance ♪ If allies are weak am I not best alone ♪ If allies are strong with power to protect me ♪ Might they not protect me out of all I own ♪ Is a danger to be trusting one another ♪ One will seldom want to do what other wishes ♪ But unless someday somebody trust somebody ♪ There’ll be nothing left on Earth ♪ Excepting fishes ♪ There are times I almost think nobody’s sure ♪ Of what he absolutely know ♪ Everybody find confusion in conclusion ♪ He concluded long ago ♪ And it puzzle me to learn that though a man may be in doubt ♪ Of what he know ♪ Very quickly will he fight ♪ He’ll fight to prove that what he does not know ♪ Is so ♪ Oh, ho ♪ Sometimes I think that people get mad ♪ Ha, ha ♪ Sometimes i think that people not so bad ♪ But no matter what I think I must go living life ♪”
Tuptin
“Good day, madam. My name is Tuptim. I already speak English. Mrs. Anna? Please, you have some English books I can read?”
“Is not homesickness that make me sad, Mrs. Anna. Is love for one I shall never see again. He is Lun Tha, who was chosen to bring me here. We tried so hard not to have love for each other, but we could not help ourselves. We did try, Mrs. Anna.”
Captain Orton
“Come on, lads. Hurry it up. We haven’t got all day. Aye, laddie. That’s Bangkok all right. Come on. Hurry it up. Come on, lads. Hurry it up. We have to wait for the afternoon tide, ma’am, to carry us over the bar. Come forward, lads. They need help in the bow. Get along! Get along, lads. It’s the royal barge.”
“It’s not the king. It’s the Kralahome. A sort of a prime minister. The king’s right-hand man, you might say. Aye, laddie. Ma’am, if I might be allowed to offer you a word of warning, that man has power, and he can use it for ye or against ye. Sometimes I wonder if you know what you’re really facing– an Englishwoman alone in a country like Siam.”
“Mrs. Anna Leonowens. Mrs. Leonowens, may I present His Excellency, the Kralahome? If you wish to change your mind, ma’am– good luck, ma’am. Good-bye, laddie. Take good care of your mother now. Good-bye, laddie. Take good care of your mother now.”
Louis Leonowens
“Is that it, Captain? Are we here? Mother, look. There’s Bangkok. Will the king of Siam come down to the dock to meet us, Mother? The king is coming out to meet us. May I look? Please, may I see? Mother, look! The prime minister is naked! They look so cruel, Mother. Father would not of liked us to be afraid, would he? Doesn’t anything ever frighten you, Mother? What do you do? Oh, that’s why you whistle.”
“I think that’s a very good idea, Mother– a very good idea! I don’t think I shall ever be afraid again. He called you ‘sir.’ I don’t like that man. Good-bye, Captain.”
The Kralahome
“In foreign country, is best you like everyone until you leave. Is not necessary for schoolteacher to know everything at once. You come with me now. Your baggages shall be carried to palace later. Who say? King do not always remember what he promise. If I tell king he break this promise, I will make anger in him. I think is better if king’s anger reserved for more important matters.”
“King very busy now. You will tell king this. It should be very interesting meeting. You come now!”
“King in bad spirit today. Suggest schoolteacher wait for better day. Man is Lun Tha, emissary from court of Burma. He bring present to king from prince of Burma. Her name is Tuptim. For king. King is pleased with her. Sorry. King has concluded audience. Not today.”
“You cannot do this. Your Majesty, is new English schoolteacher, Mrs. Anna Leonowens, and son.”
Bangkok, Thailand
“Sir, you are lady who will be schoolmistress of royal children? Have you friends in Bangkok? His Excellency wishes to know, are you married, sir? What manner of man, your deceased husband?”
“♪ There is a happy land far, far away ♪ Where saints in glory stand bright, bright as day ♪ In the beginning, God created the heaven and the Earth. Missionary. Oh, yes, sir. Missionary. I have boy too– Crown prince Chowfa Chulalongkorn, heir to throne. Will have nice apartment. Can look out, see many things. Ah! Sir, they think you wear dress like that because you shaped like that. Oh!”
“They wish to know, sir, if they may see little boy. Because you scientific, not lowly like woman. Oh, please, sir, do not tell king. Make king angry. They laugh at her because she is foolish child. She has come to live in palace of king, and yet she is unhappy. They wish to know, sir, who is man? Tom. Tom? He was pretty in face.”
“♪ ‘Mid pleasures and palaces ♪ Though we may roam ♪ Be it ever so humble ♪ There’s no place like home ♪ A charm from the skies ♪ Seems to hallow us there ♪. Father, I shall be late for school! A thought for the day: ‘East or west, home is best.’ ‘A man’s house is only less dear to him than his honor.’ Yesterday we are taught that the world is a round ball… which spins on an invisible stick through its middle. Everyone knows that the world rides on the back of a great turtle… who keeps it from running into the stars. Then which is true?”
“You believe? Does that mean that you do not know? But you must know because you are king. But how do I learn, and when do I know what I know everything?”
