About THE KING AND I (1956)

Yul Brynner, who originated the role in the Rodgers & Hammerstein Broadway musical, took home the Best Actor Academy Award for his dynamic performance in the deluxe 20th Century Fox film adaption. The film brought the great Deborah Kerr one of her six Oscar nominations for Best Actress. THE KING AND I was an Oscar nominee for Best Picture of 1956. Here's a trailer for a classic musical that I have loved since my childhood in South Central Los Angeles:

I know this is an old Hollywood musical. But, if you look at 1956's THE KING AND I with a 2021 awareness -- in this age of despicable violence against Asian-Americans and our age of Black Lives Matter -- this musical still holds up. It has a contemporary relevance.

We know the basic story. A genteel widow with a little boy leaves Great Britain to become a governess and tutor, teaching English to the children and wives of a stubborn, macho king in Siam. Siam is now known as Thailand. She becomes a tutor to the king too. Unexpressed romantic feelings will develop. That's the basic story for the Rodgers & Hammerstein vehicle.

But wait. There's more -- when you look past the well-known show tunes. In 2021, this 1956 movie has an anti-slavery theme that rings significant to Black Lives Matter. The genteel Anna, played by Deborah Kerr, is also a steely feminist. She believes in gender equality and proves to be a match for the king, challenging his macho sexism. Anna will cause the king to bellow "You are very difficult woman!" The Siam action in THE KING AND I occurs while the Civil War wages on in America. The Asian royal is aware of President Abraham Lincoln. Anna tells him that she admires Lincoln "very much." She is against slavery and strives to make the king stop treating many of his subjects like slaves.  The king, owner of many books, reads the Bible and questions one miraculous point. Anna reminds him that the Bible "...was not written by men of science, but by men of faith." She sees the potential in this larger-than-life, intelligent royal to do the right thing and become a better king.

An entertainment industry buddy of mine took me as her guest to see a 1996 Broadway revival of THE KING AND I. It was wonderful. She knew the leading lady and we went backstage to see and compliment her. During our brief chat, the actress leaned over to me and revealed that she wasn't sure, at first, if she wanted to do the show. She was afraid the script might seem dated.

The South Central L.A. theater enthusiast in me came out:  "It's still relevant today," I blurted out to her. I told her that just about every other Black family that we knew in our community had at least one Rodgers & Hammerstein movie musical soundtrack in its record collection along with the Motown albums. Why? Because classic Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals like THE KING AND I, SOUTH PACIFIC snd THE SOUND OF MUSIC shouted down intolerance and racial bigotry. And the music was fabulous. I told her that when Anna sings "Getting To Know You," it's not just a cheery show tune, it's a lesson in equality and inclusion. "Getting to know YOU, getting to know all about YOU. Getting to like YOU, getting to hope you like me..." That is major. Anna is not some white woman strolling on in with a colonial attitude and proclaiming "Now you all have to do as I say and dress the way my people dress. And, by the way, you all have to kick Buddha to the curb and start worshipping my image of a very Caucasian Jesus Christ." 

Listen to the lyrics and look at the classroom choreography of the "Getting To Know You" number. Anna has an affection for the children. She respects and embraces their Asian culture, customs and clothing as she shares her culture.

The king is given a young, lovely slave-girl as a gift. Her name is Tuptim. She's played by the future WEST SIDE STORY Oscar-winner, Rita Moreno. Tuptim has a secret love. He's an equally oppressed young man who lives outside the palace limits. Tuptim speaks English and she's a reader. Anna hates that Tuptim is treated like a slave who will eventually be used by the king for procreation purposes. Anna helps Tuptim see her secret love. Important British people are invited to the palace for a royal dinner. With Anna's help, the king wants to show that he is not a barbarian. After the sphisticated and successful gala dinner, there is entertainment. Tuptim has written an Asian musical adaptation of Uncle Tom's Cabin, the anti-slavery novel by America's Harriet Beecher Stowe. Tuptim is its narrator.

When all the guests are gone, the king and Anna cheerfully discuss how well the dinner party went. One of the guests was a dear friend of Anna's. He and Anna danced that evening, making the king a tad jealous. The British gentleman sweetly makes it known that he'd love for Anna to return to Britain and marry him.

I live for the "Shall We Dance" number. It's one of the sexiest dance numbers in a classic Hollywood musical performed by two non-dancers. We know that Anna is anti-slavery. As she sings about the thrill of being a girl and attending her first dance, we see that she'd also be pro-interracial romance. Notice that the camera cuts to the handsome, muscular, robust king when she sings "...and shall you be my new romance..." The two do an energetic polka that leaves Anna breathing rather post-orgasmically. And the king wants to..."do it again."

One last thing -- in RITA MORENO: JUST A GIRL WHO DECIDED TO GO FOR IT, this year's terrific and terrifically honest documentary about Rita Moreno, she talks about 1956's THE KING AND I. (Both she and Deborah Kerr loved working with Brynner.) Leading man Yul Brynner remarked to Rita that she didn't have much of a part. She agreed.

Tuptim was the first role in a Hollywood film offered to Dorothy Dandridge after her groundbreaking and sizzling performance in Fox's 1954 musical drama, CARMEN JONES.  That film made Dandridge the first Black woman in Hollywood history to be an Oscar nominee for Best Actress. Reportedly, Otto Preminger, director of CARMEN JONES, advised Dandridge to not accept that small role in THE KING AND I. The next film Dorothy Dandrige made in Hollywood was, unfortunately for us, her last. She played Bess in the 1959 adaptation of the musical drama, PORGY AND BESS. Sidney Poitier starred as Porgy in the Samuel Goldwyn production.

Think about that with regard to Hollywood opportunities for talented women of color.