Anna and the King of Siam (1946) 7.0
In 1862, a young Englishwoman becomes royal tutor in Siam and befriends the King. Director:John Cromwell |
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Anna and the King of Siam (1946) 7.0
In 1862, a young Englishwoman becomes royal tutor in Siam and befriends the King. Director:John Cromwell |
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| 0Share... |
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Irene Dunne | ... | ||
| Rex Harrison | ... | ||
| Linda Darnell | ... | ||
| Lee J. Cobb | ... | ||
| Gale Sondergaard | ... | ||
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Mikhail Rasumny | ... |
Alak
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Dennis Hoey | ... |
Sir Edward
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Tito Renaldo | ... |
Prince as a Man
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Richard Lyon | ... | |
In 1862, young English widow Anna Owens accepts the job of teaching the royal children of Siam. On her arrival in Bangkok, culture clash is immediate. The king respects Anna for standing up to him, though this appalls his courtiers. In due course, she becomes the king's confidant and diplomatic advisor; their relationship endures through many trials. Written by Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
"Anna And The King Of Siam" is the original, non-musical, version of what was later re-made with Deborah Kerr and Yul Brenner as "The King And I". This is one of the few Irene Dunne originals that is not better than the remake. Irene Dunne was a highly original and intelligent woman and had few equals either before the camera or in her private life.
In fact, if you consider all of Irene Dunne's original movies that have been remade into newer versions with the same name: such as "Back Street" 1932 or "Magnificent Obsession" 1935 or "Showboat" 1936 or "Age of Innocence" 1934 - or under a different title: such as "An Affair To Remember" which was a remake of "Love Affair" 1939 or "Something's Got To Give" which was essentially the same plot as "My Favorite Wife" 1940 - it amazes me that she was nominated six times for best actress and NEVER WON!
Usually, her original versions are much better than the remakes. Anna and the King of Siam would have been had the remake not included such a lovely musical score and been so beautifully filmed in color.