Anna and the King of Siam (1946)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

John Cromwell

Writers:

Talbot Jennings (screenplay) and
Sally Benson (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

20 June 1946 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Romance

Plot:

In 1862, a young Englishwoman becomes royal tutor in Siam and befriends the King.

Plot Keywords:

King | Siam | Bangkok | Widow | 1860s

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 3 nominations

Cast

Irene Dunne	...	Anna Owens
Rex Harrison	...	King Mongkut
Linda Darnell	...	Tuptim
Lee J. Cobb	...	Kralahome
Gale Sondergaard	...	Lady Thiang
Mikhail Rasumny	...	Alak
Dennis Hoey	...	Sir Edward
Tito Renaldo	...	Prince (older)
Richard Lyon	...	Louis Owens
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Abbott	...	Phya Phrom (uncredited)
Chabing	...	Wife of King (uncredited)
Oie Chan	...	Old Woman (uncredited)
Si-Lan Chen	...	Dance Director (uncredited)
Dorothy Chung	...	Amazon Guard (uncredited)
Buff Cobb	...	Wife of King (uncredited)
Rico De Montez	...	Guard (uncredited)
Marjorie Eaton	...	Miss MacFarlane (uncredited)
William Edmunds	...	Moonshee (uncredited)
Joe Garcia	...	Whipper (uncredited)
Helena Grant	...	Mrs. Cortwright (uncredited)
Ted Hecht	...	Judge (uncredited)
Aram Katcher	...	Guard (uncredited)
Connie Leon	...	Beebe (uncredited)
Sydney Logan	...	Wife of King (uncredited)
Laurette Luez	...	Wife of King (uncredited)
Stanley Mann	...	Mr. Cortwright (uncredited)
Lillian Molieri	...	Wife of King (uncredited)
Neyle Morrow	...	Phra Palat (uncredited)
Marianne Quon	...	Wife of King (uncredited)
Pedro Regas	...	Guide (uncredited)
Addison Richards	...	Captain Orton (uncredited)
Julian Rivero	...	Government Clerk (uncredited)
Yvonne Rob	...	Lady Son Klin (uncredited)
Constantine Romanoff	...	Whipper (uncredited)
Mickey Roth	...	Younger Prince (uncredited)
Hazel Shon	...	Slave (uncredited)
Leonard Strong	...	Interpreter (uncredited)
Diane Van der Ecker	...	Princess Fa-Ying (uncredited)
Chet Voravan	...	Siamese Guard (uncredited)
Ben Welden	...	Third Judge (uncredited)
Jean Wong	...	Amazon Guard (uncredited)

Directed by
John Cromwell

Writing credits
Talbot Jennings		(screenplay) and
Sally Benson		(screenplay)
Margaret Landon		(biography)

Produced by
Louis D. Lighton	....	producer

Original Music by
Bernard Herrmann

Cinematography by
Arthur C. Miller		(director of photography) (as Arthur Miller)

Film Editing by
Harmon Jones

Art Direction by
William S. Darling		(as William Darling)
Lyle R. Wheeler		(as Lyle Wheeler)

Set Decoration by
Thomas Little

Costume Design by
Bonnie Cashin

Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist

Art Department
Frank E. Hughes	....	associate set decorator

Sound Department
Bernard Freericks	....	sound
Roger Heman Sr.	....	sound (as Roger Heman)

Special Effects by
Fred Sersen	....	special photographic effects

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department
Bernard Herrmann	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1946) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (1947) (France) (theatrical)
• M.P.E.A. (1947) (Austria) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

128 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

UK:12 (re-rating) (2006) | UK:A (original rating) | UK:12 (re-rating) (2006) (cut) | UK:A (1946) (cut) | Netherlands:12 | Canada:G (video rating) | Finland:K-16 | Spain:T | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #11572, General Audience)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden - 301 N. Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

While most of the Caucasian actors playing Asians in this film wore dark make-up, Gale Sondergaard was allergic to the make-up being used. Instead, through several weeks of cautious sunbathing, she acquired a deep enough tan to compensate.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The banquet scene includes a performance of Siamese theatrical dance. However, the music which accompanies this performance is unmistakably Balinese gamelan, not Siamese. Furthermore, it's "gong kebyar" style, which hadn't been invented yet in the 1860s.

Quotes:

Kralahome: [the Kralahome has just arrived to tell King Mongkut of the loss of Cambodia. Anna, meanwhile, continues to press the King about the issue of a private residence, to the point where even the King's staff members are singing "Home, Sweet Home"] Your Majesty! It has begun, Toongramon. We've lost Cambodia. Our governor of Cambodia has made a treaty with the French government. They have recognized Cambodia as independent of Siam, placed it under their "protection," and this governor of ours still protests his loyalty to Your Majesty.
King Mongkut: So, a camel's nose is in the tent. The partition of Siam, it has begun.
Kralahome: For a long time, we've said this hour must come. Now it is no longer talk. It is upon us. What do we do?
King Mongkut: Nothing. We shall do nothing whatever in this matter... because there is nothing we can do.
Kralahome: Your father took such a man once and burned out both his eyes, hung him in the sun in a cage over cool running water, until he went mad.
King Mongkut: [Heartbroken, yes resigned] We have not the right to waste ourselves on something which cannnot be changed. We shall save what strength and cunning we may have to hold together what is left of Siam. And if we cannot save all that is left, we shall save what we can.
Kralahome: [after a long pause] Tell me something Toongramon. A long time ago, I came to you and asked you to leave a life of peace, and to be King. If I could ask you now to make that choice, what would your answer be? Think well before you answer that. Think what this can mean to you.
King Mongkut: You feel great responsibility for me, don't you, Chow Koon?
Kralahome: You might still be living peacefully at the monastery if I had not persuaded you. Perhaps it is not too late to return. Think well on that. The monastery instead of this place, where you have only enemies and danger. Well, you know this is not the end. The ships of Europe will crowd thicker on our seas, greedy for conquest. They have the power... and the cunning. They know how to set your nobles against you, how to buy and threaten them. How can you hope to hold Siam together against enemies without and within? All that it can mean to you is that, in the end, you will die in a lost cause.
[pause]
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Biography: Anna and the King: The Real Story of Anna Leonowens" (1999)

Anna and the King of Siam

At times pleasant, but mostly so-so version of the true exploits of English governess Margaret Langdon. There are many positives; perfect costuming and art direction, which the latter was awarded an Oscar. Cinematography also won the top honor and is quite lavish and well timed. As for the performances; Harrison's king doesn't have the grace, timing and presence of Yul Brynner's later screen king. While Dunne is a fine actress, she seems too warped into the melodramatic, while missing the lightness of the character and of the relationship she shares with the king. She has moments where she is quite close to having her down, but she holds herself back. The problems with the film are not major and it is quite lovely to look at. Sumptuous sets and exceptional photography carry us through, though director Cromwell suffered from the same problems as Dunne; the film lacked a sense of fun and light heartedness. This is not a horrible film, but it's taken a bit too seriously.