Anna and the King of Siam (1946)

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		(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:

In a scene early in the film, Anna is seen walking through an open-air market. While this scene was being filmed, an airplane passed over the set, creating a low hum on the soundtrack. Composer Bernard Herrmann was instructed to compose an accompanying score that would obscure the airplane motor. He used low gongs.

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:

Anna Owens: [Anna, thinking the king is a barbarian, is about to leave. The Kralahome has had her brought to his office at night to reason with her. She is outraged] How dare you treat me in this manner. I demand an explanation, and I warn you...
Kralahome: [Calmly] Be quiet, sir.
Anna Owens: ...that I'm a British subject.
Kralahome: That is nor reason you are safe. I could have you killed if that would serve my purpose. Such things are simple here.
[Walks across room]
Kralahome: Sir, did you enjoy your triumph about your house? Because you shall now enjoy greater triumph. I have something to ask of you. Not demand, but ask. It is that you shall Stay in Siam. You may enjoy yourself if you like, sir
Anna Owens: No matter what you ask, I wouldn't do it.
Kralahome: If you do not stay in Siam, where will you go?
Anna Owens: I don't know.
Kralahome: Have you other place to put your life?
[...]

Movie Connections:

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

Elegantly produced,superbly acted.Ij

In reading the comments about "Anna and the King of Siam,"I was especially drawn to the harsh political commentaries by your reviewers.When I was saw the film in the summer of 1946,the war was over only eleven months,and I was feeling generally upbeat.Consequently,watching this film,I felt upbeat about it,too.I thought then,and I still do(seeing it on tv),that it was a beautifully produced picture.One thing I noted at the time of its release,was that movie reviewers universally criticized Twentieth Century-Fox for not filming it in Technicolor.(Fox didn't repeat their mistake in their musical production with Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr.)Their 1946 film garnered the Oscars for black and white cinematography, and black and white art direction, and interior decoration.(Costume design nominations didn't arrive until 1948--"Hamlet,"b&w,and "Joan of Arc,"color,won).If costume design had been a factor in 1946, I'm dead sure "Anna and the King of Siam" would have been a shoo-in.The musical version in 1956 did get the prize.Irene Dunne had a spate of fine film from 1936 to 1948,and this was leader among them.I can't imagine another actor living in 1946 playing the king.(Mr.Brynner appeared on the scene in the stage production around 1950.After that,he went to Hollywood).Gale Sondergaard received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.John Cromwell's direction was as artful as his work with "Since You Went Away."in 1944.For this film:A rating of A.