Review of The King and I (1956) by Vanessa C — 09 Nov 2007

Commenting on screen versions of stage musicals is always a difficult process for me. It's very difficult to differentiate between my feelings for the movie and the stage original. "The King and I" by any conventional standards of judging movies is not worthy of comment.

However, if you're a fan of Rodgers and Hammerstein's original stage musical this film is an incredibly enjoyable experience. Ernest Lehman's screenplay is faithful to Hammerstein's original libretto--but NOT to a fault.

Lehman wisely makes adjustments to the structure of the original in deference to the new medium (unfortunately this includes the deletion of one of R&H's most beautiful songs, "I Have Dreamed").

If the best that can be said about Walter Lang's direction is that he doesn't hinder the performers, well that is more than can be said of certain contemporary directors of movie musical adaptations.

Deborah Kerr (aided by the singing voice of Marni Nixon) and Yul Brynner are iconic in their roles.