''Anna and the King of Siam'' is a 1946

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by John Cromwell. An adaptation of the 1944 novel of the same name by

Margaret Landon Margaret Landon (September 7, 1903 – December 4, 1993) was an American writer known for '' Anna and the King of Siam'', her best-selling 1944 novel of the life of Anna Leonowens which eventually sold over a million copies and was translated in ...

, it was based on the fictionalized diaries of Anna Leonowens, an

Anglo-Indian Anglo-Indian people fall into two different groups: those with mixed Indian and British ancestry, and people of British descent born or residing in India. The latter sense is now mainly historical, but confusions can arise. The '' Oxford English ...

woman who claimed to be British and became governess in the Royal Court of

Siam Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

(now modern Thailand) during the 1860s.

Darryl F. Zanuck Darryl Francis Zanuck (September 5, 1902December 22, 1979) was an American film producer and studio executive; he earlier contributed stories for films starting in the silent era. He played a major part in the Hollywood studio system as one of ...

read Landon's book in

galleys A galley is a type of ship that is propelled mainly by oars. The galley is characterized by its long, slender hull, shallow draft, and low freeboard (clearance between sea and gunwale). Virtually all types of galleys had sails that could be use ...

and immediately bought the film rights. The story mainly concerns the culture clash of the Imperialist Victorian values of the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...

with the autocratic rule of Siam's King Mongkut. The successful film starred Rex Harrison as the king and

Irene Dunne Irene Dunne (born Irene Marie Dunn; December 20, 1898 – September 4, 1990) was an American actress who appeared in films during the Golden Age of Hollywood. She is best known for her comedic roles, though she performed in films of other gen ...

as Anna. At the

19th Academy Awards The 19th Academy Awards were held on March 13, 1947, honoring the films of 1946, hosted by Jack Benny. '' The Best Years of Our Lives'' won seven of its eight nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and both male acting Oscars. Th ...

ceremony, the film received two

Oscars The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

; for Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction ( Lyle R. Wheeler, William S. Darling,

Thomas Little Thomas Little (August 27, 1886 in Ogden, Utah – March 5, 1985 in Santa Monica, California) was a United States set decorator who worked on more than 450 Hollywood movies between 1932 and 1953. He won a total of 6 Oscars for art direction and r ...

Frank E. Hughes Frank E. Hughes (June 14, 1893 – April 26, 1947) was an American set decorator. He won an Academy Award and was nominated for another in the category Best Art Direction. Selected filmography Hughes won an Academy Award for Best Art Direc ...

). Also nominated were

Bernard Herrmann Bernard Herrmann (born Maximillian Herman; June 29, 1911December 24, 1975) was an American composer and conductor best known for his work in composing for films. As a conductor, he championed the music of lesser-known composers. He is widely r ...

for the score, the screenwriters and supporting actress

Gale Sondergaard Gale Sondergaard (born Edith Holm Sondergaard; February 15, 1899 – August 14, 1985) was an American actress. Sondergaard began her acting career in theater and progressed to films in 1936. She was the first recipient of the Academy Awar ...

. Landon's novel was later adapted by

Rodgers and Hammerstein Rodgers and Hammerstein was a theater-writing team of composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and lyricist-dramatist Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960), who together created a series of innovative and influential American musicals. Their popular ...

for their 1951 stage musical ''

The King and I ''The King and I'' is the fifth musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is based on Margaret Landon's novel '' Anna and the King of Siam'' (1944), which is in turn derived from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, governess to the chil ...

'' and subsequent 1956 film of the same name. American film director Andy Tennant remade the film in 1999 as ''

Anna and the King ''Anna and the King'' is a 1999 American biographical period drama film directed by Andy Tennant and written by Steve Meerson and Peter Krikes. Loosely based on the 1944 novel '' Anna and the King of Siam'', which gives a fictionalized account ...

'' with

Jodie Foster Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster (born November 19, 1962) is an American actress and filmmaker. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, three British Academy Film Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and the hono ...

and

Chow Yun-fat Chow Yun-fat (born 18 May 1955), previously known as Donald Chow, is a Hong Kong actor. He is perhaps best known for his collaborations with filmmaker John Woo in the five Hong Kong action heroic bloodshed films: '' A Better Tomorrow'', '' A ...

. The portrayal of Tuptim in ''Anna and the King of Siam'' is considerably less sympathetic than in the musical version ''

'', as the 1946 film shows animosity between Tuptim and Anna, while the musical makes her into a romantic character. Also, Tuptim is ultimately executed cruelly by the king, following an episode in Leonowens's book, while in the musical her fate is made ambiguous.Ma, Sheng-mei. "Rodgers and Hammerstein's 'Chopsticks' musicals". ''Literature/Film Quarterly'', Vol. 31, Number 1 (2003), pp. 17–26.

Plot

In 1862, Anna Owens arrives in Bangkok with her son Louis to tutor the children of the King. Her letter from the King asking her to come to Siam includes a promise that she will have a house of her own away from the Palace, but the Kralahome (Prime Minister) says she will have to stay in the

harem Harem ( Persian: حرمسرا ''haramsarā'', ar, حَرِيمٌ ''ḥarīm'', "a sacred inviolable place; harem; female members of the family") refers to domestic spaces that are reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. A har ...

for now. Anna goes to the Kralahome's office the next day and asks him to introduce her to the King so she can get the house business straightened out and start her school. When she meets the King, he tells her it is polite to prostrate oneself before him; Anna says she will bow as she would to her own Queen. Mongkut introduces her to his many wives and his 67 children and insists she live in the palace, where she will be more accessible. When she insists, she is shown a sleazy house in the fish market, but rejects it and stays in the palace, starting her school there. He finally cedes to Anna on the matter of the house. Mongkut begins summoning Anna in the middle of the night to discuss the Bible and other scholarly matters. On the way back from one of these sessions, she discovers a chained slave with a baby. This is L'Ore, who belongs to Lady Tuptim, the King's newest wife. Tuptim refuses to let L'Ore go, even though L'Ore's husband has offered to pay for her. Anna reminds the King that his own law requires that slaves must be freed if the money is offered. Tuptim runs away. Mongkut expects English visitors and asks Anna to dress some of his prettiest wives in European style and to provide English-style decor and utensils to show that he is not a barbarian. Anna suggests that the King invite consuls to come from other countries at the same time. The party is a great success, combining British, European, and Siamese traditions and convincing the visitors that Siam is a civilized nation with a proud history. Lady Tuptim is found in a Buddhist temple, disguised as a young man. At trial, she explains she couldn't stand being shut up, and so disguised herself and went to the monastery, where she was accepted as a novice and studied with Phra Palat, her former fiancé, who took holy vows when Tuptim was presented to the king. No one believes her story. Anna begs the King's help, but he is insulted that she even knows about such a private matter. Anna loses her temper and tells the king he has no heart. Phra Palat and Tuptim are both burned at the stake. Anna decides that she has had enough and says goodbye to the children. The royal wives read her a letter pleading with her to stay. Lady Thiang says that the crown prince may not grow up to be a good king if Anna doesn't stay to educate him. At the same time, Louis dies in a riding accident. When the King asks Anna to continue secretarial duties, she says, "It's the children I want," and goes on with her school. Many years later, Anna is summoned to the bedside of the dying King. The King says that Anna spoke the truth to him and was a good influence on the children. He expresses his gratitude and dies. The Kralahome asks Anna to stay and help the prince. When Chulalongkorn is crowned, his first act is to abolish the practice of prostration before the King so that everyone can respect each other and work together.

Cast

Historical inconsistencies

There are a number of differences between the plot of this film and historical fact, including: * Anna was

, raised in India, and not Welsh, as she claimed; she had never even visited Britain before becoming a governess in the court of Siam. Also, she was the widow of a civilian clerk and hotel-keeper, not a British army officer. * King Mongkut had been a Buddhist monk for 27 years before succeeding his brother as king. This is actually brought out quite prominently in one scene. His portrayal as an arrogant tyrant is debated. The film and musical production were based on Margaret Landon's 1944 novel, '' Anna and the King of Siam'', which was in turn based on Leonowens' accounts of her experiences. To set the record straight, Thai intellectuals

Seni Pramoj Mom Rajawongse Seni Pramoj ( th, หม่อมราชวงศ์เสนีย์ ปราโมช, , ; 26 May 190528 July 1997) was three times the Prime Minister of Thailand, a politician in the Democrat Party, lawyer, diplomat and pr ...

and

Kukrit Pramoj Mom Rajawongse Kukrit Pramoj ( th, คึกฤทธิ์ ปราโมช, , ; 20 April 1911 – 9 October 1995) was a Thai politician, scholar and professor. He was Speaker of the House of Representatives of Thailand 1973–1974. He was t ...

(brothers) wrote ''The King of Siam Speaks'' in 1948. () * Tuptim's torture and execution by burning at the stake is disputed by a great-granddaughter of the King who claimed also to be Tuptim's granddaughter. This type of execution was never done in Siam according to former Prime Minister Anan Panyarachun. * Mongkut really did write a letter to

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

offering

elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae ...

s to be used as stock for breeding American elephants, but the offer was unrelated to the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. His letter, accompanied by some gifts, was addressed to President James Buchanan during the last month of his term, "or to whomsoever the people have elected anew as Chief ruler in place of President Buchanan". The response, dated almost a year later, came from President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

, thanking the king for the gifts and good wishes, but declining the elephants on the grounds that the latitude of the U.S. made raising elephants impractical. * Anna's son Louis dies as a child in a riding accident in the film. The historical

Louis Leonowens Louis Thomas Gunnis Leonowens (25 October 1856 – 17 February 1919) was a British subject who grew up and worked in Siam (Thailand). He was the son of Anna Leonowens, famous as the English teacher hired by King Mongkut to teach his children. L ...

did not die as a child, and in fact outlived his mother. * In the film, Anna is present at the death of King Mongkut. The historical Anna had been granted a leave of absence for health reasons in 1867 and was in Britain at the time of the King's death in 1868; she was not invited to resume her post by the new king.

References

External links

* * * *
''Anna and the King of Siam''
on

Lux Radio Theater ''Lux Radio Theatre'', sometimes spelled ''Lux Radio Theater'', a classic radio anthology series, was broadcast on the NBC Blue Network (1934–35) (owned by the National Broadcasting Company, later predecessor of American Broadcasting Company ...

: January 20, 1947 {{DEFAULTSORT:Anna And The King Of Siam (Film) American black-and-white films 1946 films Films based on American novels Films directed by John Cromwell Films scored by Bernard Herrmann 20th Century Fox films Films whose art director won the Best Art Direction Academy Award Films whose cinematographer won the Best Cinematography Academy Award Films about royalty Films set in Thailand 1946 drama films Films set in the 1860s Films set in the 1870s Cultural depictions of Anna Leonowens Cultural depictions of Mongkut American drama films Works based on Anna and the King of Siam 1940s English-language films 1940s American films