Cheap The King and I (DVD) (Deborah Kerr, Yul Brynner) (Walter Lang) Price
CHEAP-PRICE.NET ’s Cheap Price
$14.99
Here at Cheap-price.net we have The King and I at a terrific price. The real-time price may actually be cheaper — click “Buy Now” above to check the live price at Amazon.com.
The story line, adapted from an earlier, nonmusical stage hit, follows widowed English teacher Anna Leonowens (Deborah Kerr) to her new posting as tutor to the Siamese king's formidable mob of children. The collision of East and West affords its winning mixture of drama and humor, and the warm friendship that grows between the king and the patrician teacher provides a poignant, unfulfilled romance between the two wary protagonists. Into this framework, the composers insert a superb score, echoing Asian motifs, as well as a bouquet of lovely songs including "Hello, Young Lovers," "Shall We Dance," and two ensemble pieces for Anna and the royal children ("Getting to Know You" and "I Whistle a Happy Tune") that suggest prototypes for Rodgers & Hammerstein's later hit, The Sound of Music.
For this 1956 production, 20th Century Fox lavished stereophonic sound, widescreen cinematography, intricate production design, and stunning sets. Technically, this newly mastered THX version is the best-looking and -sounding King yet to hit video. But, regardless of format, the glorious music is reason enough to hit "play." --Sam Sutherland
| ACTORS: | Deborah Kerr, Yul Brynner |
| CATEGORY: | DVD |
| DIRECTOR: | Walter Lang |
| THEATRICAL RELEASE DATE: | 29 June, 1956 |
| MANUFACTURER: | Twentieth Century Fox |
| MPAA RATING: | G (General Audience) |
| FEATURES: | Color, Closed-captioned, THX, Widescreen |
| TYPE: | Musical |
| MEDIA: | DVD |
| # OF MEDIA: | 1 |
| UPC: | 086162000997 |
Related Products
Customer Reviews of The King and I
A PUZZLEMENT OF MAGNIFICENT PORPORTIONS BEAUTY, MAJESTY AND SPLENDOR, February 2, 2004 Reviewer: mr5012u@aol.com, Beverly Hills IN United States
One of the grandest, most entertaining musicals ever committed to the silver screen, "The King And I" is one of Rodgers and Hammerstein's greatest achievements. From the film's excellent performances by two beloved screen icons, Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr, to the splendid score, to the breathtakingly beautiful cinematography and set direction and elegant costuming... all come together to create an indelible movie masterpiece.
Loosely based on the real-life story of British schoolteacher Anna Leonowens, the film begins in the year 1860, when Leonowens (Kerr, at her most beautiful and most charming) comes to Siam with her young son to educate the many children of His Majesty the King of Siam (Yul Brynner, in an oustanding Academy-Award winning performance). Although Anna enjoys very friendly relationships with her charges, she has many conflicts with the stubborn King, at first refusing to live in the palace, in the King's "harem". He questions her culture and customs, but many of which he readily adopts, including the phrase: "Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera," (which becomes an oft-repeated line in the film). Although wary of the proper Englishwoman, he is intrigued by her teaching methods and her sly sense of humor and her pronounced propriety. Anna soon finds herself developing a deeper relationship with her employer... and the unspoken feeling is mutual.
Another romantic drama is also unfolding behind the scenes: Tuptim, the King's favorite courtesan, has fallen in love with Lun Tha, a young slave. They wish to run away together, but to forever seal their love, they would have to defy the King... or be separated forever.
With underlined with unspoken emotions, vain pride, and biting humor, "The King And I" is glorious entertainment, not only for its fine performances and glamorous spectacle, but for its legendary music: Kerr and the children perform a delightful rendition of the classic "Getting To Know You", Kerr sings the praises of young love in "Hello, Young Lovers", Brynner shines with his pronounced staccato "Confusion", and the film's most memorable scene has Kerr and Brynner waltzing and singing to the film's masterpiece, "Shall We Dance?".
The film is also full of many golden scenes: the King's wives giggling at the sight of Kerr in a billowy petticoated gown (believing that is how she is shaped!), Kerr teaching the inquisitive Siamese youngsters about falling lace from the sky called snow, and one scene in particular, a royal banquet given for an English ambassador, with a performance by the King's dancers of an interpretive version of "Uncle Tom's Cabin", reworked as "Small House of Uncle Thomas", which is very entertaining. And the film's final, memorable scene will not be forgotten quickly.
Rodgers and Hammerstein work their incredible magic and Hollywood works its own magic in this beloved movie musical, which has delighted and entertained audiences for years, and lives on in this celebrated film classic. -- David Harrison Levi --
Very nice, but very slow....
Don't get me wrong. I LOVE a lot about this movie, but at the same time, I wouldn't rate it among my favourites. It is wonderfully staged, beautifully acted, and Deborah Kerr is a delight. Yul Brynner (I always worry that I will misspell that) is perfect as the arrogant King of Siam, with his myriad wives and his countless children. The costumes are beautiful, the setting is beautiful. So why don't I like this film a lot? I find it slow, somewhat wordy, and overlong - a film to savour in the memory rather than watch over and over again.
The best scenes are worth 5 stars and more. The rest is worth only 3 stars - and one particular sequence is so wonderful that it merits 10 stars all to itself. That is the Thai dance sequence of Uncle Tom's Cabin - or Small House of Uncle Thomas. A true work of art, a cinematic original, a spectacle to die for. I may not be able to watch the film through, but my video is still set at the beginning of that particular scene.
It is a very nice film - but it drags at times. It's not brilliant, but it's good, with beautiful acting, a gentle wit and humour, and wonderful spectacle. I recommend it, if just to view once, and then keep as one keeps a nice memory.
Great Movie; DVD *not* Anamorphic
I confess I only chapter-skipped through this DVD. After I put it on and discovered it is *not* anamorphically formatted (i.e. not specially formatted for wide screen tv's), then I "boycotted" this Fox release by not watching it.
Come on, Fox. In 2004 more people own wide screen tvs than ever before. I *hate* popping in a disk that would look gorgeous on my wide screen, only to discover that I must watch it in "square" format with a letterbox.
The gorgeous KING AND I deserves a good, anamorphic transfer to DVD. And while you're at it, please send a memo to Universal to release VERTIGO in anamorphic format as well.
Yes, there is a large segment of the DVD population who don't care about anamorphic format. But there are also a lot of us who *do*. And I'll stop renting and buying your films until you release them that way.