The King and I - Original Soundtrack

The King And I was first staged as a Broadway musical in 1951, with Yul Brynner and Gertrude Lawrence in the two leading roles. Brynner was largely unknown at the time, whilst Lawrence was considered one of the leading lights of the entertainment world, so much so that her Broadway contract stipulated that she would be cast in the film version. Unfortunately, she died from cancer soon after the musical opened, with Dinah Shore and Maureen O'Hara subsequently being considered for the role when the film was being made. It was Yul Brynner himself who insisted on Deborah Kerr being given the role (although Marni Nixon dubbed her singing voice), a decision that proved the making of the film. Nominated for nine Academy Awards, it won five, including Best Sound Recording. Despite its success, the film was banned in Thailand! Brynner would go on to reprise his role in the Broadway revivals of 1977 and 1985.