The King and I

Come on, lads, hurry! We haven't got all day.

Is that it, captain? Are we here?

Aye, laddie. That's Bangkok all right.

Louis! Oh, Louis!

Mother! Look, there's Bangkok.

Yes, I know. Isn't it exciting?

Captain, I heard them lowering the anchor. Is anything wrong?

We have to wait for the afternoon tide to carry us over the bar.

Oh, I see.

Will the king of Siam come down to meet us, Mother?

I hardly think so, dear. Kings don't, as a rule.

Come forward, lads. They need help in the bow.

Get along there.

That's the royal barge.

The king is coming out to meet us.

It's not the king, it's the kralahome.

Who is the kralahome?

A sort of a prime minister.

The king's right-hand man, you might say.

May I look? Please, may I see?

Aye, laddie.

Ma'am, if I might be allowed to offer you a word of warning,

that man has power, and he can use it for you or against you.

You must stop worrying about me, Captain Orton.

Sometimes I wonder if you know what you're really facing.

An Englishwoman alone in a country like Siam.

It doesn't matter, captain. I shall have work to do,

and the king has promised me a house of my own.

I'll have a place to bring up my boy as his father would have wished.

Mother, look. The prime minister is naked!

Oh, don't be ridiculous, Louis. He can't be naked.

He's only...

...half-naked.

They look so cruel, Mother.

Father wouldn't have liked us to be afraid, would he?

No, Louis. Father would not have liked us to be afraid.

Not ever.

Doesn't anything ever frighten you?

Oh, yes, sometimes.

- What do you do? - I whistle.

Oh, that's why you whistle.

That's why I whistle.

Whenever I feel afraid

I hold my head erect

And whistle a happy tune, So no one will suspect

I'm afraid

While shivering in my shoes

I strike a careless pose

And whistle a happy tune

And no one ever knows I'm afraid

The result of this deception

is very strange to tell

For when I fool the people I fear

I fool myself as well!

I whistle a happy tune

And ev'ry single time

The happiness in the tune

Convinces me that I'm not afraid.

Make believe you're brave

And the trick will take you far.

You may be as brave

As you make believe you are.

You may be as brave

As you make believe you are.

I think that's a very good idea, Mother. A very good idea.

Yes, it is a good idea, isn't it?

I don't think I shall ever be afraid again.

Good.

The result of this deception

Is very strange to tell

For when I fool the people I fear

I fool myself as well!

This is Anna Leonowens.

Mrs. Leonowens, may I present His Excellency, the kralahome.

Sir, you are lady who will be schoolmistress of the royal children?

- Yes. - He called you "sir."

Hush, dear, hush.

Have you friends in Bangkok?

I know no one in Bangkok at all.

His Excellency wishes to know, are you married, sir?

I am a widow.

What manner of man, your deceased husband?

My husband was an officer of Her Majesty's Army in...

Tell your master his business with me

is as schoolteacher to the royal children.

He has no right to pry into my personal affairs.

He hasn't, Captain Orton.

I don't like that man.

In foreign country is best you like everyone until you leave.

You might at least have told us you speak English, Your Excellency.

It is not necessary for schoolteacher to know everything at once.

You come with me now.

Your baggages shall be carried to palace later.

Just a minute. Not the palace. I am not living in the palace.

- Who say? - The king say... Says.

In his letter of agreement, he promised me 20£ a month

and a house of my own outside the palace walls.

King do not always remember what he promise.

Then you will have to remind him.

If I tell king he break this promise, I will make anger in him.

I think is better if king's anger reserved for more important matters.

Very well, then. If you are afraid to tell him, I will.

I should like to see him at once, while there's time for me

to return to England on this boat.

- King very busy now. - Your Excellency,

all I want is a few minutes' audience with him.

I have come here to work and I intend to work,

but I shall take nothing less than I have been promised.

You will tell king this?

I will tell king this.

It should be very interesting meeting.

You come now!

If you change your mind...

Goodbye, Captain Orton, and thank you for everything.

Good luck, ma'am.

- Goodbye, captain. - Goodbye, laddie.

Take good care of your mother, now.

King in bad spirit today.

Suggest schoolteacher wait for better day.

My spirit is just as bad, Your Excellency. I cannot wait.

Man is Lun Tha, emissary from court of Burma.

He bring present to king from prince of Burma.

Her name is Tuptim.

Why, that girl is a present?

For king.

King is pleased with her.

Sorry. King has concluded audience.

Well, you mean I cannot see him?

Not today.

Louis, come with me.

You cannot do this!

Your Majesty. - Who, who, who?

Your Majesty, is new English schoolteacher.

Mrs. Anna Leonowens and son.

Louis Leonowens.

You are schoolteacher?

Yes, Your Majesty. But before I start my work here, there is one point...

You are part of general plan I have for bringing to Siam

what is good in Western culture.

Already I have bring printing press here for printing.

- Yes, I know, Your Majesty. - How you know?

Before I signed our agreement, I found out about your ambitions for Siam.

How old shall you be?

You do not look like scientific person for teaching.

How old shall you be?

I am 150 years old, Your Majesty.

In what year were you borned?

In 1712, Your Majesty.

How many years shall you have been married?

Several, Your Majesty.

How many grandchildren shall you have by now?

How many, how many, how many?

You do not answer fast.

I make better question than she make answer.

You are not afraid of king.

Not to be afraid is good thing in scientific mind.

I think maybe

you make very good schoolteaching.

Come.

A few of my wives.

They have beauty but not gift for knowledge.

I have no time for teaching, being busy with foreign affairs

and other situations.

I may present Lady Thiang, head wife.

There is a happy land far, far away

Where saints in glory stand

Bright, bright as day.

"In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth."

Missionary.

Oh, a missionary taught you English.

Yes, sir. Missionary.

I have boy too.

Crown Prince Chowfa Chulalongkorn, heir to throne.

You help Madam Leonowens with schoolteaching

and she in turn shall teach you the better English.

She is very grateful to me for my kindness.

Lady Thiang, have children prepare for presentation to schoolteacher.

Speaking of teaching, Your Majesty, in our agreement...

Lady Son Klin, Lady Talap, Lady Piam.

And this girl is present to me from a Burma prince.

She just arrived.

Good day, madam.

My name is Tuptim. I already speak English.

And very nicely too.

I think I have fine idea.

In addition to children, you will also teach those of my wives

as have sense enough for learning.

Siam to be very modern, scientific country.

Everybody speaking the English.

Your Majesty, it is not in our agreement that I teach your wives too.

Also, I will allow you to help me in my foreign correspondence.

I shall be perfectly happy to help you in any way I can

provided we can clear up this one little matter of the house.

House?

House? What house?

My house, Your Majesty. The one you promised me, adjoining the palace.

It is a pleasure that you shall live in palace.

You teach in palace, and you shall live in palace.

Will have nice apartment. Can look out, see many things.