The King and I (1956)

Yul Brynner: King Mongkut of Siam

Photos 

Quotes 

• King Mongkut of Siam : Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera!

• King Mongkut of Siam : You are very difficult woman!

• King Mongkut of Siam : Now, shall Mr. Lincoln be winning this war he is fighting at present?

  Anna Leonowens : No one knows really.

  King Mongkut of Siam : Well, does he have enough guns and elephants for transporting things?

  Anna Leonowens : I don't think they have elephants in America, your majesty.

  King Mongkut of Siam : No elephants? No wonder he is not winning war!

• King Mongkut of Siam : When I sit, you sit. When I kneel, you kneel. Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera!

• King Mongkut of Siam : You will order the finest gold chopsticks.

  Anna Leonowens : Your Majesty, chopsticks? Don't you think knives and forks would be more suitable?

  King Mongkut of Siam : I make mistake, the British not scientific enough to know how to use chopsticks.

• Anna Leonowens : Then how do you explain, your majesty, that many men remain faithful to only one wife?

  King Mongkut of Siam : They are sick.

• Anna Leonowens : In your house she's just another woman. Like a bowl of rice is a bowl of rice no different from any other bowl of rice.

  King Mongkut of Siam : Now you understand about women! So, many English books talk about love et cetera, et cetera, et cetera! Ha!

  Anna Leonowens : You disapprove?

  King Mongkut of Siam : It is a silly complication of a general simplicity. A woman is designed for pleasing man that is all. A man is deigned to be pleased by many women

  Anna Leonowens : Then how do you explain, your majesty, that many men remain faithful to one wife?

  King Mongkut of Siam : They are sick.

  Anna Leonowens : Oh, but you do expect women to be faithful?

  King Mongkut of Siam : Naturally!

  Anna Leonowens : Well why naturally?

  King Mongkut of Siam : Because it is natural. It is like old Siamese saying. A girl is like a blossom, with honey for just one man. A man is like a honey bee and gather all he can. To fly from blossom to blossom a honey must be free. But blossom must not ever fly from bee to bee to bee.

  Anna Leonowens : [giggling]  Oh, your majesty in England we have a far different attitude. We believe for a man to be truly happy he must love one woman and one woman only.

  King Mongkut of Siam : This idea was invented by woman.

  Anna Leonowens : Oh but it's a great idea your majesty and in England we're brought up with it. When your young and at your first dance.

  King Mongkut of Siam : Young girl? They dance also. Like I see you in arms of stranger tonight not a husband.

  Anna Leonowens : Why of course!

  King Mongkut of Siam : I would not permit it.

  Anna Leonowens : Ha. When you're young and at your first dance, and you're sitting on a small gilt chair with your eyes lowered, terrified that you'll be a wall flower, suddenly, you see two black shoes, a white waist coat, a face, it speaks.

• King Mongkut of Siam : You are very difficult woman!

  Anna Leonowens : Perhaps so, Your Majesty.

• King Mongkut of Siam : ...Pairs of male elephants to be released into the forests of America. There it is hoped that they will grow in number and the people can tame them and use them as beasts of burden.

  Anna Leonowens : But your majesty, I don't think you mean pairs of MALE elephants.

• King Mongkut of Siam : [chanting to Buddha before banquet preparations]  Help also Mrs. Anna to keep awake for scientific sewing of dresses, even though she be only a woman and a Christian and therefore unworthy of your interest!

  Anna Leonowens : [greatly offended, rising]  Your Majesty!

  King Mongkut of Siam : A promise is a promise! Head must not be higher than mine! A promise!

• King Mongkut of Siam : I do not remember such words.

  Anna Leonowens : I remember them.

  King Mongkut of Siam : I will do remembering!

• Anna Leonowens : Oh, but this is a lie!

  King Mongkut of Siam : [in agreement]  It is a FALSE lie!

• King Mongkut of Siam : You think you teach King lesson, but this is one lesson you do not be paid for teaching. In the future, you will stop instructing wives and children in silly English song "Home Sweet House". To remind me of breaking promises I never make, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

  Anna Leonowens : Your majesty, I do not intend to have my boy brought up in a harem, and you did promise me a house; "a brick residence adjoining the palace," those were your very words in the letter.

  King Mongkut of Siam : [obviously does remember]  I do not remember such words.

  Anna Leonowens : I remember them.

  King Mongkut of Siam : I will do remembering. Who is king here? I remind you, so you remember that? I do not remember any promises. I do not remember anything, except that you are my servant.

  Anna Leonowens : Oh, no, your majesty.

  King Mongkut of Siam : What, what, what? I said you are my servant.

  Anna Leonowens : No, your majesty, that is not true. I am most certainly not your servant, and what is more, if you do not give me the house you promised, I shall be forced to return to England immediately.

  [children protest] 

  Princess Ying Yaawolak : I believe in snow!

  Lady Thiang : Do not let her go away.

  King Mongkut of Siam : I let her do nothing that is not my pleasure. It is my pleasure that you stay here, in palace, in palace!

  Anna Leonowens : No, your majesty.

  King Mongkut of Siam : [heavy sigh]  Why do you wish to leave these children, all of whom are loving you so extraordinarily?

  Anna Leonowens : I do not wish to leave them. I love them, too, quite extraordinarily, but I cannot stay in a country where a promise has no meaning.

  King Mongkut of Siam : I will hear no more about this promise!

  Anna Leonowens : A land where there is talk of honor and a wish for Siam to take its place among the modern nations of the world, where there is talk of great changes, but where everything still remains according to the wishes of the king.

  King Mongkut of Siam : You will say no more! No more!

  Anna Leonowens : I will say no more, because there is no more to say. Come, Louis.

  [Anna and Louis leave. Children protesting] 

  Anna Leonowens : Out, out, out!

  [everyone, except the King, leaves] 

• Anna Leonowens : All properly dressed English ladies always wear undergarments.

  King Mongkut of Siam : I have opinion that, in this regard, England is very backward nation.

• King Mongkut of Siam : You will say no more!

  Anna Leonowens : I will say no more, because there is no more to say!