Anna and the King of Siam (film) supposedly autocratic rule of Siam's King Mongkut. The successful film starred Rex Harrison as the king and Irene Dunne as Anna. At the 19th Academy Awards ceremony, the film received two Oscars; for Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction (Lyle R. Wheeler, William S. Darling, Thomas Little, Frank E. Hughes). Also nominated were Bernard Herrmann for the score, the screenwriters and supporting actress Gale Sondergaard. Landon's novel was later adapted by Rodgers and Hammerstein for their 1951 stage musical "The King and I" and subsequent 1956 film of the same name. American film director Andy Tennant remade the film in
Gertrude Lawrence Tribune" to call her "the greatest feminine performer in the American theatre," and Brooks Atkinson described her as "a goddess" in his review in the "New York Times". She remained with the show throughout its Broadway run and its subsequent national tour over the next three years. Decades later, Ira Gershwin told American songwriting historian Sheila Davis about a contribution Lawrence made to honing the lyrics of the song "My Ship" in "Lady in the Dark". "During a "Lady in the Dark" rehearsal," Davis wrote, "Gertrude Lawrence suddenly stopped singing midline and called out to Gershwin, who was monitoring from