The King and I The King and I The King and I is the fifth musical by the team of composer Richard Rodgers and dramatist Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based on Margaret Landon's novel, "Anna and the King of Siam" (1944), which is in turn derived from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, governess to the children of King Mongkut of Siam in the early 1860s. The musical's plot relates the experiences of Anna, a British schoolteacher hired as part of the King's drive to modernize his country. The relationship between the King and Anna is marked by conflict through much of the piece,
Deborah Kerr she played the role of the nurse—played by Elsa Lanchester in the 1957 movie—in "Witness for the Prosecution". Later, Kerr rejoined screen partner Robert Mitchum in "Reunion at Fairborough". She also took on the role of the older Emma Harte, a tycoon, in the adaptation of Barbara Taylor Bradford's "A Woman of Substance". For this performance, Kerr was nominated for an Emmy Award. Kerr's first marriage was to Squadron Leader Anthony Bartley RAF on 29 November 1945. They had two daughters, Melanie Jane (born 27 December 1947) and Francesca Ann (born 20 December 1951 and subsequently married to the actor