The King and I (1956 film) O'Hara, who had a pleasant soprano voice, was originally cast, but Richard Rodgers did not agree to the casting. It was Yul Brynner who pressed for Deborah Kerr to play the role. Marni Nixon provided Kerr's singing for the film. Nixon and Kerr worked side-by-side in the recording studio for songs which combined speaking and singing. Nixon would also dub Kerr's singing the following year, for the film "An Affair to Remember". Donald Bogle's biography of Dorothy Dandridge claims that Dandridge was offered the role of Tuptim in partial fulfillment of her three-picture contract with 20th Century-Fox, but that Dandridge
King Solomon's Mines (1950 film) Robeson received top billing for the role, whereas in this version, Umbopa's importance is greatly reduced. Deborah Kerr was announced as the female lead in July 1949. MGM wanted Errol Flynn to co star. Flynn eventually chose instead to star in "Kim". Stewart Granger was signed instead. The studio employed a British director, Compton Bennett. Filming took place at the following locations in Africa: Murchison Falls in Uganda; Astrida, "the land of giant Watusis"; Volcano Country and Stanleyville in the Belgian Congo; Tanganyika; and Rumuruti and Machakos in Kenya. The film marked the beginning of Eva Monley's career as a