Yul Brynner is the only actor to have played a lead role in a Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II production both on the stage and on the screen, winning a Tony and an Oscar, respectively. He also played the role on the small screen in the Anna and the King tv series.
In Thailand (previously called Siam), the royal family is held in very high esteem. Thailand banned the film due to historical inaccuracies and perceived disrespect to the monarchy. The real-life Prince Chulalongkorn became King Chulalongkorn, who led the way for modernization, improved relations with the West, and instituted many important cultural and social reforms. "Masked: The Life of Anna Leonowens, Schoolmistress at the Court of Siam," by Alfred Habegger corrects the many aspects of Anna's stated story.
Deborah Kerr suffered continual bruising from the hoops in her skirt while shooting the "Shall We Dance" sequence.
Marni Nixon was hired on a six-week contract, and she was to be at the studio every day that Deborah Kerr rehearsed a scene with a song in it. Nixon would actually stand next to Kerr and walk through the whole scene - both of them singing - and Nixon would be looking closely at Kerr's facial expressions to try to imitate her speech pattern in the songs.