Rita Moreno in THE KING & I

[Marquise]

Posted: 12/16/05 at 3:53pm

Who else loved her performance as "Tuptim" in THE KING & I?

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 12/16/05 at 3:56pm

Me! Gorgeous!

I've been watching Oz a lot lately, and am becoming a huge Moreno fan.

[Marquise]

Posted: 12/16/05 at 4:05pm

Found this one on e-bay. Beautiful!
Updated On: 12/16/05 at 04:05 PM

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 12/16/05 at 4:06pm

Wow. She could get me to change teams...

[Marquise]

Posted: 12/16/05 at 4:11pm

Her character's big solo "My Lord & Master" was cut from the final film but is included on the movie's soundtrack cd. Anyone here know if that sequence was actually filmed and then cut or if it was just strictly recorded for the movie's soundtrack album?

Also her big duet with Lun-Tha "I Have Dreamed/We Kiss in a Shadow" was cut by 1/2. Only "We Kiss In A Shadow" made it into the movie but the complete recording can also be found on the movie's soundtrack album.

Updated On: 12/16/05 at 04:11 PM

[Marquise]

Posted: 12/16/05 at 4:16pm

Did anyone else see the television special RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN'S THE SOUND OF MOVIES?

It's hosted by Shirley Jones and showcases all of Rodgers & Hammersteins movie musicals.

Shirley hosts the whole special but several segments are narrated by some of the film's original stars.

Shirley narrates the OKLAHOMA, CAROUSEL, SOUTH PACIFIC and STATE FAIR segments
Nancy Kwan narrates the FLOWER DRUM SONG segment
Rita Moreno narrates THE KING & I segment
Charmain Carr narrates THE SOUND OF MUSIC [which also features a filmed intreview with Julie Andrews] segment.


Updated On: 12/16/05 at 04:16 PM

[WonderBoy]

Posted: 12/16/05 at 5:14pm

For some reason I was thinking she was dubbed in THE KING AND I film.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 12/16/05 at 5:18pm

I thought she was too.

[WonderBoy]

Posted: 12/16/05 at 5:21pm

Good, so I am not going crazy. I was pretty certain and the more I think of it, Tuptim really isn't in Rita's vocal range.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 12/16/05 at 5:26pm

IMDB credits Leona Gordon as Tuptim's singing voice.

[WonderBoy]

Posted: 12/16/05 at 5:28pm

And there ya have it folks! Thanks Robert darling. I feel much more sane now! xoxo

[best12bars]

Posted: 12/16/05 at 5:30pm

According to IMDb, Rita's singing was dubbed by Leona Gordon.

Rita was also dubbed on the last part of the Quintet in West Side Story, although she sings America & A Boy Like That and her Quintet solo section.

The last section of the Quintet was too high for her, and so... Marni Nixon dubs her AND Natalie Wood, when they're all singing at once. Pretty amazing.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 12/16/05 at 5:36pm

I did not konw that. Thanks for the info best12bars.

[Marquise]

Posted: 12/16/05 at 5:56pm

I don't care if she was dubbed. I think she gave a wonderful performance in the film. I already knew she was dubbed. There's a whole site on movie dubbing at: http://barbaralea.com/Dubbers/dubberslist.html
I find it funny how someones sanity hinges upon the fact if someone was dubbed or not. Go Figure.



Updated On: 12/16/05 at 05:56 PM

[Marquise]

Posted: 12/16/05 at 6:00pm

Interesting side note on the WEST SIDE dubbing:

Sony Classical continues to credit Betty Wand as singing the song AMERICA on all current CD pressings of the WSS Soundtrack.
Much to Moreno's chagrin.

[best12bars]

Posted: 12/16/05 at 7:18pm

Honestly, they were so protective back then about who was singing for who (...whom?). Marni Nixon had to sign a contract in blood (practically) saying that she would never tell.

But the cat got out of the bag without her help, so she talks about it now. (Listen to her commentary sometime on the My Fair Lady DVD... it's fascinating!)

My point is... that Betty Wand may very well have done the singing on those songs. IMBb lists her as singing A Boy Like That/I Have a Love for Anita... but not America. Maybe that's the only thing Rita sang for herself (along with the first part of the Quintet)... and maybe not. Since most "evidence" has been destroyed (seriously, they were THAT protective about it)... it's only one person's word against another.

Bottom line: Rita kicked butt and won a well-deserved Oscar for it. She "acted" the part of a "singing actress" magnificently. Whether she had voice help or a stunt double or wore a wig and falsies. I still love her as Anita.

Updated On: 12/16/05 at 07:18 PM

[Joe Mike2]

Posted: 12/17/05 at 1:42am

Did you know she played "Sunset Boulevard" in London and got great reviews.

[Marquise]

Posted: 12/17/05 at 3:00am

oh no best12, i know where you're coming from.
i think Sony ERRONEOUSLY credits Betty Wand with singing AMERICA on the CD.
you can clearly tell that's Rita's voice all over that song.

[YankeeGal#24]

Posted: 12/17/05 at 12:07pm

Interesting stuff, best12bars. I knew they dubbed alot of actors back then, but didn't know Rita Moreno was one of them.

And YES, loved her performance as Tuptim in The King and I.

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/17/05 at 12:24pm

I love her Tuptim.

Her MY LORD AND MASTER is all HER SINGING. It's in a lower key. but she sounds absolutely precious. In the CD booklet I believe it says the rest of Tuptim's songs were "augmented" by Leona Gordon.

[singingwendy]

Posted: 12/17/05 at 1:48pm

Wait...I was sure on the anniversary version of West Side Story, she mentions that the parts of "A Boy like that " were too LOW for her to sing. I know she also mentions that she didn't like the way the "dubbed" singer did the part....

OK...now I need to go watch the DVD and see if I'm wrong...LOL

[Marquise]

Posted: 12/17/05 at 4:31pm

singingwendy you are not wrong.
Rita Moreno *was* dubbed on the song "a boy like that".
she wasn't dubbed on "america" but Betty Wand, who dubbed her on "a boy like that" continues receiving credit for dubbing Moreno on "america" when she actually didn't.

so ljay889, Moreno actually sang her own vocals on "My Lord and Master"? I have to whip out my CD and re-listen to it.
If they credit Leona Gordon with "augmenting" some of Moreno's vocals does that mean that she just filled in on the high notes or is it just another fancy word for "dubbed". Only reason I ask is because I've read of certain instances where a dubber only *fills in* the parts the performer cannot reach but doesn't necessarily sing the entire song. Could this have been the case with Moreno on King & I?

[Marquise]

Posted: 12/17/05 at 4:36pm

FUN FACT:

Darryl F. Zanuck's original choice for the role of "Tuptim" in The King & I was Dororthy Dandridge. She initially accepted the part and then refused to do it. It's beleived Otto Preminger pressured her out of doing the role and I believe Zanuck suspended her for it.

[best12bars]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 11:45am

Marquise --- That's really cool about Dandridge. I would love to have seen her do it, even though I love Rita in the film.

I can only guess she was pressured to refuse it, because Premminger was pushing her for "cross-over" stardom (Deena Jones, anyone?)... and back then, you didn't take a supporting film role, even in an A-List production like "The King and I," if you were pushing to be a leading lady.

[Marquise]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 3:11pm

*bump*
because Miss Moreno can use some love...