Western Film 'Anna and the King' Features Scenes Filmed on the Perak River

Anna and the King is a Western film starring Jodie Foster, Yun-Fat Chow, and many others. The story follows Anna Leonowens, a British widow who travels to Siam with her son, Louis, to teach English to King Mongkut's children. King Mongkut wants the Siamese people to be more educated so they can help their country resist colonization and, indirectly, protect the traditions that give Siam its unique identity.

King Mongkut and Anna often debate the differences between love in the East and the West. However, King Mongkut frequently rejects the notion that a man can be happy with only one wife. Eventually, Anna becomes involved in King Mongkut's affairs, including his dealings with the British ambassador and others. The video below is a compilation of behind-the-scenes photos taken during the film's production.

The film was mostly shot in Malaysia, particularly in Penang, Ipoh, and Langkawi, because the production could not obtain or faced delays in getting permission from the Siamese government to film in certain areas. Therefore, some of the locations used in Perak include Ipoh,

Raja Bilah's Original House in Papan

, Kellie's Castle in Batu Gajah, and the Perak River in the Parit area.

Many local residents in Parit had the opportunity to work as extras in this Western film. It is said that the pay for acting as a villager was RM50 per person for certain scenes there. At that time, it was a sensation as Parit became 'Paris' and Bota became 'Boston'—everything turned into Hollywood. If you, as a reader, have more information regarding this film, please feel free to comment and share your experiences and stories.

For your information, Harith Iskander also acted in this film, playing the character of Nikorn.