Yul Brynner received an Academy Award for his role of King Mongkut, the King of Siam his greatest triumph on the screen. This particular shirt epitomizes the lavishness of Irene Sharff's costumes for the film for which she received an Academy Award nomination. Sharaff was also largely responsible for Brynner's famous bald-headed look, as it was she who persuaded him to shave his head while they worked together on the stage production which preceeded the film. Brynner often told reporters that by shaving his head he had saved the sexual image of millions of bald-headed men.
This shirt is particularly memorable as it was worn in the opening sequences of the film when the King is introduced to English schoolteacher, Anna (played by Deborah Kerr), and in turn introduces his children to her. Brynner received wonderful revues for his part in this film and his co-star Deborah Kerr laid the responsibility of its success at his door: [Brynner's] imaginative suggestions and instructions were responsible for turning 'The King and I' into a great movie. If not for him it would have wound up being just another pleasant Hollywood musical... (See Robbins (Jhan):The Inscrutable King, N.Y. Dodd, Mead & Co., 1987, pp.66-67)