Happy Birthday, Yul Brynner!

[Jim G.]

I get these interesting cinema briefs on my FB feed every day. I thought I'd share...

In 1950, before he achieved fame, Yul Brynner was the director of a children's puppet show on CBS, "Life with Snarky Parker", which lasted barely eight months on the air before cancellation. When he got the offer to star in "The King and I" on Broadway, Brynner had established himself at CBS directing "Danger", "Omnibus" and "Studio One in Hollywood", as well as training new directors in the fledgling medium. He took a leave of absence to play the King and even after his success jokingly referred to acting as his part-time job.

In rehearsals, at Yul Brynner's first meeting with costume designer Irene Sharaff, Yul Brynner had only a fringe of curly hair. Yul Brynner asked Sharaff what he was to do about it. When Sharaff told him to shave it, Brynner was horror-struck, refused, convinced he would look terrible. During out of town tryouts in New Haven, Connecticut (February 27, 1951), Sharaff told Rodgers and Hammerstein II and the director John Van Druten, "Brynner should be bald!" Ordered to shave his head, Brynner gave in, shaving off his long curly black hair, putting dark stage make-up on his shaved head. The effect was so well received that it became Brynner's trademark.

Brynner won Broadway's 1952 Tony Award as Best Supporting or Featured Actor (Musical) for the role, which he recreated in his Oscar-winning performance in the film of the same name, "The King and I" (1956). He also won a second, Special Tony Award in 1985 "honoring his 4,525 performances in "The King and I."

When he found out he would be playing Pharaoh Rameses II opposite Charlton Heston's Moses in "The Ten Commandments" (1956) and that he would be shirtless for most of the film, he began a rigorous weight lifting program because he did not want to be physically overshadowed by Charlton Heston (which explains his buffer than normal physique during "The King and I" (1956) another film he was set to work on at the time). (IMDb)

[Siwsan]

1. I was fortunate to see him, on stage, in 'The King and I'

When I was stationed in Philadelphia.

[Jim G.]

2. I Saw Pernell Roberts Star In It When I Was A Kid

With Anna Maria Alberghetti at the Muny Opera in St. Louis. I think it was not long after he had left 'Bonanza'. He was bald but didn't shave his head - he had jet black hair (with sideburns) to just above his ears. He really sang well too.

[FalloutShelter]

3. Me too!

Saw him in his final run in The King and I in NYC.

[Bayard]

4. Yul is still alive?

How old is he?!

[Jim G.]

5. No, He Died In 1985...

But his birthday still shows up on the internet.

He would have been 101.

[Bayard]

6. That makes more sense!

I'd like to see posts titled--He WOULD have been 101.