Editing Deborah Kerr (section)

===Peak years of stardom===
[[File:Deborah Kerr The King and I.jpg|thumb|right|Kerr in ''[[The King and I (1956 film)|The King and I]]'' (1956)]]
Thereafter, Kerr's career choices would make her known in Hollywood for her versatility as an actress.<ref name="auto"/><ref name="car"/> She played the repressed wife in ''[[The End of the Affair (1955 film)|The End of the Affair]]'' (1955), shot in England with [[Van Johnson]]. She was a widow in love with [[William Holden]] in ''[[The Proud and Profane]]'' (1956), directed by [[George Seaton]]. Neither film was much of a hit. However Kerr then played [[Anna Leonowens]] in the film version of the [[Richard Rodgers|Rodgers]] and [[Oscar Hammerstein II|Hammerstein]] musical ''[[The King and I (1956 film)|The King and I]]'' (1956); with [[Yul Brynner]] in the lead; it was a huge hit. [[Marni Nixon]] dubbed Kerr's singing voice.

She played a nun in ''[[Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison]]'' (1957) opposite her long-time friend [[Robert Mitchum]], directed by [[John Huston]]. It was very popular as was ''[[An Affair to Remember]]'' (1957) opposite [[Cary Grant]].<ref name="McLellan 2007 Deborah Kerr"/>

Kerr starred in three films with [[David Niven]]: ''[[Bonjour Tristesse (1958 film)|Bonjour Tristesse]]'' (1958), directed by [[Otto Preminger]], ''[[Separate Tables (film)|Separate Tables]]'' (1958), directed by [[Delbert Mann]], which was particularly well received,<ref name="Variety 1958 Separate Tables">{{cite web | title=Separate Tables | website=Variety | date=1958-01-01 | url=https://variety.com/1957/film/reviews/separate-tables-2-1117794749/ | access-date=2024-02-16}}</ref> and ''[[Eye of the Devil]]'' (1966), directed by [[J. Lee Thompson]].

She made two films at MGM: ''[[The Journey (1959 film)|The Journey]]'' (1959) reunited her with Brynner; ''[[Count Your Blessings (1959 film)|Count Your Blessings]]'' (1959), was a comedy. Both flopped, as did ''[[Beloved Infidel]]'' (1959) with [[Gregory Peck]].<ref name="NYT 1959 Beloved Infidel">{{cite web | title=Screen: Fitzgerald on the Way Down; 'Beloved Infidel' Opens at the Paramount Gregory Peck, Deborah Kerr Head Cast | website=The New York Times | date=1959-11-18 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1959/11/18/archives/screen-fitzgerald-on-the-way-down-beloved-infidel-opens-at-the.html | access-date=2024-02-16}}</ref>