Released - September, 1951 

Directed By - Elia Kazan

Starring - Vivien Leigh (Blanche DuBois), Marlon Brando (Stanley Kowalski), Kim Hunter (Stella Kowalski), Karl Malden (Harold ‘Mitch’ Mitchell).

Description – Based on the Tennesee Williams 1948 Pulitzer Prize-winning play, this is a superbly acted film that is credited with making Marlon Brando a star. Vivien Leigh, looking quite unlike ‘Scarlett O’Hara, plays neurotic, dillusonal, and sexually disturbed Blanche DeBois.

The world begins to crumble beneath her feet when she moves in with her pregnant sister Stella and husband Stanley. It dosen’t take long before the trio of personalities erupt. Stella, self-effacing and submissive, Stanley, tormenting and dominering, and Blanche with a closet full of skeletons clash from the very beginning.

When Stella goes into the hospital to have her baby leaving her husband and sister alone the final confrontation between Stanley and Blanche proves cruel and violent resulting in a nervous breakdown for Blanche.

NOTABLE: In 1999 this motion picture was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

The film won four Academy Awards; Best Actress (Vivien Leigh), Best Supporting Actor (Karl Malden), Best Supporting Actress (Kim Hunter), and Best Art Direction-Set Direction. It was also nominated for Best Motion Picture, Best Actor (Marlon Brando), Best Director, Best Writing, Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Sound Recording, and Best Music Score of a Comedy or Drama film.

The controversial themes of the screenplay had to be toned down in order to comply with the Hollywood Production Code. Some of the revisions included references to homosexuality as well as Stella’s response of desire after being physically abused by Stanley. These and a few more revisions were included in the 1993 re-release of the film.

Actress Jessica Tandy was originally cast to re-create her Broadway role of Blanche, but the role eventually went to Vivien Leigh based on her box-office appeal.

In 2007, the American Film Institute ranked this film #47 on its Greatest Movies of All Time list.

Personal Comment: An emotionally power-packed film with great performances all around. See this film, it’s one you won’t forget.

A Streetcar Named Desire (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Tennessee Williams Film Collection (A Streetcar Named Desire 1951 Two-Disc Special Edition / Cat on a Hot Tin Roof 1958 Deluxe Edition / Sweet Bird of Youth / The Night of the Iguana / Baby Doll / The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone)

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Tags: 1950's drama, academy awards, AFI Greatest Movies of All Time, best actress, best art direction, best supporting actor, best supporting actress, elia kazan, karl malden, kim hunter, marlon brando, national film registry, oscar nominations, vivien leigh, warner brothers pictures

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