Gay and alcoholic, he was a native of Mississippi, a sometimes resident of St Louis and New Orleans. And his plays are the most performed of any American playwright. He was delighted with the performance of Marlon Brando, who went on to star in the movie version of Streetcar, which came out in 1951.Vivian Leigh played Blanche on the screen and won an Academy Award. They told me to take a streetcar named Desire and then transfer to one called Cemetery and ride six blocks and then get off at Elisian Fields. There's your car now.
New productions seek new interpretations.
For many movie fans, Brando's portrayal of Stanley was a benchmark in American film-full of animal magnetism and power. Williams used it symbolically throughout the drama. Streetcar and its stars were so renowned that some theater companies wouldn't mount it fearing unflattering comparisons. You are simple, straightforward, and honest, a little bit on the primitive side, I should think. Television and film actress Sheila Kelley plays Blanche as a survivor, who holds on to her dignity.