‘A Streetcar Named Desire’: 7 Facts About the 1951 Film Starring Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh
The movie, based on the Tennessee Williams play, has left its mark on pop culture history
The film that gave us Marlon Brando’s “Stella!,” is seldom forgotten in pop culture history. The 1951 film adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ play, A Streetcar Named Desire, had Vivien Leigh portraying southern belle Blanche, Kim Hunter as her sister Stella and Brando as her brother-in-law, Stanley.
Blanche moves in with her sister, but is near-constantly at odds with Stanley, putting a strain on everyone within the household. Meanwhile, there’s also the gradually dilapidating relationship between her sister and husband. Here, take a look at these A Streetcar Named Desire facts you might not have known about the iconic film.
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‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ facts
1. The movie earned Brando his very first Oscar nomination
For his role of Stanley Kowalski, Brando got his first Oscar nod. However, he would not go on to take home the trophy until a few years later when he won Best Actor for the 1954 film, On the Waterfront.
2. And three other cast members brought home trophies for the film
Vivien Leigh won for Best Actress, Karl Madden won Best Supporting Actor and Kim Hunter won Best Supporting Actress — It was the first film to take home three wins for acting.
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3. A Streetcar Named Desire gets a big honor
In 1999, the movie was added to the National Film Registry, meaning that the Library of Congress chooses to preserve it due to its significance in our history and popular culture.
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4. There really was ‘a streetcar named desire’
Between 1920 and 1948, a streetcar really ran on what was called the “Desire Line” in New Orleans, ending on Desire Street.
5. One of the original Broadway stars didn’t make the cut
Before A Streetcar Named Desire hit the big screen, it was brought to life on the stage by most of the same cast members apart of the film, including Marlon Brando and Kim Hunter. However, Jessica Tandy, who played the role of Blanche and even took home a Tony Award in 1948 for her role, was not cast in the movie adaptation, as they were seeking a more prominent and well-known film actress for the part.
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6. It wasn’t an easy start for Vivien Leigh
Being that she wasn’t apart of the original Broadway cast, the actress was something of an outsider when she first joined in. In addition to that, her training differed from her co-stars, who favored the Stanislavski Method.
7. Some of the play’s original contents were censored for the film
Certain aspect of the play were left out or altered due to Hollywood regulations. For example, Blanche’s promiscuous nature was toned down in the film and they also avoided the implication that her late husband was potentially homosexual as the play had suggested.
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