History
Drama
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951): Cast, Ratings & Box Office
A Streetcar Named Desire is a 1951 drama directed by Elia Kazan, starring Vivien Leigh, Marlon Brando and Kim Hunter. It runs 2 hours 2 minutes and earned $54,695 worldwide. It won 4 Oscars, including Actor in a Supporting Role and Actress, and 6 awards in all. Critics gave it 97 on Metacritic.
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- Released
- Runtime
- 2h 2m (122 min)
- Director
- Elia Kazan
- Genre
- Drama
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Warner Bros.
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
The story
What Is A Streetcar Named Desire About?
The premise of A Streetcar Named Desire without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
In 1940s New Orleans, the arrival of fragile Blanche DuBois disrupts the lives of her sister Stella and Stella's husband, Stanley Kowalski. Blanche, a fading socialite, attempts to conceal her troubled past while navigating the stifling heat and tensions of their close-quarters living situation. As Blanche's illusions clash with Stanley's blunt reality, a destructive conflict emerges, threatening to shatter the family’s precarious stability and expose long-held secrets.
A Streetcar Named Desire Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- mental illness
- new orleans louisiana
- sister sister relationship
- secret past
- domestic violence
- nervous breakdown
- machismo
- rape
- histrionic personality disorder
- mental instability
- drunkenness
- polish american
+38 more Show fewer
- world war two veteran
- widow
- pregnancy
- cruelty
- delusion
- virility
- sexuality
- masculinity
- former teacher
- family relationships
- tragedy drama
- bowling
- national film registry
- marital separation
- poker
- husband wife relationship
- streetcar
- light bulb
- adultery
- offscreen rape
- working class
- dysfunctional marriage
- housewife
- houseguest
- famous line
- factory worker
- ethnic slur
- dating
- marriage
- train station
- southern belle
- shower
- baby
- neurosis
- cigarette smoking
- snobbery
- existential poetry
- alienation
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Cast & crew
A Streetcar Named Desire Cast
Vivien Leigh leads the cast, with Marlon Brando and Kim Hunter. Directed by Elia Kazan; 10 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Elia Kazan
Also Starring in A Streetcar Named Desire
· 6 more Ratings
A Streetcar Named Desire Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave A Streetcar Named Desire 97 on Metacritic.
-
Metacritic 97 Metascore
User score 8.2
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 76% User score
See on TMDB
Plot
A Streetcar Named Desire Plot Summary
What happens in A Streetcar Named Desire from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Blanche DuBois, portrayed by Vivien Leigh, is a middle-aged high school English instructor who arrives in the vibrant city of New Orleans, seeking refuge from her troubled past. Traveling on a streetcar named “Desire,” she finds herself in the eclectic French Quarter, where her sister, Kim Hunter, resides with her husband, Marlon Brando, who takes on the role of the boorish Stanley Kowalski. Blanche is immediately taken aback by the deteriorating conditions of the neighborhood surrounding Stella and Stanley’s cramped tenement apartment.
Full summary
The whole story of A Streetcar Named Desire, scene by scene
Box office
A Streetcar Named Desire Box Office
A Streetcar Named Desire grossed $54,695 worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$54.7K
- International
- $51.2K
Awards
A Streetcar Named Desire Awards & Nominations
A Streetcar Named Desire won 4 Oscars, including Actor in a Supporting Role and Actress, and 6 awards in all. Its biggest night was the Oscars 1952, with 4 wins from 12 nominations.
6 wins18 nominations4 ceremonies
-
BAFTA 1953 1 win · 2 nominations- Won Best British Actress – Vivien Leigh
- Nominated Best Film
-
Oscars 1952 4 wins · 12 nominations- Won Actor in a Supporting Role – Karl Malden
- Won Actress – Vivien Leigh
- Won Actress in a Supporting Role – Kim Hunter
- Won Art Direction (Black-and-White)
- Nominated Actor – Marlon Brando
-
Golden Globes 1952 1 win · 3 nominations- Won Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture – Kim Hunter
- Nominated Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama – Vivien Leigh
- Nominated Best Picture — Drama
-
DGA Awards 1951 1 nomination- Nominated Feature Film – Elia Kazan
Videos
A Streetcar Named Desire Trailers & Videos
The trailer of A Streetcar Named Desire.
Quiz
How Well Do You Know A Streetcar Named Desire?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What is the name of the streetcar Blanche takes to New Orleans?
Cars
Cars in A Streetcar Named Desire
5 cars on screen, including the 1941 Buick Special and the 1936 Chevrolet Standard.
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1941 Buick Special Important role -
1936 Chevrolet Standard Important role -
1946 De Soto Taxicab Background role -
1936 Ford V8 De Luxe Background role
Details
A Streetcar Named Desire Also Known As
33 alternative titles, including “Um Bonde Chamado Desejo” and “Un tranvía llamado deseo”.
- Also known as
-
- Um Bonde Chamado Desejo
- Un tranvía llamado deseo
- Endstation Sehnsucht
- Tramlijn Begeerte
- Tramvaj zvan čežnja
- 慾望號街車
- 욕망이라는 이름의 전차
- Un tram che si chiama desiderio
- Un tramway nommé Désir
- Um Eléctrico Chamado Desejo
- Трамвай «Желание»
- Linje Lusta
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- 欲望号街车
- İhtiras Tramvayı
- Omstigning til Paradis
- Tramwaj zwany pożądaniem
- Λεωφορείον ο Πόθος
- A vágy villamosa
- Un tramvai numit dorință
- חשמלית ושמה תשוקה
- Uma Rua Chamada Pecado
- Трамвай Желание
- Viettelysten vaunu
- En sporvogn til begjær
- Трамвай «Бажання»
- Tramvaj do stanice Touha
- Chuyến Tàu Mang Tên Dục Vọng
- اتوبوسی به نام هوس
- 欲望という名の電車
- Un tramvia anomenat Desig
- 慾海奇女子
- 慾望街車, ტრამვაი სახელად სურვილი
- รถรางคันนั้นชื่อปรารถนา
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From the blog
Articles About A Streetcar Named Desire
Our article about A Streetcar Named Desire: “The Evolution of Romantic Films: Past to Present”.
FAQ
A Streetcar Named Desire FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of A Streetcar Named Desire, each answered in a sentence.
How long is A Streetcar Named Desire?
A Streetcar Named Desire runs 2 hours 2 minutes (122 minutes).
When was A Streetcar Named Desire released?
A Streetcar Named Desire was released on September 19, 1951.
Who directed A Streetcar Named Desire?
A Streetcar Named Desire was directed by Elia Kazan.
More films by Elia Kazan Who is in the cast of A Streetcar Named Desire?
A Streetcar Named Desire stars Vivien Leigh, Marlon Brando and Kim Hunter, among 10 credited actors.
How much did A Streetcar Named Desire make at the box office?
A Streetcar Named Desire grossed $54,695 worldwide.
How is A Streetcar Named Desire rated?
A Streetcar Named Desire has 97 on Metacritic and 76% on TMDB.
What awards did A Streetcar Named Desire win?
A Streetcar Named Desire won 6 awards from 18 nominations, including Best British Actress at the BAFTA 1953.
Does A Streetcar Named Desire have a post-credit scene?
No. A Streetcar Named Desire has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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