the fugitive kind

elia kazan's, 'a streetcar named desire' was just the first of many films to be made based on tennessee williams' plays. all of them are of value though some simply succeed better than others at communicating the intimate nature of the playwright's vision.

both anna magnani and marlon brando, the leads in 'the fugitive kind', had made films of his plays before. this was the first one where deep unpleasantness, in the form of the shopkeeper's husband, raises it's head. anna as 'lady', marries for security and does her best to tolerate her bitter life, running the shop and dreaming of creating a lovely patio in memory of her father.

enter brando as the guitar strumming drifter who accepts a job and a room. 

no one writes like tennessee and no one makes films like elia kazan. this movie does just fine with half of the magic combination. (photo: magnani, brando, joanne woodward)