Essay | A Streetcar Named Desire: The Play Versus the Movie

Tennessee Williams authored both the play and original screen version of A Streetcar Named Desire, so it is understandable that both works have much in common. Both initial releases even shared the same director, Elia Kazan, adding further to the similarities between stage and screen. An even higher degree of continuity was achieved by employing most of the same actors from Williams' highly acclaimed play for the movie release of 1951. The majority of the original dialogue was retained word for word for the cinema release, probably due to the success of the play with audiences of the time. Censorship by MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) and the CLD (Catholic Legion of Decency) was the driving force behind any major changes in the screenplay version. Their main objections were to overt homosexuality, violence, and sex. This censorship translated into some changes in the...
(read more)