Elia Kazan founded The Actors Studio in 1947 with Cheryl Crawford and Robert Lewis, and having already established his Hollywood career as a top film director, brought the Studio’s groundbreaking approach to the big screen in 1951 with his powerful film version of Tennessee Williams’s stage classic A Streetcar Named Desire. Kazan cast three Studio veterans in the film, with Marlon Brando making an indelible impression in his nominated performance as Stanley Kowalski, a role he originated on stage, while Karl Malden and Kim Hunter (both Broadway carryovers) won for their supporting performances. Screen icon Vivien Leigh won her second Best Actress Oscar for her delicately tragic portrayal of Blanche DuBois. Featuring an influential, jazz-infused, nominated score by Alex North and Oscar-winning art direction from Richard Day and George James Hopkins, Streetcar lost none of its primal power on the big screen.

DIRECTOR: Elia Kazan. WRITTEN BY: Tennessee Williams. ADAPTATION BY: Oscar Saul. CAST: Vivien Leigh, Marlon Brando, Kim Hunter, Karl Malden. 1951. 125 min. USA. B&W. English. 35mm. New print courtesy of the Academy Film Archive.

Oscar® Sundays in August and September honor the 75th anniversary of The Actors Studio.

Academy Museum film programming generously funded by the Richard Roth Foundation.

Make It Dinner and a Movie

Fanny's Restaurant & Café

All guests who present a ticket for a film screening, Tuesday through Saturday (and the first Sunday of every month), receive 10% off all food and non-alcoholic beverages at Fanny's. Discount only applicable on the same day as the screening and cannot be redeemed for another screening or date. Dinner reservations can be made on OpenTable or Resy.