Wednesday, December 05, 2007

"You Mind If I Make Myself Comfortable?"

Sixty years ago yesterday, Tennessee William's A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE premiered on Broadway.

In 1951, the film version of the play was released in theatres.

And from that moment, the pressure was on for men to not only look good with their shirts off, but also to look HOT.

The pressure had been on women and continues to be on women more so than men, but when Marlon Brando took his sweaty t-shirt off, showed his torso and built pecs to the camera and then slipped into a ultra-tight t-shirt that left nothing to the imagination, it wasn't just Vivien Leigh who was moist and perspiring - - it was every straight woman and gay man in America.

I've seen a lot of porn in my time - - when you come out of the closet, the Gay Mafia gives you a nice welcome basket full of gay porn, Judy Garland cd's and your very own boa - - but to me, nothing is sexier than this scene from STREETCAR.

This is the first meeting between Blanche Dubois and Stanley Kowalski. Near the end of the play, when Blanche is slipping further and further into madness and Stanley is just about to rape her, he says, "We've had this date from the beginning." You can see the raw sexual tension, the power struggle, the fact that he will take what he wants from her and destroy her, all in this clip.



See? I told you. Marlon had it goin' ON back in the day.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

How is this the same man that was in The Island of Dr. Moreau?

Aaron said...

Yes, there were some fine performances by everyone in that film. Hard to believe Kim Hunter went on to be an ape. And then "The Edge of Night." (And then an ape on "The Edge of Night.")

Mark in DE said...

Oh yeah, Marlon was a major HOTTIE when he was younger. I haven't seen Streetcar in 100 years; think I'll add it to my Netflix queue and push it to the top. Thanks, Stephan Rader!

Mark :-)

Stephen R. said...

Dana - I know! Time is kind to no man.

Aaron - Apes on "The Edge of Night" would have been GENIUS!!! :)

Mark - WOOHOO!!! Glad I could help put this classic film in your queue.

jer said...

he makes me want to take my clothes off.

Stephen R. said...

Jer - Isn't he just the hottest?!?

Gynocrat said...

He makes me want to smack a drama queen. I wanted to be Stanley sooo bad.

It was a toss up between Brando's Kowalski, or Eli Wallach's Vaccaro from Baby Doll.

Stephen R. said...

Tina - Wallach's Vaccaro from BABY DOLL is hot! That whole movie is sizzling with sex. Tennessee definitely understood our primal urges. My favorite line of his is from SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH where she's getting a massage and says, "I don't remember your face, but your hands are familiar." Heaven!!

Unknown said...

He was the ultimate bad boy....of course that was before my time....

Stephen R. said...

Just Me - When I mention that I love certain old movies, I know I'm dating myself, but the sex is fabulous!